Good morning PoliticsPA readers, I’m honored to be taking over as the Managing Editor of the PoliticsPA.
I am looking forward to the opportunity to grow and expand the website.
I want to make PoliticsPA more of a part of the day-to-day conversation in Harrisburg as a place people can go to see what is being talked about behind closed doors and behind the scenes.
I will be growing the presence of PoliticsPA on social media, engaging with people on Twitter and Facebook to gain better insight into what is happening and why.
Over the coming weeks and months I will be working to bring PoliticsPA closer to its mission of being the source for the inner workings of Harrisburg, which includes the happenings of both Democrats and Republicans and all the affiliated groups on both sides of the aisle.
Some of you may know my name from my recent role as Deputy Communications Director for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. My job during the 2016 cycle was as partisan as they come.
I know that in my new role, I must be unbiased and nonpartisan. I believe that PoliticsPA does best when everyone can count on it to deliver the best insider information – and that is what I aim to do.
I believe that my experience in the campaign world gives me a good perspective on the inner workings of Harrisburg and politics across the state. I am excited to bring this understanding to PoliticsPA.
My goal is to ensure that all sides of the argument and all stories are covered in an unbiased and fair light, so that all of our readers can be assured they are getting the best possible information from this website.
Along with that I appreciate feedback from our readers on what I cover and how I cover it. I want to hear the feedback from all sides, and angles. If you have a news tip about something you feel I should be covering please let me know either in the comments section, or emailing me at paul@politicspa.com.
PoliticsPA is supposed to be a source for all of you, and that is what I will do my best to have it continue to be.
I want to end this by thanking Nick Field for all that he has done with PoliticsPA during his tenure as Managing Editor. I look forward to seeing what he does in the future. And I look forward to working with all of you to continue to grow PoliticsPA.
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74 Responses
It’s only a pseudonym if it’s anonymous. Registering would break the anonymity, even if only to the site owners (who also happen to be insiders, of sorts).
As R said, in defamation cases, an anonymous poster can be traced. There is already a remedy.
Your solution 1) doesn’t solve any problems not already solved, and 2) creates new problems of censorship.
@ Already Wednesday and Still Drinking Beer & Uncensored R:
So, how ’bout registering a pseudonym?
We are different people.
But what if someone posted under two different names, each with an opposite opinion or a different version of leaked facts?
Clearly an individual can not simultaneously have two different viewpoints. But is the debate not advanced anyway, by hearing and testing different positions?
It makes the debate less about the actors and more about the subject. In such a charged political environment with so much labeling, that’s a welcome capability.
For what it’s worth, I’m not those other 2 screen names.
I think you’re flat wrong that having a robust debate, one that wouldn’t happen if you had your wish, is somehow evidence of a need to censor ideas.
@ Already Wednesday and Still Drinking Beer & Uncensored R:
For all I know, you are the same person; this demonstration illustrates the wisdom of my suggestion to undermine the level of anonymity you crave.
It’s really bad that this article is still floating to the top, beers and all.
But Sklaroff, you’re asking a news site to censor. Come on now. Let this go so Paul can write another article or two.
@ Unsanctioned R:
PERHAPS to have it SELF-Censored [appropriately].
Ask to have it censored.
@ Unsanctioned R:
THIS treatment would befit the precise level of disease-activity.
pOtAtO, pOtatO. I don’t want cures worse than the disease.
@ Unsanctioned R:
It’s not “censorship” to ensure immediate accountability and to preclude conscious ambiguity.
I’m proposing an alternative to censorship. You have been disparaged on this website in the past. Were you to hold just one person accountable (including your expenses), truly damaging posts would stop. Most perps wrongly believe that they’re untouchable.
@ Unsanctioned R:
You create an unreasonable barrier to ensuring honest communication transpires, for few people [1]–cause torts, and/or [2]–would waste resources pursuing alleged-torts.
Once La Familia puts our Handiman on the Supreme Court, there will no longer be a First Amendment. The only ” actual malice” lawyers talk about will be what we use against loud mouths when they stick their noses where it don’ belong…and dat’s dat
PPA has every reason to not expose me. However, if someone can convince a judge that they have a tort against an anonymous commenter, PPA can be compelled to share what they know about him/her.
@ Unsanctioned R:
If your solution is for Sy Snyder to expose you, you are unreasonable; thus, the problem of anonymity – no matter how much one agrees – persists.
Sy = PPA
Properly puckered assho, assho.
What is PPA?
Hey! If you two jagoffs want to chit chat all day, do it on your own time or meat somewhere, get a room, but stay the he’ll off this blog, we got importatant stuff to do here, like putting Rex Handiman on the scotus
That was not my suggestion at all. I do not support registration, and I will not register. However, I am certain PPA could ascertain all there is to know about me.
@ Unsanctioned R:
You suggest, perhaps, that people with a unique ‘puter-# might register under one name only; this would constitute an incremental improvement.
