Comments will be allowed again... but only for those who are registered

Now that The Bristol Press has finally limited comments on its website to those who have registered, I'm going to reopen comments on this site -- but only to those who bother to register with Google or Open ID. You won't be able to make totally anonymous comments anymore and I will ban an user who flagrantly violates obvious standards of decency.The general rule for comments is this: be civil.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Back again!

Sorry for the long delay in posting. I got clobbered by mono, of all things, and have spent several weeks doing little more than sleeping.But this week I'm making a stab at doing my job again.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Bristol Blog is Back

I stopped bothering the last few weeks for a few reasons. One is that it's harder to squeeze out any time to post anything in days that grow ever more crowded because of early deadlines and an increasingly hectic pace. Another is that I didn't have much to say. But mostly I got sick of the ignorant, racist, mind-boggling idiocy of so many of the comments posted to anything I wrote.
Farhad Manjoo over at Slate seems to have that almost exactly right, using words I probably shouldn't, so go read his column on internet comments.
Basically, I'm going to block all comments except for an occasional few that are emailed to me from someone whose identity I know. When I can link the comments to Facebook accounts, which I'm sure Blogger will do soon, I'll open them up again. But they'll never be anonymous again.
Reading some moron writing on the Press site tonight about the "jigaboos" on the UConn basketball team just confirmed to me that there is no other way. The only alternative is to let crazies run amuck.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Back from vacation

I'm back.
What have I missed?
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Patience...

I was sick last week -- nothing serious, as it turns out -- and am still catching up. I'll have some new stuff on here later today.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Fight back against anonymous slurs

For a long time, I've listened to politicians and other community leaders gripe about the idiocy of many of the anonymous comments that appear on this blog and at the end of news stories on the Press website.

The comments, which often sound like they were written by illiterates, tend to recast everything written on this blog (and others) and in the paper in the most negative possible light. They grab hold of something in a story and race along with it to some incredible conclusions.

Take, for instance, the piece that reporter Jackie Majerus wrote for today's paper in which developer Don Monti gives a glimpse of his timeline and plans for the former mall property downtown. It's a solid story with some insight into the deal that may remain secret at least until Monday's Bristol Downtown Development Corp. meeting. (If anyone who has a copy wants to send it my way, we can hasten the end of the secrecy.)

But what gets me is that the comments to Majerus' story are mostly outlandish nonsense. They're busy trashing the idea of a boutique hotel downtown, apparently oblivious to the reality that the hotel would be part of a gigantic redevelopment of the site. It wouldn't cater to the bums on Summer Street. It would cater to people who don't go downtown now. And if the project doesn't get them downtown, there won't be a hotel. That's just common sense, folks - something entirely lacking in most of the comments.

My concern, though, is that the people in Bristol who know better -- city officials, chamber leaders, business barons and so on -- just read this drivel, shake their heads and move on. They need to understand that the future is being shaped right now. They need to engage the doubters and make their case for a different outlook.

I'm not saying the doubters are wrong. The backers of the project can sound pollyannish all too frequently. But when the only debate is a one-sided slam from anonymous pinheads, people who don't understand what they read and don't grasp the obvious, the skewed conversation online quickly becomes the common wisdom.

The real stupidity is to leave the field entirely to people who can't spell, don't identify themselves and don't see a future for Bristol. Those who think otherwise had better suit up and play the damn game. You can't win if you're only on the sidelines griping.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Sorry for the slow week

There's been no time to do anything with this blog this week. Hopefully that'll change soon!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Interesting thing to note about the blog

It's fascinating to me that the comments on my blog entries are far, far more enlightening and much less angry when they're made on my Facebook page rather than directly on the blog.
For those who don't know, I have a feed for this blog running on my wall on Facebook, where it gets mixed in with status updates, new 'friends,' and such. It's possible for people to make comments on the Facebook wall.
With growing frequency, they do, most all of them related to blog entries. What makes the comments better, I'm sure, is that all of them -- every single one of them -- is made by someone whose identity is clear. Heck, most of the time there's even a tiny picture of the person.
I say this in part as a mere observation. But I also invite anyone who'd like to be a Facebook friend and check out how that works. It may be better for some of you.
You can find me on Facebook by searching for "Steve Majerus-Collins." And while you're there, become a Fan of Youth Journalism International.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

I'm no match for Rick Green

I walked along with Merrick Alpert today from the American Legion post to the homeless shelter -- not that far, really, but far enough in the winter chill.
But it turns out I'm a total wimp.
Alpert told me The Hartford Courant's Rick Green slogged along with him for three hours -- and then managed to refrain from gobbling down all his french fries when they stopped to eat. Alpert was clearly wowed.
Green's the better man. I admit it right here in print for one and all to see. I can't match him.
Then again, if Green had been looking at that hill on Wolcott Street as the next barrier on the walk, I'm not sure he'd have stuck with Alpert either.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Want to comment about sex? Then please read this.

