WHY DOES SODBUSTER EXIST?
© 1997 Steven D. Smith

I love information. I love knowledge. I like to know what is happening -- why and when. I like to know who has entries in the fair, how their prize calf is doing, and what they are doing to get it ready. When a new feedlot comes into the community, I want to know who will be running it, where it will be, and how many head it will have. I am a curious person.

I ask lots of questions. I want to understand the details of how the fire marshal discovers the cause of the fire at the sale barn or how parents feel about a school's gifted program being eliminated. Knowledge is power. It lets us make better decisions. When we know the facts and do not rely on hearsay, then fewer mistakes are made, fewer fights occur, and life is more enjoyable.

Currently, the primary sources for local news and information are our newspapers, radio, and coffee shops. Each source has its strengths. The newspapers do a good job of highlighting the major events and focusing our attention on the stories of our local communities. However, if I like to keep up with what is going on in the neighboring town, I have to subscribe to more than one paper or call a friend to ask about "the latest." Radio tends to focus only on what is paid for by its advertisers. If someone is not paying, then the most you will hear about it is a few-second blurb at the morning or noon news slot. Coffee shops are a great source for the latest news, but it is not always easy to verify the facts like Sodbuster will do for you.

I provide the internet service in Imperial. As a heavy user of the Internet, I can see first-hand some of its strengths and weaknesses. I am convinced that the Internet will change the way the world works just as much as the automobile did. The net is great at revealing the entire world to each of us. It puts everything at our fingertips.

When grandpa needed certain supplies and did not have a car, he had to ride his horse or walk to Ogallala from Imperial. He did not make this trip more than once or twice a year. Now that the car is here, many find a reason to travel on a regular basis -- not just to the next town but also to cities far away.

Likewise, there is a need for a supply of local information. Most people in my hometown have never heard of Dayco in McCook. Many people in Benkelman have never heard of Artistic Woodworking. Others did not know that McCook was hosting a storytelling contest until after the fact.

There was a need for a news source that provides facts about the events, the people, and the stories of our region. No such source existed. I could see that the Internet provided an excellent method for the rapid collection and distribution of area news. A plan was formulated.

I started Sodbuster because I love people and their stories. I am convinced that the Internet provides one of the best mechanisms for relaying this knowledge. As the area's online magazine, Sodbuster will give the opportunity for our college-bound kids to keep up with what is happening. It creates a tie to home -- a tie that may bring them back to be productive members of society here. Sodbuster will also let the people of Wauneta know things that are happening in Trenton. Finally, the Internet makes it easy for us to quickly provide news, stories, fiction, and anything else that might be of interest to us locally.

Jennifer Crown will be the editor. My role will be to furnish the machines that store all of Sodbuster's valuable information. I will also write an occasional article. Jennifer will be totally responsible for all editorial policy. I will do no more than kibitz.

Sodbuster is owned by those who contribute to the success of the operation. Each person who performs a service for Sodbuster, whether that be writing articles, webmastering or hosting the words on a computer, will be given credits that can be exchanged for shares when we are financially stable. You are welcome to join us as a contributor.

As readers, we hope you will come to Sodbuster often for your regular supply of news and knowledge. Just think, you do not even have to walk 10 miles through a blizzard for it like grandpa had to do.