Giving up the worst kept secret...

If you are reading this as a blog post you have already noticed things are changing. We're not done yet, so keep checking back to see what else happens. In the spirit of change it is now time for me to take a moment and make an announcement about how I will be blogging from now on...

When this blog was created (2004), the whole concept of social media was in it's infancy. Those of us who were in at the beginning knew we had something to say. We knew it was not the same thing we heard coming from Richmond, and we expected to ruffle some feathers. Several of us, and I as a ringleader of sorts, took on pseudonyms to remain anonymous.

At first there was indeed some official consternation, and we were glad to not be officially connected to the blog but to do the work in secret. However within a relatively short time at least a few of our names got known, and surprisingly there were no late night knocks on the door. Not only that, but eventually we would occasionally get calls letting us know about stories. One Sunday afternoon the then Grand President called to ask - not that I sit on a story - but just to please be gentle and try to tell both sides. That was when I knew we were being taken seriously.

Of course social media has exploded since 2004. Facebook, Twitter, Smart Phones, and so much more has come about since then. At Conclave this past summer there a screen near the main meeting rooms that was displaying a continuous stream of Tweets, all with the #SigEpConclave hash tag. When Mohammed Ali showed up at one gathering I had my iPhone out to do the obligatory "OMG" tweet and watched as a couple hundred of my brothers had the same idea. Everyone has access to information, and everyone can publish.

With that in mind, it is time to retire "Wordjunky" as a pseudonym officially. I'll still use the term because I like it and it fits me. But I am done with even a semblance of hiding behind it. Besides, its a pain to switch back and forth between accounts every time I was to make a blog post. From now on I'll be posting under my own name.

The other contributors to the blog can make their own choices, its not for me to say what they will or should do. Either way, I respect and support the choices.

Fraternally submitted,

Bryce Giesler (aka "Wordjunky")