Dear Tyler,
I’m Dennis. Thanks for posting this Open Thread. I wish to carry on the conversation relative to your announcement of the new “OjaiNews.com”. I believe this venture will have a significant impact on Ojai, and deserves top billing for a little longer before being buried by other topics. You invited feedback and even for us to “…throw a tomato or two in the comments.” From the reaction of yourself and Anonymous, I gather that you interpret my remarks as tomatoes. I don’t think they were but let us allow readers to judge for themselves. The overall objective in all my comments is to save Ojai from the commercial forces which would destroy her.
The comment I made was a brief 37 words, as follows: “By going mainstream commercial, you’ve marginalized and diluted the Ojai Post, the best thing Ojai had. In my opinion, you’ve been co-opted by playing into the hand of Ojai’s nemesis. You’ve been divided and conquered.”
In your response, you asked “What is the Ojai Post–is it not ‘mainstream Ojai?’” “Is it ‘fringe Ojai’…and that’s why you like to participate.” “Do you assume that the Post exists to let you write ‘epic diatribes’?”
I disagree that the OP is mainstream. The OVN, Starr, and practically all the media outlets the general public uses are mainstream. Mainstream media charges fees, has advertising, and certainly does not tolerate “epic diatribes.” MSM speaks for the status quo and marginalizes “fringe elements.” These descriptions do not fit the OP. So far the OP has played an “alternative” role in the community and has welcomed epic diatribers like me. I think it is sophomoric on your part to assume that I participate on the OP because it is a “fringe element.” It is even beyond sophomoric to suggest that I assume the Post exists to let me write my “epic diatribes.” I write because I care about Ojai. People may not like my style or substance, and they are free to call it diatribe, epic or trolling, but I am just as free to call it what it is as I see it.
In my defense, “troll,” “diatribe,” and “epic” are honorable terms. Troll is to “sing or play in a jovial manner.” Diatribe is a “prolonged discourse.” Epic associates me with the Vedas, the Bible, Homer and Shakespeare. Thanks for the compliment, unintended as it may have been. Of course, you meant I was fishing in protected waters, and going on too long without proper paragraphs. I prefer a stream of consciousness style because that is how the mind actually works. Dividing things into chapter and verse is a patriarchal way to control the free flowing womamly mind. Anyway, you will note that I am trying to accommodate your wishes by using paragraphs.
Whether the OP is mainstream, alternative or fringe is debatable. As I said in my opening comment, I think the OP is one of the best things Ojai has, and I mourn to see it go the way Ojai herself is going. That’s what the battle is all about, and to see the Post co-opted, marginalized and diluted hurts.
I admire and applaud the way you are standing up to Mr. Salomon on another thread. Shows great courage and refusal to be intimidated by what sounds like Anonymous going to Salzburg rather than come to Ojai. You have shown character and integrity in countless ways but you are young and may be inexperienced in the ways of the world. There is a certain defensiveness, touchiness and naivete in your character that only a friend will tell you about. You give off prickly vibes when someone like myself tries to help. You don’t have to play porcupine; I’m not trying to harm you. I love Ojai and I love the Post.
You say to me: “Your opinion doesn’t hold water.” It would be more helpful if you would say where it doesn’t hold water. I can just as easily say it does hold water, but I also try to explain my position. Let me guess as to yours.
From your comments quoted above, I would guess you think that I am a “fringe element,” of the “epic diatribe” type with a “troll” personality. Fair enough; that may be your opinion. But I don’t think that opinion holds water, and in support of which I offer my numerous postings as expression of a radical, deep stream of thought. Radical goes to the root, or to use the water metaphor, “still waters run deep.” Mainstream stays on the surface in the middle where the money is. Obviously, a significant part of your readership thinks I am a shallow windbag, but then how do you judge?, by the number of words? More than a few want to shut me up, limit my wordship, impose paragraphs, and avoid certain topics. Is censorship just around the corner?
One service that a free media does is educate the public. The OP exposes people to discussion that challenges our sound-bite, ad oriented mentality. You say the OP’s “readership demographic is significantly broader than commentator demographic.” Of course. That’s a given. What is great about the Post is that the broader readership is being exposed to vital issues, not just the run of the mill fluff in the MSM. The OjaiNews.com will probably cater to this ad conditioned, consumer oriented, shallow thinking money base, the demographic that shuns questioning the status quo like the plague. By splitting off to capture this money, you weaken the Post and marginalize it.
You appear to be taking the position that the Post is free, and that by running ads there you would marginalize and dilute it. Not necessarily so; it depends on what kind of ads. You would not have to run Subway ads. You could solicit donations and find other ways of making money.
I’m guessing that you also have a high, altruistic goal in mind: “to work with various government organizations to promote transparency and accountability at the government level.” This is laudable but I hope you understand the nature of the beast. People have talked, pleaded, submitted petitions, started initiatives, etc., and have been consistently ignored or even sued. When someone like Kenley appears to be getting his initiative on the ballot, the city attempts to marginalize his by their own. By the way, Jeff’s initiative enabled Kenley’s to get this far, since the city could hardly SLAPP two citizens one after the other with the ACLU in the game. In short, like I said, I hope you don’t underestimate the beast of money-power.
I’ll be back. I need to take a break and give this computer to someone else. I’m guessing that you want to save Ojai as much as I do. In that respect our needs are the same.

