Amherst Bulletin
February 26, 2010
Amherst residents need to be heard - especially during election and when a tax override is on the ballot. Now, there's another outlet for expressing all views political: It's called "Localocracy," and it's now up and running on the World Wide Web. You can visit the site through a link on the top right of the home page at www.amherstbulletin.com or go directly to http://amherst-ma.localocracy.org.
Localocracy - a site created by University of Massachusetts students Conor White-Sullivan and Aaron Soules - gives visitors a chance to sound off on the Proposition 2½ tax-cap override in the March 23 election, as well as comment on candidates for all elected offices.
Residents who sign up at Localocracy can cast "votes," and explain their reasoning. Comments left by participants are categorized into two opposing sides, and then the opinions are ranked by site visitors. Those most persuasive opinions rise to the top of the Web site based on votes gathered.
Unlike some blogs and Web sites, anyone commenting on the Localocracy site must be a registered voter and must use real names when signing up and sounding off. That is a feature we especially welcome, given the plague of anonymous rants that exist online.
We also welcome the expanded forum for civic debate. Only so many letters can fit into the Bulletin's commentary pages. That's one reason why - during periods when letters and columns abound - we often run opinion pieces online. Cyberspace isn't dependent on inch counts and page limitations. It allows for a greater range of viewpoints, published more spontaneously and in the authentic voice of the writer.
Given that Internet sites often draw a different audience, the Bulletin commentary pages and www.amherstbulletin.com will be featuring the "best of Localocracy" on occasion, sharing with our readers views and opinions posted on this start up. (See the Opinion page for our first installment.)
Log on to Localocracy, and vote early and often. It's one more way to get involved in an open and ongoing dialogue about local government and public issues, about which there is no shortage of opinions.
We look forward to seeing how the experiment of Localocracy plays out, and encourage participation in the latest marketplace of ideas.
11 comments:
"Unlike some blogs and Web sites, anyone commenting on the Localocracy site must be a registered voter and must use real names when signing up and sounding off. That is a feature we especially welcome, given the plague of anonymous rants that exist online."
Plague?
PLAGUE?!!?
Localocracy?
DOA.
Yes, plague.
Was there an announcement of some kind made at last night's SC mtg wrt or from the Superintendent? Its not yet posted on ACTV...
CS mentioned that she thought one was coming...
Feb 28:" 4. I believe an annoucement about the superintendent will be made at tomorrow night's SC meeting. Note that I am not the chair of either the Amherst or the Regional Committee -- who would properly make such announcements."
As to the Supt - if a lowly teacher pulled a stunt like this, the building principal and/or human resources would DEMAND a doctor's note.
Why can't the public, through its School Committee, demand the same?
If it was medically necessary to do whatever AND AN EMERGENCY THAT IT BE DONE NOW then OK. Otherwise, it becomes ground for termination.
And if it was something that could be scheduled, well scheduled medical leaves have to be approved by a supervisor, in this case the SC....
Sorry, what applies to the janitor ought to also apply to the Superintendent...
The problem I have with Localoracy is that I already am having blog postings being forwarded between UM administrators and (I presume) being placed in my academic files. And that is anonymous blog postings - heaven forbid the mischief possible if one can verify postings to a specific name, address and Social Security Number....
The Federalist Papers were published anonymously and that was even before computer databases....
I just read the Gazette article on the SupInt announcement and am relieved. I had feared some dire announcement, like he was resigning. I agree that his medical leave is no one's business!
Whether or not he is around enough to do his job is a legitimate concern. The details of his illness, not legit.
However, it is hard to separate the two. Because the details of his illness affect his ability to be around to do his job.
I think he is acting rather thin skinned for a leader in his position. We don't need to be "nice." He needs to show leadership, not a fit of pique.
Leadership:
Like making some gesture regarding his own compensation to lead teachers and administrators to something similar on their own, in order to get an override passed that will save jobs.
Anybody seen that? Instead, I see teachers and administrators, including one doing two principal jobs at once, laboring on, all of whom have made an investment in their community, with their energy, their effort, (undoubtedly) their stress, and their families. Instead, I see him making himself the issue.
In the end, it's about what he's accomplished. We'll see.........
Touche' on the Federalist Papers, Ed.
They were "anonymous posts".
Ed said...
The problem I have with Localoracy is that I already am having blog postings being forwarded between UM administrators and (I presume) being placed in my academic files. And that is anonymous blog postings...
LOL
And you thought you were anonymous. Nothing on the internet is "anonymous".
Only in your mind.
Kevin
Great point with the Federalist papers, I wholeheartedly agree, there is always a need for anonymous comments somewhere. Localocracy isn't one of those places for a number of reasons, I wrote a blog post explaining some of our decisions regarding identity.
http://localocracy.posterous.com/identity-matters
Also, thanks for the concern Anonymous, in the first month we've formed partnerships with two newspapers and seen 160 new users, many of them posting some great information--using their real names. A quiet start for sure but not quite DOA.
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