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* Sometimes, Facebook actually motivates people to take “real world” action…
A virtual war of words on a social networking site led to a real fight between two men in Franklin County Monday. […]
“The two had been arguing on Facebook most of the night, which then escalated into a challenge to a fight,” Jones said.
The two met up at the parking lot and went at it in front of several spectators who had gathered for the fight, Jones said.
A crowd gathered, eh? Kinda gives a whole new meaning to the term “flash mob.”
* But sometimes, Facebook just isn’t enough. As I believe I’ve told you before, some tea party folks are organizing “THE ILLINOIS STATE WIDE TAX REVOLT” on Facebook. So far, a bit over 100 people say they’re attending the April 15th march on the Statehouse to protest the tax hikes. That ain’t a whole lot. And there are some other problems…
I have a bus reserved to leave from Rockford Cherry Vale Mall to go to this event on April 15. So far 6 out of 56 seats are spoken for. If this does not change soon I will have to cancell the bus. Seats cost $30 round trip on a charter bus with toilet and DVD player. If you want to go contact me ASAP to reserve your seat. If not we will all be driving down, and gas cost a lot more than $30 round trip!
But all hope is not lost…
I have been talking to FOX New Network. They are gathering info so if they call you…let them know. I just got off the phone with… Michele Nunes with Fox.
You’d think as upset as some people are about this tax hike that there would be more interest in the protest. There’s still time, of course, but so far, that Facebook-inspired redneck brawl looks far more interesting to me.
* Speaking of the online world, racist, boorish newspaper website comment sections are causing some folks to take action…
When the Tribune and Sun-Times recently posted stories dealing with immigration, Sara McElmurry saw a familiar dynamic take shape. The online comments following the pieces were heavily negative, with some casting immigrants as parasites or welfare cheats.
So McElmurry, communications manager for the Chicago-based advocacy group Latino Policy Forum, shot an email to her “Comment Corps” — a list of 3,000 people she asks to intervene when she believes online comments have become bigoted or monolithic.
But it doesn’t always work…
She’s part of the Comment Corps, and this month she leaped into the fray after the Daily Herald published a story about a protest over alleged police harassment of Hispanics. The great majority of the comments criticized the protesters, and when Brito tried to present a different opinion, her posts were buried under a barrage of “thumbs down” votes (more than four generally hides the comment from view).
Some of those newspaper comment sections are just totally out of control. The inmates are truly running the asylum. What a stupid business decision that is. Of course, newspaper owners are not exactly known for great business acumen.
* Speaking of newspapers, I sent the Sun-Times an e-mail today asking the higher-ups to please, pretty please with sugar on top, take a look at why so many old stories are suddenly popping up on their RSS feeds as brand new. Just scroll down and look to the right and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I’m breathlessly awaiting a response.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:06 pm
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You can’t get more than 100 people to protest an income tax hike? That’s strange.
I was surprised there weren’t big protests on the weekend before the tax hike vote. I guess no one took the bull by the horns (GOP?).
Look what happened in Madison. Here, the home-schoolers and the ISRA can rock the dome at the drop of a hat.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:37 pm
Is it possible the residents of Illinois prefer a tax hike instead of even more social service cuts? The RBC rally last year encouraging the tax hike had thousands attend…
Comment by 10th Voter Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:42 pm
Looks like the baggies might get a coupla hundred to their “revolt”…if they’re lucky. I hope they bring their goofy, misspelled signs.
Comment by Deep South Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:47 pm
Spending time in other online forums - I was on DPReview this morning - really makes you long for a moderator who deletes you, takes your sock puppets, bans you for life, and tells you to move along.
Comment by Excessively Rabid Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:48 pm
Re the Sun-Times - I always read a hard copy of the Sun-Times at lunch, and there have been quite a few stories of late in there that seem incredibly outdated. Of course, I realize your print version is going to be a little behind the online version, but some of the stories I read in the print version were stories I’d heard on the news or seen online as many as 3 days earlier.
Comment by Anonymous ZZZ Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:49 pm
LOL, ER. Too funny.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:49 pm
Today’s Daily Herald has a page-one immigration story that has attracted 300 comments, many of them vicious. A few dozen have been deleted as beyond the pale even for Paddock.
Comment by reformer Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 3:57 pm
I also take a lot of heat when I try to defend my profession on comment boards in the Tribune. I’m still waiting for them to post at least one positive editorial on public school educators.
Shouldn’t they be tired of beating up on us by now?
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 4:07 pm
===Shouldn’t they be tired of beating up on us by now? ===
LOL. Never. There’s a story about a student walkout on the DH web page. Check the comments. Brutal.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 4:13 pm
I am philosophically supportive of what the “comment corps” is trying to do, but, tactically, it is a colossal waste of time. The free for all that exists on those boards make it impossible to balance out the over-the-top comments anonymous folks can throw up there. It would make a lot more sense to focus on the newspapers that own the comment section and demand they have CapFax style or CapFax Light style of moderation that promotes civilized discussion. Until the format changes, those “positive” comments are always going to get lost.
Comment by Montrose Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 4:15 pm
With Facebook friends like these, who needs enemies?
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 4:20 pm
Hard to believe you can’t get more than 100 Daily Herald commenters to protest a tax increase. Those folks would be angry about about ice cream on a sunny day.
CyberTigers.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 4:32 pm
Yeah, I saw that about the student walkout, our high school students did the same thing last year when over 500 teachers were laid off. At least they appreciate what we do for them!
I will never comment on a board without some form of editing or response to complaints of abuse.
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 4:33 pm
I don’t even bother reading the comment section of most newpapers or articles. They are usually innundated by ignorant comments by folks who are not looking for a sound policy debate. They just want to spout off their hateful comments. There really is no point in trying to engage them in anything else. Waste of time.
Comment by Seriously??? Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 4:55 pm
Those Facebook profiles are interesting. Wonder if Rhonda knows that Bob Marley was a dope-smoking foreigner who sang mostly about the plight of the poor in Jamaica.
Comment by Jasper Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 5:16 pm
I just bailed on my local Patch site since the comments were so idiotic and aggressive. And the Kane County Chronicle is taking a comment holiday this month by turning them off completely. I shot the editor an email thanking him.
Even the most innocuous comment is attacked these days. Pretty sad.
Comment by Lefty Lefty Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 5:56 pm
–Even the most innocuous comment is attacked these days. Pretty sad.–
Typical socialist, Tea-Party, tax-eating, union-busting, Democratic Machine, Halliburton whining. This is just how Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia and DisneyWorld started.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 6:13 pm
@wordslinger
Word up, great point!
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 6:58 pm
Is this the same Michael Fogelsanger from Lee County???
Comment by Batavia Jim Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 7:25 pm
It troubles me that the tea party group immediately reaches out to FOX, apparently to get in touch with the producer there that gins up busses full of fake outraged protestors for “grass roots” movements wherever.
Comment by Gregor Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 7:59 pm
Newspapers like the DH that require user accounts in order to post (with made up names) could effect change if they would simply say if you cross the line we will post your real name.
Or just require the real name.
It’s not like I could/should get a letter to the editor published as Michelle Flaherty.
The user names on here are usually inside jokes.
Steve Schnorf for instance. That one cracks me up.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, Mar 22, 11 @ 10:07 pm