announcements

I finally got around to writing up a privacy policy, terms of service and community guidelines. Please take a look at these to better understand how this site is intended to function in the community...

One service I believe this blog could provide is to start conversations about issues and events in town, then open things up for others to comment with more details about what they know from more direct experience. For a newspaper, a reporter must do all the legwork--to talk to multiple sources and then write a story that delivers "the news." For the town--and any official government body--there will always be a constraint on ensuring that the information released is as accurate as possible and representative of the town's position. The town website has a responsibility to be an authority and it understandable that it would be reluctant to publish half-baked information, then open things up to speculation.

The blog can be a middle ground. It's not an opinion blog of one author but a discussion space for sharing information. A great example of the positive aspects of this can be seen in the recent commentary about the LaRouche supporters in Islington Center. Lt. Leo Hoban of the Westwood Police responded to the original post and then several residents commented, thanking him. No agenda, no press releases...just a conversation that is recorded online so many other people can see not only the information that was provided, but the fact that the police are being responsive.

This is not something that would work on the town website or in a local newspaper. Would you find it in the police blotter or even notice? Should the town issue press releases and advisories about every little thing that happens in town? Do you regularly visit the Westwood Police website to see what's going on? So much communication need to be "smaller," more immediate, and more informal.

I have long believed that some form of anonymous participation was necessary for several reasons:

• requiring registration creates a participation hurdle that make it less likely people will take the time to comment.
• anonymnity of some form is valuable when people are reluctant to express a valid, but unpopular opinion.
• anonymnity can provide a way for "official" people to participate in a personal capacity without it being attributed to their public role.
• the enforcement challenges are a headache. The motivated troublemaker will simply register under a name like "concerned citizen or Guest1"

I think these reasons are less important than the potential value of accountability because:

• the participation hurdle exists no matter what. People who have something to say find a way.
• Most of the people who have unpopular opinions have been willing to put their names on them and the silent majority has remained silent anyway.
• Official people don't participate directly on the blog anyway. I may get emails or talk to people, but they don't actually go on the blog themselves and comment.
• I can simply delete the posts by obvious fake people--I already have to watch out for spammers who register and post on the site.

I'm motivated to make this change because I hear again and again from our Selectmen and Town Officials that this is their number one concern and a reason why they will not participate. Even for volunteers in town...I know how discouraging it can be if something you are working on leads to some kind of anonymous, intemperate criticism. So we shall make a change and see what happens...

Periodically, I hear complaints about anonymous comments here. I wish everyone would identify themselves because I think that would make for a more accountable and respectful discussion. But there is a valid role for anonymity.

I challenged an anonymous poster recently to use his real name...his response, in part:

[regarding opposition to Westwood Station] This is not something I would care to have prospective employers seeing, if by chance they were to google my name. I could honestly care less what people in Westwood think of me. That is not the issue. I invite anyone to come over and have a discussion with me about Westwood Station. I would fully disclose my contact information and address to anyone who thinks that I'm ashamed of what I have to say. My opinion is my opinion and I am not ashamed to say it, whatsoever.

However, I am not about to risk my career and professional reputation because of some silly development that I am against. I am not a proponent of putting information about myself for anyone to see on the internet.

I hope this blog can serve as a bridge to participation. Poorly expressed, illogical anonymous comments speak for themselves, and I think people ignore them. But sometimes it takes that voice from the back of the room grumbling to push others into voicing what they are thinking...and eventually people DO put their names on opinions. But if we say, "you can't speak unless you identify yourself"--well, that is fine in person, but online, as an individual resident, it is asking a lot to make a person stand up for his opinion on every issue forever. "Oh, you're one of THOSE people."

Myy goal is to make it easier to start a conversation on issues that matter to people and then see where it goes.

Last year, I was happy to see all four candidates for Selectman participate in this blog--including podcast interviews. The current election features a contested race for planning board.

First of all, if you are not currently registered to vote, tomorrow is the last day to register in time to be eligible to vote on Tuesday, April 28.

