E-mail Interview
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http://www.votemckinney.org

 Steve Herrick: an editor/designer formerly of Ann Arbor, Michigan, but living in Managua, Nicaragua.
In a February 3, 2003 e-mail Herrick responded to several questions:

> -When did you put the site up?

According to my management screen, October 15, 2002.
 

> -Was there a specific incident that prompted you to launch the site?

A self-organized group of us had been discussing how to promote the idea of Cynthia for Green Party candidate, and I volunteered to put up a website.  So far, it seems to be one of our more successful ventures, though it's never mentioned in articles about her and us.  It does well on Google, though.
 

> -Have you done anything like this before, i.e. taken the initiative to launch some political effort?

Well, yes and no. I've been intensely active in the Green Party, and even sat on the Coordinating Committee of the national party during the Nader campaign.  I took considerable initiative there - on internal issues.  But I've never been a public figure, and never particularly wanted to be.  Heck, I didn't even meet Ralph until well after Election Day.
 

> -Are there any interesting anecdotes in relation to your development of or running of the site?

No particular incidents jump out.  But I've been pleased to see that people are dropping by to leave comments.  There have been one or two things that were patently offensive, which I deleted.  I make no apologies for that.  But things that are criticial-but-reasoned, I leave up.
 

> -What have you learned from putting up this site?

That open source, and Zope in particular, rules! :)  Aside from that, I've learned that there are a lot of people out there who give these kinds of things a lot of thought, whether they are pro or con.  If you give people a platform, you discover they're a lot more aware and lucid than the corporate media would have you think.


 

Copyright © 2003  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.