dc.story pulls the plug

Dear Neighbor:

dc.story began in 1995 as an electronic sequel to The Northwest Side Story, a local rag for Northwest Washington. Subscribers signed up rapidly, in the District and even around the world.

Three years is a long time to publish an electronic magazine. Every week I compose and publish dc.story twice and dc.movie once. On the seventh day, I collapse. Therefore, in the grand tradition of Washington politics, I announce that I am immediately resigning from my editorial perch to spend more time with my family. However, unlike politicians, I am not resigning under cloud of scandal, at least not one that I know of. Also, it is time to get a real job.

With only a small amount of arm twisting, Gary Imhoff of DCWatch (http://www.dcwatch.com) has agreed to become Master of Ceremonies of this kibbitzfest. I am confident that that Gary will uphold (and certainly exceed) the middling standards I have established for dc.story. Gary will be contacting you shortly.

Many people deserve thanks for the success of dc.story. Foremost are the subscribers who contributed perceptive and witty commentary and who abided by my totalitarian posting rules. I have my list of 100 favorite writers. I am sure you do too. Jan Genzer and Carl Bergman deserve special thanks. Jan motivated me and kept the advertising dollars moving. Carl, a former city council rat, provided historical context and wrote noteworthy lead stories. I especially welcomed these paragraphs late at night when I was synaptically challenged. Verio, formerly Internet Interstate, deserves thanks for its technical support.

I recall corresponding with Matt Drudge when we both started our enterprises. I warned him that someone would sue him over his content. He boasted that he was going to become huge. I guess both of us were right. dc.story was never meant to be huge. I wanted to maintain the hometown feel of a community newspaper, an alternative to even the alternative press. In that regard, we should all be proud. Many city movers, shakers, and stirrers read dc.story; it has served as raw fodder for many media stories.

I will continue to publish dc.movie every Thursday. I am a sucker for free films and it's a joy to provide free passes to readers. Send an email to story@intr.net if you want to get on board.