It would make my life a lot easier if everyone would understand that I'm not knowingly going to allow anyone to post that Mr. X or Ms. Y is having one or more sexual flings with anybody. Unless it clearly matters to a story, it's irrelevant. And unless I know it's true, it's not going to get posted. So if you know something that you think is important about some kind of sexual escapade, please give me the evidence and the rationale for why it matters. I'll listen.
Once in New York, I wrote a story about a state Senate candidate whose cell phone calls to various girlfriends wound up on a tape that someone mailed me. (One of them said she "almost died for you" to the candidate because he insisted she wear high heels on a waterbed.) It ultimately reached print, with darn few of the juicy details, because the candidate himself called a press conference to accuse his opponent of making the tapes.
But let's cease the endless comments, posted anonymously, accusing candidates and officials of having secret affairs with one another and others. I have no way to know if any of the accusations are true. And I don't usually see why it would be relevant anyway.
I also apologize for the couple of times something has slipped through. I delete them as soon as somebody points it out.

PS: Slightly veiled references such as Person Q will meet a lover at Bar Z for drinks and more won't make the cut either.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Report problems to the city!

Listening to "Where We Live" on WNPR this morning, I remembered that I wanted to see how SeeClickFix.com would work out in Bristol. So I've added it to this blog. If you scroll down the right, it's under the list of candidates.
What it allows is for people to report everthing from potholes to prostitutes, from cracked curbs to crackheads. You cite where's there's a problem and, in theory, government or some other institution leaps to respond. We'll see how that works out.
But it's a great concept.
I'm sorry the area I have to use includes a bit more than Bristol, but I can't seem to make the map only feaure Bristol. If I can figure it out more exactly later, I'll change that.
Meantime, give it a try. There's a lot to be said for public pressure to fix the city.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

North Korean hackers, damn them...

For the second time this month, I've been swamped with a bunch of fake comments that seem to match what's coming from North Korean hackers on other sites. I think I managed to delete them all, but if anyone finds a comment written in what looks like Chinese, please post the headline and date of the relevant blog entry as a comment on here so I can delete them.
I'm not sure why my blog is a North Korea target, but, hey, I can take it.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Back in the saddle...

Sorry for the lack of posts. I was under the weather -- I think we were all in danger of becoming toadstools -- but am doing a bit better today.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

A reminder

Please don't copy copyrighted stories and paste them in as comments. That's theft and I won't allow it. If you want people to read a story that appeared somewhere other than the Press, please put a link to it. That's just fine.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Blog is no longer blocked

Somebody's paying attention at City Hall.

The blog is no longer blocked.

Ah, victory.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City blocks the blog

City Hall is reeling today after somebody decided to block access to the Bristol Blog from municipal computers.

First, of course, I'll have to find out who made that decision and why.

Then we're going to have a swell debate on the First Amendment, which I maintain prevents the government from taking any action to block the free press. Even the courts agree that government can't tamper with press freedom unless there's a damn good reason for it.

I hope the move to block the blog is just a mistake, but if city leaders want a fight about freedom, let's have it. I'm game.

Update at 2:30 --

Well, I got hold of Mayor Art Ward.

So why's the blog blocked?

"I don't know," he said. "I don't have an answer."

Then he said that he did hear earlier today that the information services division had installed new filtering on the web this morning.

Ward said that's probably why the blog is blocked. I should talk to MIS, he said.

So I will.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

On being at least a little polite...

When somebody today wrote a comment expressing the hope that an anonymous poster would find his head squished beneath a garbage truck, I realized that I need once again to remind one and all to try to be civil.

Take issue with ideas. Argue about policies. Quarrel, even, about who's to blame for the mess we're in. But, please, don't just go attacking one another.

Is there anything more stupid that one anonymous commenter trying to smack around another for sniping at politicians from the bushes?

Many of you have adopted monikers or handles -- and a few brave souls are even using their own names (thank you!) -- but there are still quite a few who are just basking in total anonymity. If you're going to do that, my tolerance for personal attacks will be very, very low. You can post reasonable dialogue anonymously, but not mean-spirited nonsense.

C'mon, folks, let's grow up.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Colapietro asks for fairness

State Sen. Tom Colapietro said he's angry that some "little Republican wussy wimps" are using this blog to attack him personally in comments to which they're unwilling to put their real names.

Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat, said he's happy to debate issues with anybody, but is tired of anonymous attacks that accuse of things he never did, assail his appearance and generally portray him falsely.

"I'm very close to getting a lawyer," the senator said, because he's sick of the way some are so ready to "get personal" instead of calmly and rationally debating issues facing the state.

"They hide behind your blog," Colapietro told me, and "use me as a scapegoat."

"I've never seen nastier people than these Republicans" who attack him anonymously, Colapietro said, adding that he knows who a couple of them are.

He said he's fed up.

"Honestly, I'm a human being. I've got feelings," Colapietro said. "The lies and personal stuff gets to me."

