Love 'em or hate 'em, Greensboro is renowned for its thriving community of local blogs. For all the many unsuccessful ways Greensboro has tried to find or fabricate an "identity" for itself, we have a genuine organic one in our preponderance of local blogs: "Blogsboro," as the L.A. Times called us. In our collection of citizens using blogs to converse, reflect, debate, inform and influence we are very unlike most other cities -- even Dayton.
[If you are aware, you can skip the next two paragraphs]
Greensboro bloggers have a significant record of investigating, organizing and reporting in ways that include not just expressions of policy-influencing opinions, but also manifestations of "real world" action ranging from organizing fundraisers to launching law suits.
Reporters know it. Politicians know it. Greensboro's smart and paying-attention know it: Greensboro blogs are a wealth of knowledge about and insight into Greensboro. You read them if you want to know what's going on in the hearts, heads and lives of Greensboro's people.
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So when someone brand new to town says he will not read local blogs because "I don’t have time for the noise,” my shoulder-shrugging reply is "Your loss, Mister City Manager."
"i don't have time for the noise". Well good luck with that because this noise will be a ringing sound in his ear for a loooooonnnnnngggggggg time.
ReplyDeleteRoch i might do a post as well with some thought into it and link you as well.
i posted , and ed also posted as well. Let's see how many bloggers will post and if FEC will get a hold of this one as well.
ReplyDeleteI've exchanged a couple emails with Rashad. Details on his blog comment can be found here: http://greensboropolitics.com/?p=1081.
ReplyDeleteBlogs or no blogs, I'll be happy to simply see him get the job done.
Ryan
I think the city manager is probably just speaking from the perspective of someone who hasn't lived in Greensboro.
ReplyDeleteWhether we realize it or not, our blog and blogger situation in Greensboro is not typical. There are many more interesting, constructive and civilly conscious blogs here than in other cities where I've lived or worked. Reporter friends of mine from other areas can hardly believe it when I describe our blogosphere to them.
In many, many other cities much of the blogging does seem to be "noise" - either uninformed people who haven't bothered to do any research complaining about things they don't understand or really loud partisan bickering.
If that's the kind of blogging with which you're familiar, I could see saying you're not interested.
There are plenty of people who, having never heard a Roots or Mod Def album, think all rap is Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy.
Well said, Joe. The guy gets a few more balls and strikes.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that should read "Mos Def."
ReplyDelete