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Hi Dennis -
I didn’t call you a troll – I could have been more gracious in my reply, but I didn’t call you a name. Paragraph breaks are much appreciated.
“The OjaiNews.com will probably cater to this ad conditioned, consumer oriented, shallow thinking money base, the demographic that shuns questioning the status quo like the plague. By splitting off to capture this money, you weaken the Post and marginalize it.”
So all this is based on what you think I’ll probably do?
The fact is, I needed to create a much more objective, news-oriented site that facilitates the relationships with government, such that I can effectively collect and distribute public records, which should be archived and available to the Ojai community online.
I’m sure you can understand the hesitation I have encountered at the government level, because of the uncensored opinions expressed here on the Post by authors and commenters alike. (exhibit 1: recall)
Did you get a chance to look at the information in the left column? It’s going to get significantly more sophisticated and useful to the Ojai community.
The actual news on OjaiNews.com is just aggregated RSS feeds from other sites, including The Ojai Post and OVN.
Meanwhile, The Ojai Post isn’t going to change because of OjaiNews.com – its only going to get more visibility.
What I was looking for on the other thread were comments and suggestions about the new site itself. If it puts off a vibe of “mainstream commercialism”, then give me some feedback I can actually use. Let’s put it this way: beta testing isn’t philosophical.
Dennis, your participation is always welcome. I just don’t get why OjaiNews.com is such a bad omen for the future of The Ojai Post, or exactly how the Post has been “co-opted, marginalized and diluted.”
Tyler

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Perhaps there is some confusion about what the ojainews site actually does. I think it may be rooted in some lack of understanding of the technology…?
The readership of the OP isn’t gong to get funneled into the “ad filled news site.” Ojainews is simply a collection of resources – links that go somewhere else.
In fact, it works the other way around. People might find the OP through the Ojainews site, but as soon as they click on a link they are directed here.
The Ojainews site is about aggregating information and making the ojai related sites more visible. It doesn’t harm the OP in any way that I can see. In fact, it is a good thing since it will drive more traffic to this site.

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Tyler certainly does not have to defend himself against some wannabe pc ‘journalist’! Read “politically coercive”.
Any (gentle, sincere, balanced, explorative, honest) discussion of ethics, however, is always cultivating.
The ‘medium’ seems to be Tyler’s message — the ‘dialog’ which is the purpose, ending, vehicle of awakening.
The ‘river’ whom is the ‘mother’ of our song, our voice, enlightening …

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The way out is the way through unresolved past traumas by resolving them in a present community of deep understanding where mind fields interpenetrate.

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