Citizen journalist

Greetings, subscribers. The whole point of the "citizen journalism" approach to news gathering is that we are all citizen journalists, each able to offer input, challenge claims, make criticisms and bully rivals. That's what makes it so much more robust than MSM, and so much cheaper. The feedback on over the past few months has been lively, and in some cases intense, and so, as 2008 draws to a close, I would like to offer some final replies and reflections.

1. I now agree that the whole "Pirate Week" feature was ill-judged and badly timed, especially the pirate jokes, the pictures of me dressed as a pirate, the Pirate Tips & Tricks page and the YouTube link to the swearing parrot. We all make mistakes.

2. Once again I would like to apologise to the well-known television presenter and love rival who I accused of vandalising my Wikipedia entry. I now accept that he (or she) had nothing to do with it, and that Wayne, my disgruntled ex-IT guru, was wholly responsible, even though he still denies it. The full apology, with legal wording, is on the site.

3. Some people who have tried to unsubscribe to the weekly briefing have instead been bombarded with promotional material, hourly updates, repeated requests for donations or a mouse mat offer. This was caused by a series of technical issues which have now been resolved.

4. With hindsight I can see that the online "vendetta" (her word) I conducted against my downstairs neighbour over the ongoing dispute about the recycling bin lid, was, perhaps, a little bit too hyperlocal. I made a judgment call and stood by it, but I don't anymore.

5. The Gordon Brown resignation story stemmed from an honourable, if misguided, attempt to be the first. Or was it a parody? You decide.

Here's to another year - Ben.

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• As told to Tim Dowling

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