Or, should we be taking the Bush Administration attitude that saying things aren't ok is what makes them not ok?
This blog can be found the following ways:
#6 on a Yahoo Search for city images
#5 on Google for downtown davenport images
#12 on Ask.com for davenport lofts
#1 on Google for davenport skatepark
#15 on Ask.com for quad city blog
#1 on Yahoo for quad city images
#2 on Google for new urbanism davenport iowa
#15 on AltaVista for davenport images
#1 on Google for Apartments in the quad cities that u dont have to be 18 to rent (Yes, someone really found us that way)
There are a million more specific search engine results that people find this blog through, but my point is that for a decent number of people, this may be their first introduction to the Quad Cities or Davenport. What do they find when they get here? A mixture of good things, like images that show us being more than corn, and bad things, like people saying they're moving away because of speed cameras. Rampant discussion of our crime problem on all the local blogs is another thing that probably isn't so good for out of town google searchers to find. I've been aware of this worry ever since I started the blog and started getting listed on search engines.
My question is, are we actually hurting Davenport through talking about it? That is horrifying to me, because I will never never advocate sitting around saying everything is fine when it isn't. Its almost like I wish I could have out of town folks be sent to a separate blog, and us current residents will have our own area to discuss the real nitty gritty of QC life. A visitor reading Cruiser's blog, for example, would assume that we have shootings on every corner once an hour based on how much the crime problem is being discussed. We all know that things aren't that bad here, but they're not as good as we want them to be.
Debate is a good thing. Good things have come out of discussions on the blogs. I just really hope that no potential businesses have read some comments on QCTimes.comments or on the real blogs and decided that the Quad Cities are entirely populated by negative folks. I don't see a solution for this issue, because limiting free speech is 100% the opposite of what I'll ever do as a blogger. I could get myself de-listed from search engines, but I like the fact that people searching for random things can stumble across pictures of our beautiful riverfront and be like "wow, where is this?" There would be nothing interesting about a Pollyanna blog about how great everything is, but maybe I wish we had a couple positive comments once a month or so.
What do you folks think?
17 comments:
I agree the blogs lead to good discussions. We do however, have a crime problem. If someone gets the impression from my blog that there's shootings on every corner, they're not paying attention. 7 murders a year don't equate to the wild west. I do mention violent assaults, and also that I feel safe anywhere in town I go. I also say we need to promote downtown and SoLo more than we do. You make a point; but how can we point out problems without sugar coating them? I think each blog has his or her followers making room for all of us.
Its not "bloggers" (meaning both blog authors and commenters) that I'm worried about. Those of us that come here knowing what we're in for are fine. I just picture people who may not know much about blogs clicking on a google search result and seeing some of the stuff around here.
I don't know that there's a solution, or even necessarily a problem. I was just pointing out one of my concerns with writing a blog.
You made a point I hadn't thought of. It would be a concern to me, as a blog author, if blatant lies were being spread. My personal take on it is that many different sides of our local culture are being discussed. While crime and education are not popular subjects, we cannot hide the fact they exist. There are more blogs on the other side of the fence. The only way any solution could be reached is if all blog authors agreed to a certain code of conduct. It would definitely be a problem if things got too one-sided, but as it stands now I think it's about right.
Having a blog without comments does not limit free speach. If someone wants to be heard, they can start their own blog.
While I think the discussion as done on this site has more plusses than minuses, not every blog needs to be a "discussion" like this. Some of the best blogs simply provide a different perspective on things, or provide information people may not find as easily in the traditional media.
That's true.
I guess I just automatically think of my blog as a community discussion more than say, a newspaper or opinion column.
THose who are shocked or turned off by what they read on local blogs dont understand blogs and probably aren't intelligent enough to weed out the crap. They can stay home.
QCI, Soak your head in some ice water, it's getting a little too big. Most people know what you read on blogs is a bunch of crap. Your blog is no different. Keep the crap coming though; I get a kick out of it. It' a lot like listening to WOC Talk Radio, some BOZO that thinks he knows it all, when in reality he's just a good bullshitter. Not to mention full of it.
It seems to be a mix of some good dicussion and some "damage". While many people do know it is "crap", for many, especially those who don't live here, they may believe it to be accurate. It is a complete waste of time when it degenerates into name calling and organization-bashing. That is when it performs simply as a means of venting and is only useful to the venter.