"I don't ever hide from anybody," the 16-year senator said, and he's always ready to address the stands he's taken on issues facing the state.

Colapietro also assailed an Enfield blogger, James Bailey Brislin, who accused him of telling Enfield to "drop dead" because of the senator's opposition to opening the door to Sunday liquor store sales.
He said the blogger, a GOP town committee member in Enfield, listened only to "one little weasel" for his information and got it wrong.

Colapietro said he is against Sunday liquor sales because the vast majority of package store owners in Connecticut don't want to remain open ever day of the week. They are convinced the extra day of sales would bring in far less revenue than the expense of being open -- while simultaneously taking away the sole day of rest they have.

Colapietro said eight of the nine package stores in Enfield agree with him about keeping the stores closed on Sunday.

He said he feels sorry for some store owners near the state borders who might lose some sales on Sunday, but it's his responsibility to answer to the majority of package store owners across Connecticut.

"My job is to be fair," Colapietro said. "We live in a democracy."

Update: The comments are closed on this post.

For more on Sunday liquor sales, see this Journal Inquirer story today.

In addition,  Colapietro said this morning that "the more they keep bashing me, the more I want to run again."

He also said that he probably shouldn't have called one Enfield package store a "weasel," but he's fed up with all the insults hurled at him. He also said he's not really sure how many of the Enfield package stores support his position, adding that he's now sure there are at least two that would like to open on Sunday.

Another update: One of the state's great blogs, Connecticut Local Politics, has taken up the issue. You can argue it out there if you like.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Tired of ranting comments...

First off, I appreciate that so many people who leave comments have done as I asked and adopted some sort of moniker rather than "Anonymous." Using a name -- even if it's just an internet 'handle' - - is much better.

But I'm still unhappy with the tone of many, many comments.

I do know for sure that I am no longer going to post ANY comments that refer to people as "phonies," "crybabies," "whimps" or communists unless it is somehow part of an otherwise intelligent piece of writing.

But I'm kind of torn about what to do with someone like "Concerned Conservative" whose vitriol is often extreme even when he doesn't choose intrinsically inflammatory words. He's got an online identity, as I asked, but he simply comes across as hateful in so many ways. I don't really mind the constant jabs he has for me because, well, I put myself out there and I'm pretty good at considering the source. Yet I worry he's setting such a venomous tone that it drives away those who could contribute far more interesting and varied comments.

I'm curious to know what readers think I should do. I know I'm going to crack down further on the worst offenders, but how far should I go? Should I simply slam the door on comments from Concerned Conservative?

I have no obligation to let anyone comment on anything. But I like the feedback and I enjoy the give and take with people who have an interesting, different outlook (see, for example, the exchange I had yesterday with "Matt from Plymouth" in the entry on legal advertising in newspapers). What I can't stand are blanket denunciations of all Democrats, all Republicans, all media, everything that Ward does, everything that Cockayne does, everything that Colapietro does, etc. Those things, most of which I already kill before readers ever see them, just fill me with despair.

If you can't say something other than a stupid putdown, your words really have no place here.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

A thank you to so many

With the pending purchase of The Bristol Press, the cloud of doom that has hung over this sturdy little daily has finally lifted.

And as I look around with fresh eyes at what happened, I realize that we have a great many people to thank, beginning with Mike Schroeder, who is taking a chance on us, on Bristol and on newspapers. He's making a good bet, but these are hard times, so it was a particularly gutsy move. I hope it pays off for all of us.

I also feel a deep gratitude for my friends in the media, old and new, who ultimately played a crucial role in getting the word out about the paper's plight. Without Dan Barry's story in The New York Times, Schroeder wouldn't be in the picture today. Without the stories that Barry saw beforehand, including Rick Green's column in The Hartford Courant, the piece in the Times would never have been written. And so on. It's remarkable how these things swirl around and, in the end, we can only be sure that every little bit helped.

Additionally, of course, I appreciate the way so many community leaders and politicians stepped to the forefront to help our little daily. I don't want to single any of them out -- but their names are already out there. Their assistance, especially the mayors of Bristol and New Britain, proved valuable.

A newsman from Bristol who works for the state House Democrats, Bob Douglas, also went above and beyond the call. His efforts are deeply appreciated.

I'm also indebted to the many regular readers who offered kind words these past two months (and long before that, too). It helped to know we were not in this alone, particularly because I truly believe that the paper's survival ultimately means more to Bristol than it does to Jackie and I, even though our family's livelihood is tied up in its success.

I'm also glad that my coworkers, some of whom I barely knew before this, have been almost uniformally supportive. I got to know some excellent people a whole lot better as we faced this crisis, especially our police reporter, Adam Benson, who created a Facebook page and was willing to stand in front of the TV cameras.

Finally, thanks to my family and friends, who were kind enough not to tell me that the cause was hopeless. Some went well beyond what anyone could ask.

It's been a trying, tough time, but also a wonderful one, thanks mostly to the many kindnesses offered by so many, even some of my blog commenters.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com