Congrats, guys, on making it through Year 1! Very nice job creating what has turned out to be a very viable community!

Happy birthday, dudes. Strikes me that Rock should be rather thankful for all that is Room Eight. This site made him!

Rock first ran for office almost ten years BEFORE Room 8 came into existence. Sixteen years ago, I served with him on the board of directors of the Harlem Chess Academy. The objective was to help develop the critical thinking skills of youngsters. As chairman of the board he laid out a comprehensive plan to help prevent juvenile delinquency by teaching kids to play chess, in order for them to learn that there were consequences to their actions.

The point is that long before political blogs and bloggers,Rock was doing many great things QUIETLY. Room 8 didn't make Rock, it was a life time of activism that did. You haters have no clue as to the acchievements of this fine man. All you have to do is ask or enquire. STOP HATING.

Room 8 was a direct outgrowth of the Golden Age of New York City Political Blogging. The Golden Age took place entirely on the Ben Smith's old website, "The Politicker" , from February 2 though March 20 of 2006.

Why do I circumscribe this age to a time period of only six weeks?

The earlier date calls to mind W.C. Fields. A performer of such physical grace that he started his life in show business as a juggler, and then performed as a "dumb act" (no dialogue); Bill Fields is not generally recognized today for his extensive work in the silent cinema. Partly, this is owing to the brilliance of verbal wit, and partially because he performed his entire career in silents wearing an obnoxious clip-on moustache. Mostly though, Fields’ career in the silent cinema (which includes two films directed by fellow racist D.W. Griffith) is not given its due recognition because most of the films no longer exist.

The Golden Age of the New York’s first real political site actually began earlier than 2/2/06. However, on February 2, 2002, "The Politicker" switched servers. Ben Smith’s posts were unaffected, but the comments posted on the site became inaccessible. At the time, Smith promised that the comment archives would be preserved in some form, but it was not to be. A few disembodied Haloscan threads floated around the web on their own, like asteroids, or headless horsemen, but eventually disappeared. The comments archive for 2004 through early 2006 no longer exists, and what made "The Politicker" were not Ben Smith pieces, good as some were, but what was generated in response to them. Without the bloggers, "The Politicker" would have died the dog’s death suffered by the late and largely unlamented "Politicsny". But, what remains of the early days of "The Politicker" is now blogger-free.

The reason I end the Golden Age where I do is that on March 20, 2006, certain invited bloggers who composed the heart of what made the Golden Age golden, were first given the opportunity to post pieces on "Room 8" (although the actual launch took place on March 28).

The birth of "Room 8" ended "The Golden Age" for two reasons. The first is that many of the best and brightest put their energies elsewhere.

The second reason is probably even more important. Before "Room 8", "The Politicker" was the place where the entire New York City political community gathered to chat. The opening of other waterholes fragmented the community, and dissipated the impact of any discussion. Is it any wonder that the "Golden Age of Television" took place when lack of competition limited the pressure to race to the bottom?

Smith, who’d created something unique and special, now sewed the seeds of its own decline. Then, a month later, he did it again by creating "Daily Politics". Following all the discussions became too time consuming, the greater community, when looked at collectively, never, by the sum of its larger and more numerous parts, again equaled what we once had.

That being said (and that being sad), it should be understood that all things must pass, and it was bound to happen sooner or later, and probably by now, regardless. And Room 8, which has allowed a 1000 flowers to bloom and feed off each other’s photosynthesis, has supplied a platform for some of the best (and worst) political commentary in the City. Let us give thanks to Ben and Gur, and hope that Room 8 keeps on moving and avoids the "Dead Shark Syndorme" most apparent at another one of Ben’s creations. (Any guesses?)

To 10:34. 

Hey GATEMOUTH is that YOU?

To the editors and site administrators BEN and GUR: Congratualtions on the one year anniversary of this informative site. Thanks for facilitating this on-going-conversation. It was a pleasure working with you both over the past year plus. Hopefully we can forge a compromise that allows us to continue working together here in the future; and no, I am not as thin-skinned as they make me out to be.

To my many fans and followers, let me say that your words of encouragemnent meant a lot when the going got tough; the contents of your constructive criticisms were always noted (even though not always acted upon/lol); the e-mails and phone calls were always appreciated- and always will be.

To my many many detractors (lol), let me just say that as long as there is breath in my body: I will call it as I see it; and after I say it (even if not here but somewhere) then I will duck. Most of my life I have cut against the grain; no big thing.

To those who are MIA: get back soon. To those who are ill: get well soon. To those who are frustrated tired like me: take a time-out (it always does a world of good); take a trip somewhere. Let's all go see the Kentucky Derby this year (and meet the queen of England/maybe). After all, monarchies are a dying breed (thank God).