1. The current theme doesn’t have a byline noting which of us is posting, so for the foreseeable future we’ll be putting our initials at the end of our posts to distinguish them. You know, in case the difference in how we present ourselves in text isn’t enough (and who knows, it might not be).
So, if you see a post end in “AMS,” that’s Athena, and “JS” will signify me, John Scalzi. Big Idea posts will be unsigned by either of us (since those are written by their book’s author). Additionally, Athena’s posts will have an “Athena Scalzi” category tag, which you’ll be able to see on the individual entry page but not on the main page of the blog.
(For everyone about to give me theme tips and suggestions as to what I should do with bylines or dates on the posts, etc, please don’t. I’ll tweak and update when/if I can or when/if I feel like it, but for the moment, this is how we’re doing things. Thanks.)
2. You’ll note a couple of cosmetic changes, perhaps, notably that the portrait on the Whatever front page now features both me and Athena; the Whatever information lists her as an editor/writer; and the information about the site has been updated to include her as well. That’s because, well, we’re making changes here and the look and information should reflect that, obviously.
3. Also (I think) obviously, Athena writes differently than I do and has different interests and concerns, and I think that that’s great; my job as an editor is to help her shape her voice and tone to be even more like herself, not to change it into something that she’s not. As a result the overall tone and content for Whatever will change as the site incorporates more of her stuff into it. I’m looking forward to this; be ready for it.
With that said, remember that the rules of the road still apply here. Both Athena and I have moderating capability — yes, Athena has the Mallet — and part of my job as editor here is training her how to use it. To be clear, nearly everyone who comments here regularly does so because they understand the rules, and I don’t expect that to change. You folks are grand. But given how much I catch myself annoyingly mansplaining things to her (and to her mother, which is even more fraught), let’s just say I expect a few slip ups here and there. If you can catch yourself before that happens, that would be nice. But if you don’t, we’ll give you a tap.
I think that’s it for now. Welcome to Whatever as a two-person shop. It will be fun while it lasts.
— JS
