Your Hub local forums

["Some Guy" <someguy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's an article that I posted on yourhub.com about fiscal stupidity,
police corruption, and marijuana in Boulder.
http://www.yourhub.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1108&contentid=7542

Never mind the message, lets examine the medium. This is a commercial web
service that combines citizen posts, local news, and advertising by region.
Most of the news comes from local papers, but YourHub is starting to gain
support from local writers and an expanding in-house staff.

The staff is a bunch of young locals. Travis Henry is managing editor, and I
know Travis from his life at the Longmont Daily-Times Call. An excellent
reporter, editor, and now apparently manager.

This is independent journalism at its best. Yep - the man behind the curtain
is the Post/RMN. While the big corporate newspaper may be able to abuse its
employees, it can't very well alter users text postings. Or at least it
hasn't - yet.
I waited to look for censorship, and email responses to my postings. I'm
satisfied that this medium is working rather well.
Travis told me that the Post would publish some of the independently posted
articles in a print version occasionally. I believe that this occurred once
already.
This may be the crossover for newspapers in the future. It is more
interactive with reader/writer customers.

My point here for all listening is that we each have some kind of message.
Elections; anti-prohibitionism; government mismanagement of something - and
forums that only speak to our friends. We end up preaching to each other;
not inviting new blood; and getting little done.
This medium is a way for each of us to reach a wider audience, but still
keep it local to our regions.

As usual, the non-for-profits and civic volunteer groups have grabbed on
right away. It's working pretty well for them.

Beware - this is not BLOG land. Write an article or commentary on some issue
and post it. I've had responses, but they were sent directly to me. I'm fine
with that. If people want to kibitz they can join one of the many blogs and
lists that already exist. This is a different kind of medium.

No one paid me to say any of this.
If you hate change - press delete.

Paul Tiger