I'm initially amazed that the Valley News is actua...

2009-05-26T15:43:59.985-04:00

I'm initially amazed that the Valley News is actually paying attention to local issues. There are plenty of local newspapers around the country that are doing little more than reprinting AP stories. The Valley News may have been a little hasty in finding all of the context in this instance, but I wouldn't suggest that their business is failing or somehow flawed. I think a paper like that is actually poised to fill one of the new rolls of daily newspapers. The Upper Valley is a big enough community to warrant coverage by a news outlet, but small enough that one daily paper can potentially be comprehensive. I won't give them a free pass, but imagine the alternatives - a fluff paper, a tabloid, or nothing at all. The Valley News is certainly far above all of those.

From both social and technological perspectives, a listserv provides neither the time nor the place for people to "speak their minds" or to have a "public discussion in a democracy". The listserv is not a discussion. Would posting fliers at Dan and Whit's be the most effective and fair way for people to have a discussion or conduct a democracy? Public comment in a democracy is not about who can speak the loudest or the most, at least not in theory. I think most people receive the listserv once a day, in digest form, and expect it to be just a bulletin board. Using the listserv beyond that doesn't seem to work. The examples given all started with a reasonably relevant announcement followed by an initial comment. The following discussion is almost always remarkably unproductive. Replies are delayed, several tangents form simultaneously, and any potential for a real discussion is undermined often only by the medium, not by the topic or those participating. This is not exclusive to Norwich, but rather, very typical of the listserv style of content delivery.

With the limitations of a listserv as well as so many other methods for real discourse, even those confined to the online world, there is no basis for claiming that opinions are stifled or blown out of proportion by any one person or newspaper. The biggest issues here are the timing and the location, or more fundamentally, the technology.

The listserv is fantastic for posting events, lost and found items, interesting wildlife discoveries, even outlandish comments, but we should not try to force a mature technology to into something it can't be - a fair and open discussion. We all might be surprised at the level of participation if there were a more appropriate and timely method, such as an online forum, for getting some of these discussions started. People who have watched from the sidelines might chime in with the breadth and nuance some have been looking for in the listserv messages. Whatever happens, we should remember that online discussions, blogs, letters to the editor, letters from the editor, or signs around town only comprise part of the full public discussion. These elements will never fully provide democracy or even a sample of public opinion on their own.

A great post Don, and lots of good points on many ...

2009-05-23T10:22:00.224-04:00

A great post Don, and lots of good points on many topics.

I agree that the Local Desperate Newspaper's bottom feeding approach to community is driven by the threat of its imminent demise. I don't think that they have fastened on the right formula for long-term success.

But, as you observe, much of the fault lies with the community's own tendency to stifle public discussion.

There was some recent discussion, on the Digest and elsewhere, about the scourge of irresponsible anonymous expression - but personally I think it is a completely understandable and predictable reaction to the current atmosphere.

Comments on n1303k: This Isn't Spinal Tap, Norwich!

I'm initially amazed that the Valley News is actua...

A great post Don, and lots of good points on many ...