Several readers have written questioning how selections are made for CLIPS -- including local news and blogs.
CLIPS owes its origins to my providing links to online stories about Plainfield to City Council members by email, beginning in May 2005.
Over time, others became aware of the daily listing and asked if they could be included. The rest is history.
But HOW do I select what goes in?
First, note the ORDER: Everything works outward from Plainfield to the wider world. My first effort is to get links to online items of interest to Plainfielders out there. Initially, that meant the Courier and the Ledger.
From the time that Bernice Paglia and Barbara Kerr started up the Plainfield Plaintalker, it has also meant including links to their daily posts (Bernice now runs the blog solo).
Recently, I added the Crescent Times because it is a frequently updated commentary on news and issues concerning the Crescent Avenue neighborhood and the larger community, as viewed by resident and neighborhood activist Maria Pellum.
And, of course, there is my commentary on Plainfield at Plainfield Today.
Would it surprise you that we all have somewhat different takes on the issues? Would it surprise you that you don't always agree with all or any of us?
I really view blogging as partly about conveying news and information and partly as provoking conversation about our community and what we want for it and how to achieve that.
In that context, I think that MORE is better than less.
And that MORE should include MORE COMMENT on each of the blogs. I encourage the Crescent Times to enable the 'comments' function and for all readers to consider adding comments on Plaintalker, where the option IS enabled.
Think of the blogs as a way of engaging in an extended and documented conversation about our community and how to improve it. With the advantage that you don't have to shout to be heard, and you can take the time to think through what you want to say about the issues.
Lastly, I would love to see MORE BLOGS by those interested in their neighborhoods or the community as a whole. And if new blogs are published on a reasonably frequent basis and address specific neighborhoods' news and concerns, I would be happy to consider linking to them on a regular basis.
Anyone interested in getting started is welcome to DROP ME AN EMAIL for more info on blogging.
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http://plainfieldtoday.blogspot.com/
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1 comments:
After toying with the "comments section" and Dan's guidance, I was able to make "comments" part of the Crescent Times' blog.
Adding to what Dan said, it was thanks to him and the Plaintalker that the Crescent Times came to be.
With the lack of coverage that we have in Plainfield, the amount of residents that live in the Crescent Area Historic District, and a sense that blogging could be the "connector" that could enable us to notice not only the neighborhood but the City, I started blogging. And Dan is right, MORE is better.
I want to encourage everybody to send their comments and to even start their own blog. In some blogs I have visited they don't even write, it's all in the pictures.
Maria Pellum
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