LAKE aims to provide transparency through citizen involvement
and publishing information on the web and through the press.
There is a balance between citizen participation when saying things
which one believes may be controversial and being protected
from retaliation for having those potentially unpopular views.
Because retaliation can happen there are times when anonymity is appropriate.
If someone were
to obtain, and want published, important documents
about a local issue, they might choose to remain behind the scenes.
This does happen with press sources
and could happen here.
However, in the realm of community participation and
community building, it is important for those who have a say to
do so in public: both citizens and elected officials.
Leigh Touchton has commented on this comparing
people who speak at the citizen portions of public meetings
or signing petitions with those who only meet privately with
elected officials. People who are willing to put their name on
their opinion are more respected than those who will not.
We recognize that people often share an IP address because they
have one DSL or Cable connection at their home (like John and
Gretchen Quarterman do).
Or, they are using a shared network (say at the library or at a
coffeeshop, as Gretchen Quarterman and George Rhynes
have also been known to do). So, we recognize that an IP address
is not a personal identifier. However, when comments from
mulitiple people come from the same IP address (leigh.touchton,
wow, duh, amen, thankyou, sludge) it behooves the address owner
to take care with their network access.
We agree with what jsq wrote about
sockpuppets .
Everyone has a voice and this forum is an opportunity to have yours
heard, if you choose. If you are too ashamed of your opinion to
put your name on it, perhaps this forum is not for you. Community
building comes from people building relationships and having dialog.
We may not all agree, but if light is shined on issues, informed
decisions might be made and in building community, fears may be
decreased.
– Carolyn, Gretchen and jsq for
LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange
In Harrisburg, PA, same size as Valdosta, in a county of similar size,
a trash incinerator bit the dust once, but got revived anyway,
and will now probably only go away because:
Harrisburg, PA loses solvency and trust over incinerator.
There are many parallels here, especially the old boy network.
However, the main point I want to draw everyone’s attention to
at the moment is that although local activists may have gotten
that incinerator closed down once, it came back anyway.