I have yet to hear a good reason for all the negative about JLCS. There are poor and homeless people everywhere. They aren't going away. It is not illegal to be poor and homeless. I'm sure many of the people that bash JLCS and the "people they atract" consider themselves to be "good Christians", which has to be considered pretty ironic. I want to hear a real solution to this chronic problem that doesn't blame the poor person or the organization that is helping. That would be novel to the QC blogs!
I think the some recent posts that have opened up discussion for solutions should be what the blogs should be about. If that trend continues I think people from outside will find the we are a reasonable community that has problems but can find common ground even among our differences.
Businesses or residents considering a move to the Quad Cities - or anywhere - are more likely to check out the local traditional media than blogs. Site selectors will tell you that they've read the local papers online and searched media sites with keywords such as "labor strike", "Unions", "protest",
"crime", "rezoning" and that they read the Letters to the Editor to get the tenor of a community toward the business, business incentives and relocation issues. Recurring anti-development sentiment expressed by the citizens of a community is a turnoff.
As someone who scans online newspaper comments from across the country regularly, I can say with some assurance that its the same everyhere.
For whatever reason, the online forum seems to be the outlet of choice for dissension and negativity.
It makes sense, somewhat, because who is going to go out of their way to write about how much they are enjoying the status quo?
Anyone who has such a bleeding heart appraoch to the poor must have no idea what happens in Davenport with these services. In my opinion, the only people who deserve constant help are those who have mental illnesses and a will to improve their lives. JLCS attracts dependant people here. It isn't that they are helping those already here so much, but they are drawing people here to help. There is a difference. By attracting more and more poor and dependant people here, we are getting to a point that the bow is breaking. As evidenced by the crime stats. Don't give me the junk about the area around the shelter being safe. It has some of the highest crime stats in the city. People are niave when it comes to this organization and the people they serve. Kate Ridge is known amongst the people living in the central city as a pimp for poverty. She is known to many professinals in the community as unstable and manipulative. My guess as she wouldn't want to live in the neighborhood where the shelter is. She has built a poverty housing monopoly and we are all suffering for it.
anon at 11:44,
You say you haven't heard a good reason for anyone being against JLCS. I have posted reasons on my blog more than once. Besides what I posted, I don't believe a non-profit to help homeless needs a $2 million a year budjet. Especially when some of these homeless admit they are homeless by choice. There are other places the money could be used. It has also been proven that these complexes they put up are crime magnets, and usually do more harm than good. The facts are there, it isn't working. I only wish somebody had a solution.
Stop the support and the money train - there is the solution. Pass an ordianance that restricts the concentration of poverty and social services. There is a solution. Stop giving them HOME money, CDBG money, RDA money and object when they apply for more tax credits. There is a solution. They have a request for CDBG money right now that says it will be to feed 500 more homeless at the meal site. 500 more homeless people?!? What? JLCS has taken over and we are obviously suffering solo. Let's demand that they tell us where these people are coming from. Are they from here or are they from elsewhere? Enough is enough with this organization.
I am fascinated that a) I am a bleeding heart, and b) that my critics throw out numbers like facts. Where is the source that homeless people are attracted to Davenport? What are the numbers? Who is counting. If you have ever been south you know where the homeless are attracted it is not to a town that has a 7 degree temp on December 7, regardless of how many sewrvices are provided.
I suppose you would line up with Scrooge and be happy to "diminish the surplus population". Have fun at confession this week, "good Christian".
The problem is no one is counting - that is the problem. At one time, it was asked who the people are being served by JLCS and they failed to answer. GO and look - JLCS is keeping track and they are saying the number is increasing. They need money, so the numbers increased. No one holds them accountable for what they say they do. Look into it and get the facts and then report back. Or, just go to the CCC daily to see the numbers. That neighborhood is dead because it will never be a desireable place to move and live. It will always be very very poor and filled with homeless people. Okay -keep it that way, but don't let them expand anymore. They have expanded into areas that have a fighting chance at being desireable. The Cobblestone fighters knew that if JLCS came to their area as a complex as originally proposed, they were sunk and they were wise to fight that off as they did.
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