Comments on: Hyperlocal Handed Down From Above http://computer-vet.com/weblog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above.html Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:04:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mrjerz http://computer-vet.com/weblog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above.html/comment-page-1#comment-1311 mrjerz Tue, 05 Sep 2006 04:22:01 +0000 http://computer-vet.com/blog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above/#comment-1311 We're doing Tahoe because we're focusing on environmental issues and not just news. It's about citizen participation in government, so we need something that people are fired up about. TRPA fires people up. At least, that's how I see it. The Sagebrush is entirely its own entity, and despite the many shortcomings, it does well for itself, so they're not exactly in the market to be overhauled. I see your point about the J-school sites. Two things here. First, one thing our program did was to bring in people who live in, work in, and care deeply about Tahoe. There are also old-school reporters, graphics people, photogs, and tech nerds like me. We'll make this thing happen (and get our grades)! Second, we're a graduate program dedicated to this website and this website alone, so I'd hope the interest is greater than a jerkaround three-credit prerequisite for the TV class. And how many people, exactly, call the campus home? I take issue with calling us out on UNR issues. The most impossible people to get involved, at least in my experience, are college kids. Ever seen the returns on an election up there? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 people vote. That's under 10%. Why? Because way too many people have become accustomed to rolling onto campus, hitting their class or two, and immediately heading out. Nobody is on campus, it seems. So why talk about campus life when there really isn't campus life? We’re doing Tahoe because we’re focusing on environmental issues and not just news. It’s about citizen participation in government, so we need something that people are fired up about. TRPA fires people up. At least, that’s how I see it. The Sagebrush is entirely its own entity, and despite the many shortcomings, it does well for itself, so they’re not exactly in the market to be overhauled.

I see your point about the J-school sites. Two things here. First, one thing our program did was to bring in people who live in, work in, and care deeply about Tahoe. There are also old-school reporters, graphics people, photogs, and tech nerds like me. We’ll make this thing happen (and get our grades)! Second, we’re a graduate program dedicated to this website and this website alone, so I’d hope the interest is greater than a jerkaround three-credit prerequisite for the TV class.

And how many people, exactly, call the campus home? I take issue with calling us out on UNR issues. The most impossible people to get involved, at least in my experience, are college kids. Ever seen the returns on an election up there? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 people vote. That’s under 10%. Why? Because way too many people have become accustomed to rolling onto campus, hitting their class or two, and immediately heading out. Nobody is on campus, it seems. So why talk about campus life when there really isn’t campus life?

]]> By: Scott Schrantz http://computer-vet.com/weblog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above.html/comment-page-1#comment-1310 Scott Schrantz Wed, 30 Aug 2006 06:40:43 +0000 http://computer-vet.com/blog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above/#comment-1310 Well, that's kind of what I'm talking about. Why Tahoe? What UNR Journalism students should be doing is focusing on UNR. Start at home. Tear apart the <a href="http://www.nevadasagebrush.com/" rel="nofollow">Sagebrush</a> and turn it into a participatory journalism site. Knock down the subscription wall, open the archives, and give every UNR student a blog. Write about what you know, which is the campus that you call home. Well, that’s kind of what I’m talking about. Why Tahoe? What UNR Journalism students should be doing is focusing on UNR. Start at home. Tear apart the Sagebrush and turn it into a participatory journalism site. Knock down the subscription wall, open the archives, and give every UNR student a blog. Write about what you know, which is the campus that you call home.

]]> By: myrnatheminx http://computer-vet.com/weblog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above.html/comment-page-1#comment-1309 myrnatheminx Tue, 29 Aug 2006 17:03:44 +0000 http://computer-vet.com/blog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above/#comment-1309 Scott---UNR ournalism school is going to start up a tahoe site....mrjerz is working on it in his grad program. Scott—UNR ournalism school is going to start up a tahoe site….mrjerz is working on it in his grad program.

]]> By: Lisa Williams http://computer-vet.com/weblog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above.html/comment-page-1#comment-1308 Lisa Williams Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:37:33 +0000 http://computer-vet.com/blog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above/#comment-1308 Oh, and I have a theory about the small pool of contributors: Jimmy Wales gave a presentation that showed that 50% of Wikipedia's edits came from .0072 of the users. I did the math, and that's 615 people doing half the work. Then I applied it to a city the size of New Haven, which has a population of 130,000. If you say that 10% of the people know about and are looking at a new local site in its first year (which would be a huge success) then their pool of contributors would be 62. Having "user generated content" only works when you have truly massive numbers of users, literally millions. It doesn't bother me that I don't have huge numbers of contributors; I'm happy to do H2otown by myself indefinitely. It's more of a philosophical position, that if people did come, I wanted to put the welcome mat out. Also, I don't know what your local paper is like in Carson, but how many reporters are employed at it? Less than ten, I'd bet. It doesn't take much to make a big impact. Watertown's paper has one staff reporter, and they do an amazingly good job with what they've got. But that goes for weblogs, too: one or two people can make a big difference. Oh, and I have a theory about the small pool of contributors:

Jimmy Wales gave a presentation that showed that 50% of Wikipedia’s edits came from .0072 of the users. I did the math, and that’s 615 people doing half the work.

Then I applied it to a city the size of New Haven, which has a population of 130,000. If you say that 10% of the people know about and are looking at a new local site in its first year (which would be a huge success) then their pool of contributors would be 62.

Having “user generated content” only works when you have truly massive numbers of users, literally millions.

It doesn’t bother me that I don’t have huge numbers of contributors; I’m happy to do H2otown by myself indefinitely. It’s more of a philosophical position, that if people did come, I wanted to put the welcome mat out.

Also, I don’t know what your local paper is like in Carson, but how many reporters are employed at it? Less than ten, I’d bet. It doesn’t take much to make a big impact. Watertown’s paper has one staff reporter, and they do an amazingly good job with what they’ve got. But that goes for weblogs, too: one or two people can make a big difference.

]]> By: Lisa Williams http://computer-vet.com/weblog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above.html/comment-page-1#comment-1307 Lisa Williams Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:31:53 +0000 http://computer-vet.com/blog/2006/08/28/hyperlocal-handed-down-from-above/#comment-1307 Hey, man! It's Lisa Williams. I re-found your Around Carson site while I was working on my most recent project -- I'm making a directory of placeblogs. So far I've found 500+. There's a lot more of them than anyone thinks. I agree with you completely about having one person who wants to do the work for its own sake. I'm inviting a few people who run placeblogs to write some short inaugural essays that will be featured when we launch the placebloggers site. This is so good I'm just going to invite you now. If you want to talk about your experience with Around Carson, I'd love to get what you have to say out there to more people. Hey, man! It’s Lisa Williams.
I re-found your Around Carson site while I was working on my most recent project — I’m making a directory of placeblogs. So far I’ve found 500+. There’s a lot more of them than anyone thinks.

I agree with you completely about having one person who wants to do the work for its own sake.

I’m inviting a few people who run placeblogs to write some short inaugural essays that will be featured when we launch the placebloggers site. This is so good I’m just going to invite you now. If you want to talk about your experience with Around Carson, I’d love to get what you have to say out there to more people.

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