May 2, 2012

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "Troubled by Basalt criminal activity"

A little over a year ago, 'SandBox Nanny' received a thoughtful, appreciative and detailed email letter from a follower. 

This individual has been writing their frequent letters to the editor in the valley for many years.  Long, long before SandBoxBlogs or SafePlaceBlogs ever came to be. (Notice the present tense, yes..they are still at it.)

Their purpose in sending the letter was to share a long laundry list of 'saved' news stories off the (mostly, there were a few other regional media enclosed as well) PI and the Aspen Times.

Amazing (stunning in some cases, actually) how the past that plays such a role in the present has been 'tracked' by area news media, despite their very best efforts to quash a number of issues.  The content of the tracking system in their letter was fascinating reading material!

Lest we 'forget',  let's walk back to the fairly recent past and talk about the old Members Hub for a bit.

Checking in on the comments to Nancy Heard's letter to the editor today up on the Aspen Times would be a good stop for you to head to first.  Click title.

Granted, Nancy may not have communicated her 'snark' as well as she might have, but the point is that Nancy Heard obviously cares about her community and is obviously noticing some patterns that should be concerning to all.  Regardless of your political views, etc. etc. 

Who knows why Nancy decided to try a letter to the editor.  Let's toss a hypothetical out.  Let's say Nancy thought she would give the Times another try because things seem to be better  and more open to unbiased, uncensored channels of communication.  Let's say Nancy is paying attention to her valley wide goings on and thought that just maybe..there was room for her voice too in an environment where she wouldn't be targeted by the old 'bad' or 'predator' style 'trolls' from the old Times members hub. 

After all, they have to login with DNA now.  No 'room to hide' as the Times and PI are so fond of using as an excuse for their own shortcomings in handling responsibility.

Have we now gone full circle for the Times and the PI, folks?

Blatantly obvious from the growing numbers of alternate media and chat forums that it was a huge mistake censoring and banning the voices of the folks.

Acute awareness, given the failure of their new comment system, that they didn't hold as much of a commodity on the market out here as they thought.  Heck, it's doubtful that they will ever get the 'good ones' back on again.  Even if they nix the DNA login.

Keenly aware, that the level of discussion they do get when the sparse few logon, is sorely lacking in both content and attention-grabbing power.

But, the hypothetical today is a blast from the past regarding chats, good trolls, bad trolls, predator trolls and the overall sense of security and wellbeing of the folks when it comes to local news media.  Not the blind eyes of Swift management.

Moderation works two ways. 

The first is the elimination of content that is undesired.  Such as rudeness, swearing or whatever the forum rules and regs do not allow.  

The second is to protect the person whose voice might not be the most popular in content or person.  The concept of a watering hole is that everyone gets to belly up.

What a shame that sitting around the Aspen Times newsroom today are lazy journalists and writers who could care less about Nancy Heard's viewpoint (or) Nancy Heard herself.   Just letting her letter shift for itself and/or not bothering to join in the dialogue.  Gosh, there must be major, attention grabbing goings on in Aspen today and they must be way too busy to participate.

To mimic some of the more dramatic commentators that drop by:  "Are we forever doomed to be stuck in their version of what gets censored and banned...and what does not?"

A shout out today to Nancy Heard of Basalt.  Keep talking.

Nancy Heard: 
"Dear Editor:

Perhaps the city would be a better place to raise my children? We left good jobs in the city for a rural mountain community. “A nice place to raise our kids,” we thought.

The recent events of a foiled murder plot at the park where my children hang out just 100 yards from my house has me rethinking whether this rural mountain community is in fact a good place to raise my children.

In recent years, all within a half-mile radius of our house we have experienced: shooting at 7-Eleven, armed robbery at Clark's market, a sex offender stalking kids as they leave school (yes, my kids walked right past his car), three suicides, two overdose deaths and a felony embezzlement charge. Wow!...."
(Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually the staff up on the aspen times today must be feeling right at home. Attack content trollers are the ones they've always protected and sheltered. they like the ones that are pouncing on Heard, nanny. they're buddies. Nancy needs to just write to the aspen daily instead.

mandy said...

Noticing that some of the comments on the Times were pulled down. Either by the commenters being ashamed of themselves or by the Times. Sure makes you wonder. They shouldn't open it at all if they can't be more responsible.

Anonymous said...

Keep overthinking everything, Sandboxers. Whatever gets you through the night.

gws44 said...

I think Nancy's snark was just fine. Good to see Ken not hanging by his only lonesome up in comments on the Times. Least he finally got some action on this one. Great, stimulating conversation up there today, btw. Nice work, fellas.

It isn't just Basalt, Nancy. It's all a good place to live and raise family thanks to people like you and others that care enough to speak up.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Nancy Heard's family and other valley residents would feel more secure if there was at least some official and collective communication coming out of our law enforcement communities?

One would think, that with the disconnect of PitCo Sheriff now being exposed to the entire nation via the press so far on all things DEA and FBI in Aspen, that some kind of effort on the part of local law enforcment admin would generate and sustain communication.

Tom Silverman's voice is not a voice that I personally agree with, for the most part. But there is one area that he has hit the nail square on the head.

We have serious and grave concerns rising up in the Roaring Fork Valley over future directions in handling our law enforcement and justice needs. The old ways no longer meet the needs.

Surely, our sheriff's and our chief's resources are such that they could gather every agency around the table and figure out a way for the people to have direct from source, coordinated between agencies information locally.

Nancy Heard and collectively many other Basalt residents over the past eight to ten years are asking for the ability to know what to expect and have that information come from the security they're supposed to be trusting.

Comments in local chat rooms and newspaper reports are not going to give it.