The Observation Deck

I'm not sure if this topic fits here but...

I am currently reading Clay Shirky's new book entitled, "Here Comes Everybody". Shirky has recently appeared on the Colbert Report and is highly praised on my favorite website, boingboing.net.

Shirky is an expert "on the social and economic effects of the internet, especially on those places where our social and technological networks overlap." (Inside flap of book). While reading this book I am thinking of two things. The first is how applicable his book is to this media entity. The Observation Deck is part of a new media. This causes both excitement and consternation. It often seems like a valuable, community driven, social organization tool. At other times, especially personally and recently, it seems like the worst kind of public forum more equivalent to bathroom graffiti.

I would love to talk to anyone reading the book, and I strongly encourage anyone interested in social organization, community activism, or just the cool and weird powers of the new internet to check out Clay Shirky and his new book.

My second thought is more amorphous at this point, but it is coming together. I think that the Digital Natives (aka the generation I am currently teaching that is full throttle into social networking) are being underserved because, until now, I haven't considered the ways in which social networking are rewriting the entire communication landscape. On a deeper lever, I am curious as to how to implement such thinking into a rigorous curriculum. It's an old case of "I don't know what I don't know".

Often when I look at forums, boards, and social sites I am reminded of one of my favorite James Brown songs, "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing". However, as this board's continued efforts evolve, I am beginning to at least begin to come to grips with this new tool.

Anyway, if anyone is reading the book and would like to talk more about it, please let me know.

ok. more bait....

the discussion about crimewood.com and the tasteless youtube video should not surprise anyone who checks out this user-based forum. the crimewood site was made by someone who felt like putting up the energy to do it. Discussions about what this does to property values are moot. Asking for solutions is moot. User created content is free to represent itself merely at the whim of the creator, allowing a community to either take it in or refute it. In the case of crimewood, I find it to be nothing more than a glorified police blotter. And as one user commented, reporting police activity can serve to both bolster those who say crime is not that much of a problem and those who want to think that the sky is falling on our fair city. It is the user, and not the creator, who has to deal with notions of taste, consequence, and responsible editing. It's not a matter of what bag the cat is in, the cat is out of the bag to begin with.

This media form does away with notions of pre-editing content. As Mr. Ulrich found out, editing of content now happens post-publishing. Mr. Ulrich posted what he deemed to be a newsworthy video. Upon more careful consideration and receiving input from our community, he apologized and has now basically "edited" is initial instinct as a community "journalist".

I've seen it several times on this forum. People say things. Other people respond. Bickering ensues. Questions about editorial control arise. Editorial board members throw their hands up because they were not responsible for the initial content in the first place. More bickering ensues. Everyone walks away frustrated. A post is then created about how everyone should get along or think about something else that is less contentious.

So much of this forum is dedicated to a meta-argument about how the forum should or should not work. Wether it be accusations of bully pulpit grandstanding or the disenfranchisement of those who represent minority views, a great deal of what is said here comes down to the inherent problems of user-created content.

Check out Clay Shirky's, "Here Comes Everybody". Anyone on this board that feels as frustrated as I often do while reading and responding to people's posts might want to look into it.

Jim, you should get it tomorrow. It sounds like you need a bit of hearing what a great idea this whole forum was in the first place.

Sean Wheeler wrote: Check out Clay Shirky's, "Here Comes Everybody". Anyone on this board that feels as frustrated as I often do while reading and responding to people's posts might want to look into it.

Jim, you should get it tomorrow. It sounds like you need a bit of hearing what a great idea this whole forum was in the first place.

Sean

I was going to direct you to Advisory Board Member Lauren Rich Fine who is making a transition from her very public life at one time as the top media analyst to working with Kent State to see how media and information flows. As you point out that has completely changed in recent years and is getting more and more fluid every second. She is giving a talk on the value of civic journalism and the death of large newspaper in Cleveland Heights this week at the kick off of the Heights Observer's first paper. You should try to attend. A leader in the field and full of great information about everything you and Shirky are talking of.

Our software allows anyone to duplicate our project, and do it better, faster and much cheaper than we have done. The Heights has the latest version of both software and discussion boards, and the new version hopefully out in the fall will be amazing, as far as building bridges, getting information out. However we have always stressed a couple small points that have seem to make a name for the Observer, real names, social networking and giving as much back to the city as we possibly can.

I think impact on the city for a civic source is a proper topic when discussing any media project, business or group working in a city. Also has been the troubling work of outsiders to bring down property values in Lakewood. Also we need to look at what is the outcome from the effort. These are all very legitimate questions for residents and cities to ask. While we gripe about who is working to bring people into Lakewood should we not also look at who is driving them away?

On my calendar a month ago was "Rumors can go around the world before truth gets it's shoes on." I think the same can be said for bad news. Another reason seeing someone put so much work into destroying a city's reputation. The Lakewood Observer is paid for by the advertisers, with dollars and cents. The members like you and the board have used sweat equity to build a positive movement in this city, in the hope of turning this city around and getting it moving in the right direction. It is this movement that has attracted so much support, both in this city and around the the USA and world.

Which brings us to the "FREE AD" part of my message. When we set this up everyone was told, and we all agreed to honor the work of others without flames or secret little "ad messages." Through that we "the residents of the city" have built a platform that is designed to serve any that comes and asks for help. Almost 3,000,000 hits a month, closing in quickly on the Library's 4,000,000 mark. 7,000,000 hits a month that outline the city and the city's potential in a positive light. Now that effort is being used to advertise the very sight that is undoing much of the good work others are trying to do. "Oh look LIA is having an artwalk, and showing a film from the soon to be announced Lakewood International Film Festival. Let's go, oh wait the area is so bad the residents have declared it crimewood." Literally taking advantage of the "open civic source model" built to build the city up.

The site has every right to exist of that there is no doubt. Every site has a right to exist, in fact I actually threatened a law suit on the city when they took away a feature that was the property of another site in town for their own use. Not because the LO wanted it, but because the other site was already doing it and I find it very distasteful that the city would go in business against another business in Lakewood.

Again, I see the site as being out there as a political venture against the new and old mayor, and as being a reason property values will continue to fall, making the city less and less safe, as renters, now elderly and eventually good people pack and leave the city of crimewood, for ANYWHERE else.

FWIW


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