Friday, 3 April 2009
Is the new greenway a mess?
Critics say the new Connect 2 greenway in Kenilworth is a 'total mess'. Some councillors say the route is being ruined and will only be suitable for cyclists, not walkers. The route runs from Kenilworth to Berkswell and will eventually link with Warwick University. Your views are welcome.
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9 comments:
There have been no comments at all on this latest topic (we say "latest" but it was actually posted as long ago as early April).
Over the last three months, there has been a total of only 30 comments to the Kenilworth Blog on any topic at all - that's an average of ten comments PER MONTH from the whole town!
Does this mean that the people of Kenilworth are disinterested in what is going on in their town?
I, for one, find this hard to believe. My guess is that most of them are very interested indeed; but that they are not being given the opportunity to comment on the things that really matter to them.
The Kenilworth Blog will only "work" if people are able to choose their own topics and are given the opportunity to start their own threads.
I doubt that anyone will read this, but if you do, and if you agree with what I have said, please add a comment. We could even turn it into a petition.
Collectively, we might be able to shake this editor out of her complacency and get her to start thinking about the future of the Kenilworth Blog - because at the moment, it is a complete waste of time.
On second thoughts, it's worse than a waste of time - it's a tragedy. It represents a wasted opportunity for the people of Kenilworth to get together and start influencing what happens in this town for themselves.
This appeal is aimed especially at the younger generation. Use this blog to say what you want to say about your town (regardless of the topic that has been chosen for you) and to infuence the changes you want to see in YOUR town.
I don't believe that the lack of activity means people are disinterested in what's going on in our town.
Maybe the profile of the blog needs to be raised. I suspect people aren't adding anything as they just don't know about it.
Website forums and blogs live and die so quickly. If people stubble across it, but see there's little activity then it's unlikely they'll come back.
You're up against Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and whatever the next big thing would be, which is stiff competition for a little blog like this.
id like them to finish surfacing it, rather than cutting down trees - if they cary on it will be windswept and bare..
In response to Fred and Colin, this is my first visit to the blog which I stumbled on entirely by accident. The same could almost be said of the whole website, as I came across it during a lull in productivity at work. I think the problem is therefore not lack of interest but, as Colin points out, lack of any kind of awareness. The profile of the blog and website as a whole should be promoted more in the paper paper.
I think it's quite telling that no-one who runs of administrates this site has even noticed this discussion!
On the subject of awareness: the Kenilworth Weekly News has heavily promoted this blog page on many occasions in their editorial and letters page.
The fact is, whenever there is a topic that interests people, like the Horse Fair, or the Moto Cross affair, or last year's music concert in Abbey Fields, this page attracts a considable number of comments.
Which seems to back up my original comment on 08 June - where I said that "most (people) are very interested indeed; but that they are not being given the opportunity to comment on the things that really matter to them."
I say again, The Kenilworth Blog will only work if people are able to choose their own topics and are given the opportunity to start their own threads.
I totally agree with Colin's observation where he says "I think it's quite telling that no-one who runs or administrates this site has even noticed this discussion!"
I think you've got it Colin!
Dear Fred...
A blog is a thing where the author writes an article and other people write comments on the articles. Or not, as they see fit. If you want something where anyone can write articles and anyone can comment on them you're describing a message board. A Kenilworth message board might well be a good thing to have, but this is a blog so you only get to comment on the articles, not write them youself.
If you read the Kenilworth Weekly News on a regular basis you will see that comments from the blog are regularly quoted in the paper. I imagine the blog is here for that purpose, i.e. to gather opinion from people who perhaps wouldn't comment otherwise. Yes, it is perhaps a little disappointing not to see more articles and comments here, but my guess is that it doesn't need a lot of activity to serve its purpose.
Thanks for all your messages - they are all looked at regularly and I have been keeping an eye on your comments.
We have run several stories on the Greenway, but the mess is one to tackle with the powers that be.
I will be sure to ask the appropriate questions.
Just so you know, I am not the editor, I am the district editor - which is more like a senior reporter. I am called the district editor becuase I am the only one who works on the Weekly News.
I write ALL of the copy that goes in each week and deal with the day to day running, but I do not have editor status to make decisions about the blog or website.
I am not complacent - I don't have any say or input into the website or the blog. And the one person who set up the blog has now gone under company 'restructuring'.
I agree that the blog and website do need to be more effective, but as district editor I can only take the comments and pass them on to my boss to see what can be done.
I will make sure he is aware of the issues and see if we can't sort something out as clearly people want to voice their opinions on this site.
Thanks again for blogging here - please keep it up and I promise to be on here a lot more from now on.
Lucia Clifford
District Editor
Thanks for the info Lucia.
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