Local Blogs Take the Stage
posted by Andrea NowackWednesday, December 10th, 2008
A few months ago, Los Angeles Magazine announced that downtown LA was named the “third bloggiest neighborhood” in the US. That’s a pretty cool claim to fame, if you ask me, but I have noticed that as local dailies die out, readers are turning to local blogs to get their news (or perhaps local dailies are dying out because people find more value in local blogs.)
Whatever the case, I moved to LA not too long ago and one of my favorite things about this city is the number of great local blogs. (I mean, West Linn, OR = cool, but newsworthy? Not so much, unless you count the occasional “a couple was caught being intimate on the baseball field” type stories – yes, that really was printed in the West Linn Tidings, and a friend of mine has the clipping hanging on her fridge if you’d like proof.) From LA Observed to LAist and a bunch of others, it is not hard to see why both print-affiliated and citizen journalists alike in LA are trading in their pens for Apples.
In fact, our dependence on local blogs has forced local dailies to hop on the blogging bandwagon as well, with most local papers having at least one (if not, several) affiliate blogs. This is smart for a number of different reasons:
1. Local blogs are rapidly growing in both readership and sheer numbers;
2. Blogs foster a two-way dialogue, whereas print publications are only one-sided;
3. Blogs support the ‘eco-friendly’ direction our society is headed (aka, green is trendy);
4. Blogs enable the 24-hour news cycle our now ‘always on’ society craves, especially during times of crisis (check out LA Now’s 24/7 coverage of the LA fires, for example);
5. Blogs allow local dailies to push out their content in a variety of different ways (RSS, e-mail and Twitter, for example) instead of just via subscription.
A few weeks ago, Steve Rubel predicted that by 2014, we will see the end of tangible media as we know it. And that’s a modest prediction in comparison to MediaWeek, who foresees the fall of many local dailies by 2010. My first though was, “No way! Where would our credible news come from?!” But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, yeah, maybe tangible media will die out in theory, but the big (smart) dailies will never go away; they will simply switch their focus online.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
[...] The LA Times consolidates its local blogs: Last week, the LA Times decided to consolidate its multiple blogs about LA into its “LA Now” blog and dramatically increase the posting frequency: While not a story of major significance to most people, this is likely a direct response to the LA Times realizing the popularity of local LA blogs like LAist and trying to stay competitive. The LA Times is being forced to change their strategy and approach because of these new media outlets (as my colleague Andrea Nowack wrote about yesterday). [...]
December 11th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
[...] Contact Us « Local Blogs Take the Stage [...]
January 9th, 2009 at 12:27 am
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July 26th, 2010 at 2:26 am
In today’s world of high technology many people spend their days at the computer. This article features tips and hints for computer monitoring software programs and the moral issues with using this type of product.
There are many reasons to consider computer monitoring software. The first and foremost is to monitor your children to make sure they are safe when online and to limit access to undesirable websites.
A second reason is to observe your spouse when you suspect them of cheating. Another use would be to monitor or limit website access to employees who should be working and not using the internet for personal use. In addition there are many other possibilities such as monitoring criminal activity or simply restricting certain websites.
If you decide that computer monitoring software is for you be sure to analyze the many products available on the market to find the one that is best tailored to your needs.
The products will differ by access and data control so be sure to do your homework.
Let’s take a look at how the software works.
Computer monitoring software will secretly work on a computer (including laptops) in the background without any trace of the software in the system registry. It will not appear in the system tray, the process list, the task manager, desktop, or in the Add/Remove programs. It should not be disrupted by firewalls, spyware or anti virus applications and is completely invisible.
The individual using the computer will not know about the software and will use the computer as they normally would. Even hitting the famous control, alternate, delete buttons will not display or stop the software.
So how exactly does the software work?
The software will record websites visited, keystrokes typed, IM (instant message) chats, email sent and received including webmail, chats, applications used, Word and Excel documents and even take screen shots.
The computer monitoring software will let you quickly determine if your child is safe or your spouse is cheating. It will also allow you to block websites or software on the monitored computer.
The software will let you every detail of the computer use.
Accessing the recorded data will differ with the types of computer monitoring software. Many programs will email you the recorded data in a form of a text file. Some require you to access the computer directly to view the data. The best will allow you to access the data online from any computer with a user login. This is the recommended method.
So now that you have decided on using computer monitoring software you are probably wondering if it is legal. In most cases the answer is yes however this depends on the state or country you live in. When monitoring employees it is recommended to check with state laws or union agreements.
Of course using the software may also be a moral dilemma. Should I spy on my children, spouse, or employees? In today’s technological world a child can be victimized at home without evening meeting the offender. The sleepless nights could end in you finally find out your spouse is not cheating. Or maybe you finally have proof that they are. You can stop employees from visiting inappropriate websites at work by blocking access to them.
To conclude there are many legitimate reasons to use computer monitoring software. This is a valuable tool for many and can help to save your children, marriage, or business. It is up to you to decide if it is morally acceptable.