Congratulations, Paul. PoliticsPA is an email that I find interesting to read each day and I know you will make PoliticsPA into a day-to-day conversation which will be even more mentally stimulating.
Anonymous postings are okay – the problem is sock puppets and clowns impersonating each other. There are ways to discourage such shenanigans.
Larry may have something to say about this being a Republican site.
Dr., If you’re saying private individuals (i.e. not public officials, for example) shouldn’t be allowed to be imitated (I’ve seen that happen to you), then I whole-heartedly agree except it would be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff without filtering out some wheat also. What may have the same effect though would be to set a precedent by suing those individuals for defamation. You’ll probably first need to sue PPA to get the particulars that they’ll be obligated to deny you (but a judge should grant if there’s bona fide defamation). I think if you did that, you’d be doing a great service, which will ripple through the country.
Congratulations, Paul. I hope you can keep up the pace and standards of the site. Any info that can help readers better understand the oft-bizarre and byzantine workings of government in this state is always appreciated. And if you can do that, you probably won’t get too much criticism from those who say that PoliticsPa is now a Republican site. Facts are facts, and good info is always appreciated.
Only one recommendation: leave this site as is for anonymous postings. IMHO people tend to be more honest if they can comments as they wish. Readers, including yours truly, usually have good reasons for doing so. And we use some great monikers!
@ Unsanctioned R:
As much as I revel in speech-freedom, there’s an excess of crass misinformation spewed by too many anonymous posters; if the level of discourse is to be enhanced, pseudonyms [often purposefully confused with legitimate posters] must be eschewed.
YOU flatter me, Robert.
@ Unsanctioned R:
you flatter yourself
How’s that article coming along? Has nothing happened in PA politics since you picked up that beer?
Here, let me help you:
Jim Kenney signs “right to guess salary” bill
Joe Khan wants Seth Williams to lose his law license before he loses the election or gets indicted. Because it matters at this point.
Tom Wolf was less invisible than either of the prior One Term Tommies. (Ok, kidding.)
Josh Shapiro borrows Donald Trump’s sharpie and signs a “Code of Really Obviousness.”
Philadelphia City Commissioner Anthony Clark went to work today. (Ok kidding again.)
Eric Papenfuse got another up arrow. (On a roll…)
Anonymous poster complains about other anonymous poster who disagrees with him.
New PoliticsPA editor shows the same passion and work ethic as Nick Field did. (Sigh…)
What Monday morning said.
P.S. Susan, LOL. PA Parent sends his love.
P.P.S. Dr. S, My posts are why they click here. Anon isn’t going anywhere.
Did Shady Katie concede yet?
The guy can say whatever he wants, but this site is officially a Republican news site now.
I am still waiting for some coverage of the the Democrats looking to run against the Governor. Why have we not heard more from Lieutenant Governor Stack’s fundraising against the Governor? Missed opportunities. Its a shame you are a Republican attempting to be perceived as non-partisan. Now we will never see great breaking stories like that.
concur: “Fake posts by imposters do NOTHING to advance any discussion or out relevant facts. You must be a believer in ‘alternative facts’ then?”
I thought Nick did a good job and I wish you well in your efforts. Don’t worry about satisfying everyone.
OG: You didn’t read. I did not say fake posts had any benefit whatsoever.
What I said was that it was a side effect. If you require every fact to be from a named source, you will shut down the flow of information. The downside of free-flowing information is that some of it will be wrong (or fake).
Fake news is best filtered by the listener, not the censors.
Monday afternoon: Fake posts by imposters do NOTHING to advance any discussion or out relevant facts. You must be a believer in “alternative facts” then?
You won’t get the same quality inside information if you change the commenting process. The imposters are a side effect, but the cure is worse than the disease.
Still waiting for an article. New guy – maybe put the beer down and get writing?
concur: “A serious recommendation for RAISING standards would be to stop the fake posts by scum who steal user names.”
Less polls to be hijacked, more coverage of the state house. Good luck Paul. This website doesn’t need to suck as bad as Nick Field let it suck.
Congratulations, Paul! Best wishes for a successful career at Politics PA. Al Stuhl
I have found the articles to be more grounded in the facts than many similar blogs. That’s why I come here. Respect OG
A serious recommendation for RAISING standards would be to stop the fake posts by scum who steal user names.
What was that? This website has standards?
GL with maintaining the standards of this website, just know that you will have an uphill climb to convince us that your work on behalf of the nazi party’s chosen candidate is not disqualifying.
Yes, good, but you have to get the articles up, so as the poster below stated the leaks will come out.
I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy reading the “tidbits” about H burg and the state. PA could be so much better, we need to always think better!
Your JOB is to motivate all Trumpeters to get La Familia’s relative Tom Handiman put on the Supreme Court of the U.S. He has been our everyday handy man on the federal court and has been beneficial to our coffers. He is a good earner for us even if he is only married into La Familia. As the new Republican mouthpiece, it is now your JOB to push our handy man up front.
Remain the place for anonymous leaks.