Second, I hope everyone who can will take advantage of the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on Sunday, April 19, from 3pm-5pm at the First Parish Hall at the intersection of Nahatan and Clapboardtree Streets to meet all the candidates.

Finally, I would like to invite all candidates to participate here on WestwoodBlog by posting their platforms, introductions, statements, etc.

Ground Rules

• I will not endorse any candidate.
• I will assist any candidate to post information. Send me a statement and I will put it up on the site as yours. If you have a photo or graphic, I will do what I can to help with that, but remember...we're all volunteers!
• I will not edit materials submitted by candidates as long as they are willing to put their names on it and the material does not subject me to a lawsuit.
• I will not moderate comments from residents who are willing to identify themselves. However, bear in mind this creates an additional problem for me if someone posts a comment claiming to be someone they are not. If there is any doubt, I will contact the poster by email (your email address is required, but not published, when you make a comment.) If there is any doubt, I'll take the post down until I can verify the identity of the poster.
• I will continue to allow anonymous comments, e.g. "Guest64", but I may exercise more editorial discretion as necessary to keep the discussion civil.

Scroll down to the bottom right of the page to see the new "widget" I found that displays local gas prices. Be aware, not all stations are reported; this depends on people going to the gas buddy website, which they may not do for the smaller stations.

I've started writing a bi-weekly column for the Hometown Weekly's Westwood edition. "Our Westwood" debuted yesterday with a summary of the controversy over Wildstar Farm.

I will be contributing something every 2 weeks to the Hometown Weekly based on topics discussed here. My columns are not "news articles" nor are they strict opinion pieces--the goal is to write about what is being discussed in Westwood in a fair and objective way. It's a great opportunity to connect print and online, and I hope it will help a few more people find WestwoodBlog. Full disclosure: the Hometown Weekly is paying me for each article they publish, but it is not a big income source for me.

I continue to leave the commenting mechanism on this site fairly "open" to make it easy for people to comment. But here are a few suggestions:

Create an account - this link  will take you to the registration form. All you need do is choose a username, password, and fill in the "CAPTCHA" box. I HAD to add that CAPTCHA thing back because I had an automated spammer register an account then post hundreds of posts one night. That's after they registered hundreds of user accounts too...

If you create an account, then you never have to deal with CAPTCHA again. You will stay logged in, so when you comment, it will automatically display your username. You can also set your account to auto-notify you of any new posts or comments on the site.

Ideally, the username is something close to your real name like DaveA or even ParkerStDad. Please, not "Westwood Queen" or "Westwood Resident."

If you don't want to create an account, here is how the comment form works:

"Your Name" will be displayed under what you type in the "Subject" box. If you don't type anything for a name, then it will say "Guest." If you don't type a subject, it will display the first few words you type in the "Comment" box. Your "Email" address is recorded, but not displayed on the site, so I may email you directly.

When you write a comment, think about how it will appear in the list of Recent Comments. If the subject is just "What the heck does that" it doesn't really give anyone a clue as to what you're talking about.

I know many people have seen this article in the Hometown Weekly's Westwood Magazine, but in case anyone missed it, here is a copy you can download.

WestwoodBlog is intended to be more than a typical blog. At its simplest definition, a blog is a website where an author periodically posts ideas and insights and allows readers to comment. As new material is posted, the older posts are pushed down the page and onto subsequent pages in the site. It's a diary, a journal, or perhaps a frequently published column.

The cartoon above from the New Yorker several years ago, reflects the more common idea of what a blog is--or at least the perception from several years ago: "pointless, incessant barking."

But I think good blogs are more than just an author and his followers (or detractors). They can be a platform for starting conversations. They are not just discussion boards--which can turn into long, complicated threads of debate. An author creates a starting point--an article that references other media with hyperlinks so readers can go directly to the source to read more, then come back and join the conversation. The opinion + commentary--and the fact that new articles are posted often can allow us all to learn as we go and consider what insights others have to offer.