Hello Village 14 people. You may have noticed that we’ve recently made some changes to this blog, particularly to the various features in the column just to the right of our main posts. There’s still a few bugs to be worked out but your feedback is welcome.
More significantly, on the top right corner, you’ll see a new page called “Commenting Rules.” This long overdue document provides guidelines for participating here. Special thanks to Jerry Reilly for assembling this, with considerable input from other Village 14 bloggers. Your input, suggestions and questions are welcome too (as if we needed to invite people here to express themselves!)
I think it’s safe to say that Village 14 has come further than anyone could have ever imagined when we launched this on Nov. 27, 2011. Over that time, we’ve published 1,895 separate posts and you’ve contributed 19,138 separate comments (granted it feels like half of them are from Hoss and Ted, but that still counts, right?). I’m just glad we got around to this before our 20,000th comment.
Village 14 remains an all volunteer effort. No one is paid here and everyone who contributes does so while balancing day jobs and other interests.
Next up, perhaps once Jerry recovers from this task he will volunteer to update that three-year-old “About Village 14” page!
I should add, the site has also been moved to a new, faster, server so we can all look forward to those respectful arguments moving at an even brisker speed!
Greg,
We should have a party on the 20,000th or 25,000th post!! (or both)
I think the person who posts the 20,000th comment should win a convertible!
Now all we need to someone to donate the car.
Since you are making modifications, is it possible to add a time stamp to each comment?
I find V14 very useful in my attempts to understand both sides of current Newton issues.
Thank you to all the volunteers for thier efforts to keep V14 a valuable resource to the citizens of Newton.
I liked the old format better myself.
7:04 p.m., Tuesday May 20, 2014
I second Patrick’s request for a time stamp on each comment.
I’m curious about the time stamp. Other than wanting know if Kim ever sleeps, why is this of interest?
When I clicked on the old “About Village 14” page, it had a link to the Newton Streets and Sidewalks blog. It’s awesome!
Ever since my wife and I moved to Newton, I’ve often tried hijack Village 14 discussions by bringing up improved sidewalks, walking paths, bike paths, and bus service, but out of about ten tries, I think only one other person has ever given a darn. Most of the folks on Village 14 seem to be more concerned about preserving parking lots and improving the timing of traffic lights on Route 9 to improve traffic flow, alas. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
At any rate, it looks like the Streets and Sidewalks blog could be a more welcoming community for freak automobile-haters like me! (Especially with the new Commenting Rules which will prevent my discussion-hijacking attempts.)
Any idea why Sean Roche posts so infrequently on that blog? There’s been nothing new there since July of 2013. Is he still involved with Village 14?
I want to know if Kim ever sleeps. Is that so bad? 🙂
(I really like Kim)
Love the commenting rules. I would also vote for the time stamp to come back.
Greg, the time stamp helps to orient me quickly when there is an extended list of comments submitted over multiple days. I know basically when I last logged onto the V14 site. That is one good thing I prefer with the Newton TAB blog site. I prefer the chronological listing of comments here as opposed to to the TAB’s embedding of replies within an original comment. JMO.
Love the rules!!! I kind of knew them anyway because I’ve been put on double secret probation when there were no rules. Sleeping is for people who don’t need to slip illegal comments past ‘The Man.’
V14 is such a great blog. I love how successful it is!!! Congrats!!!
@Patrick @Steve @Emaily Now you folks can all see how late folks are up and posting.
Time Stamps now enabled.
Thank you @Jonathan. I very much enjoy linking the level of over-the-top of various comments with the hour at which they were posted…yes lookin’ at you @Kim
Thanks @Emily. @Kim, I have access to the timestamp code DNA. And I take bribes.
@Jonathan and @Greg, thank you for the enhancement. I appreciate your ongoing efforts to make V14 a very user-friendly blog.
The timestamp is cool, a breathalyzer would explain a lot more.
I blame BUI (blogging under the influence) for many outrageous comments, at least on my part.
Michael,
I’m not sure I agree with your assessment. We have had quite a number of discussions here about creating a less car-centric environment. We’ve posted on pedestrian safety, bike lanes, density, etc.
There have even been a few flame wars with the pro-auto set.
@Michael Why hasn’t Sean posted more often? Perhaps he’s stuck in traffic on Route 9 or Needham Street.
Sean is welcome back at any time and if any one sees him around let him know that we miss him.
@Michael: I believe that Sean stopped or phased out the Streets & Sidewalks Blog before Village 14 came on line.
BTW, Chuck and a few others once had another influential blog called, I think, Garden City Blog, not sure if it’s still online but perhaps Chuck can fill us in. Both blogs inspired this site.
I do not think Garden City Blog exists any more. For Chuck and I (are there other GC bloggers here? I forget), this has been a more than suitable replacement. Now, if only I were to contribute original content here a bit more. My Newton civic exposure recently has been limited mostly to North JV Baseball (Go Tigers), but I’ll think of something worthy.
I don’t understand the desire or see the need to control people’s freedom of speech in this forum. In particular I’m concerned about these “judgement calls” where comments are removed. While I have no problem with removal of comments that are libelous or deliberately intended to embarrass another blogger, I think a distinction should be made between civilians and public figures. I’ve had two comments removed in the past. One was directed at an elected official, and the other at someone who qualified at that time as a public figure. Those folks come on this blog with their own agenda, and it should be at their own peril. That being said, I really appreciate the efforts of the folks who keep Village 14 running. I very much enjoy participating, and find this to be a wonderful outlet for my thoughts, as well as a genuine asset to the Newton community.
@Mike: Thanks for the compliment (and to everyone else for the compliments too).
Since none of us are lawyers (or more to the point, judges), we’re not qualified to declare that something is definitively libelous or not. Since we’re not mind readers either, we can’t definitively decide what the intentions of the person who writes a particular comment are either. But we are qualified to make our own judgment calls, which is why I think that’s the preferable term.
It’s an imperfect art, being made by a group of busy volunteers. And as our new timestamps will bare out, conversations move quickly some times. Sometimes I think we get it right. Other times not so much.
This is not a government forum. It’s Greg’s. He paid for the microphone and should be free to set the commenting rules. I assume he will use his good judgment to remove comments that he feels violate his rules.
Doug C – I don’t disagree in general, but the host admires the political process just like many who read this. Either you respect opinions as we would like govt to respect them, or you shut them out, as govt often does (less so in Newton, in my opinion…). In any event, in no case should an elected official puff his chest and make the kind of remark one made to Mike and not expect an appropriate retort. Never, ever; not here or anywhere else.
Terry,
BUI!! LOL! Awesome! Doesn’t mean that the targets are any less guilty of being clowns!!!
I’m guessing some can blog better under the influence that other blog sober?