BTW, I'm having problems logging in with Disqus on my own page. Is anyone else having this same problem?

I am way sick of newspapers patting themselves on the back for finally doing things they should have done years ago. It's really reprehensible that the papers are dying financially at a time when NOTHING is more important to future business success than building community.

And who is better positioned to build community than the newspapers?

But it's not a business they've ever been in before, and they don't want to get into it now.

So they'll get no sympathy from me. I started my insignificant local blog specifically because my even more insignificant local fishwrap is such a complete failure.

The whole idea that newspapers have this super special thing called “information” that “consumers” have to pay for in some way – that's yesterday's news, so to say. I routinely scoop my fishwrap and almost always deliver far better, deeper, more meaningful coverage than those losers. They do the least because they care the least. (Did I mention that they suck? They suck.) I do what I can when I can, but at least I do it well.

This post resulted in this major bridge restriction. I posted about this chunk of concrete falling and that day the inspectors were out. They have not left since.

So more interactivity, more user-generated content, less blog-bashing, more local stories, less wire jive, more joint ventures with local bloggers, less tie-up with other major media, more discussion forums.

Here's a concept: crowd-source stimulus spending compliance reporting. You have people EVERYWHERE. Use them. Duh.

You may want to look into this whole blogging thing, too. I understand it's starting to become popular.