The Kid Is Alright

I was pretty critical of his predecessor, and certainly skeptical that a frequent commenter on a blog could take on the gig, but Guillermo Rivera is doing a pretty good job so far over at the ChicagoNow Fire Confidential blog. Mostly, it's about surfacing interesting bits regarding the Fire from wherever he can find them, and I thought the item from Ridge Mahoney here was particularly interesting, and not something I had seen.

Of course, I wouldn't mind seeing this "resale value" comment expanded upon, but again, just drawing attention to it is useful. Nick and I go back and forth about what a blog "should be," and for one that no longer has a print counterpart -- I'm pretty sure Rivera won't be getting a byline in the Trib -- being an aggregator is just as valuable as adding opinion or context to a story. If nothing else, it gives you a way to build readership and get yourself up the learning curve in advance of saying something stupid.