The Register Citizen and trolling

So the RC began shutting down the comment section in certain areas of their online articles due to hateful and generally trollish behavior. Apparently, they are considering a site-wide policy that will require users to register prior to commenting due to the constant trolling that occurs all over the RC. And exactly 0% of local netizens are surprised.

I've always been a bit dismayed at the bitter vitriol that seems to brood out of the anonymity offered by the commenting options available on many sites. The Register Citizen seems to have always been plagued by this, and since I've began monitoring Torrington issues on SeeClickFix.com, it seems the anonymous trolling has spread...

Trolling is going to happen, whether you force users to register or not. There's no conclusive solution to this, but I don't think anyone expects that. At the very least though, forcing a user to register will help to curb the impulsive nastiness and catharsis that has found an outlet through airing your local grievances on these websites.

I, for one, am glad to hear of this potential change in policy.

Torrington City Officials suggest that SeeClickFix may be redundant

I've just posted this on my Twitter feed, but I wanted to expound on my opinion regarding what I just read in the Register Citizen.

"What bothers you? Now our Web site allows you to See It, Click It, Fix It!"

While it's nice to see that they've finally tied into SeeClickFix - directly on the heels of one HelloTorrington.com, I might add - it was inevitable that some dissenting opinions would arise in the same article.

“Not to say ‘don’t do it,’ but they’ll get the same treatment if they contact me (directly),” says Mayor Bingham.

Lt. Michael Emanuel of the Torrington Police says, “It’s a nice little addition. We’ll have to see how it grows. It might be a bit redundant, but that is not so bad at the end of the day"..

That's true, I'm sure - but the subtext here, as interpreted by Pete, is that we already have the infrastructure for community feedback, and perhaps people just don't take advantage of the channels available...

While I can't say the same for City Hall, anytime I've had to call the police department, my call/concern has been acknowledged and followed up promptly with a polite officer on the other end of the phone and an inconspicuous recording device whirring away in the background. I think they have a decent feedback system, and ultimately: the more, the merrier, right?

But what they've totally missed here, is the visual nature of human beings. You can't just call or email the city about a local concern, and leave it at that, trusting that someone will promptly address the issue at hand - we need to see the progress, to know that other people have directed their attention to the matter, and that a situation is being monitored. That's why SeeClickFix is such a great idea. It really does empower the citizenry by giving an interactive and visual representation for the summarized weight of their concerns. You know that other locals are concerned about the same problems, and have a potential medium for further organization if the issue isn't resolved through the pace of local bureaucracy.

You just can't get that through a shot-in-the-dark call to City Hall. There's no follow-up or way to track progress online. If the City of Torrington really had these capabilities, only then would SeeClickFix even approach a level of functional redundancy.

February Thaw

It's always around this time of year that I start to get hopeful. It's that seasonal callus that winter builds up - it starts to soften on the first stretch of warm, balmy 38º days that have you considering braving the outdoors with nothing but a t-shirt. Pants, too - but you get the idea.

Here in Torrington, we've managed to get a few nice snowfalls after that long run of bitter, dry cold. It's nice to see minor home improvement projects around town, new construction and a slowly growing social networking presence online - Torrington establishments are becoming relatively more illustrated as time goes on, on sites like Yelp, Four Square, SeeClickFix, oh.. and HelloTorrington.com

It feels like this might be a good year, as we approach the descent into spring. Everyone pop your sugar pills and let the optimism rage on.