I suppose it was inevitable:
I have to say that I remain concerned about some of the content within the Fans of the Old Ruthin Blog Facebook page. Much is worthwhile, of course, but some of it is bonkers or worse. I suppose my main gripe is a lack of balance. I admit there were times when I found myself in hot water on this Blog but I did strive for impartiality. To this end, I well remember the comment made by Denbighshire council's then head of highways, Stuart Davies, at the height of the yellow lines furore when on-line tittle-tattle and jibber-jabber about Rhuthun was at its height. He read the "proper" Rhuthun Blog and concluded it was a fair assessment. He was actually under pressure from Rhuthun at the time but this very blog managed to play by a straight bat, giving both sides. That it was recognised as such during the heat of battle was a great tribute. Not only was I the first to expose the yellow lines, I was proud that an under-fire council manager could be so complimentary.
I don't agree with Geraint that the Facebook spin-off should simply be to *promote* Rhuthun/Ruthin. It should challenge and discuss. And I think constructive criticism should be welcomed, by whomsoever the comments are aimed at but also by us all. As long as it's *constructive* and not destructive.
If not this, then why have a Fans of the Old Ruthin Blog Facebook page in the first place?
But what really gets my dander up is this: we will be familiar with many of the people on the Fans Facebook site. These are people we know. They are our neighbours, acquaintances, colleagues and sometimes friends. They are usually sane people. They might have a moan in private or down the pub but would never dream of publicly humiliating anyone or being defamatory.
Yet, here we have this medium called Facebook where people simply do not think before they commit, not about the longer term consequences. And once it's up, there it stays. Acknowledging those who treat Facebook with respect, some of the remarks are puerile, some senseless, some insensitive and some plain daft. For some, there doesn't appear to be much engaging of brain before thumping at keyboard. Some do it because they think thay are being clever.
There's also the passing off of opinion as fact. Facebook defends itself by saying it gives ordinary people a voice. It's whether we use that voice properly, productively, beneficially that's the issue. Too many appear sucked in by Facebook and are very quick to jump to conclusions.
Here's just one recent example (September 12th, 2014). On the Fans Facebook page, there appeared a picture of a council vehicle parked unlawfully. This fostered derogatory comments about the council. The picture certainly looked like it was of a council vehicle but in fact it turned out to be one belonging to a civil engineering contractor. When the proprietor's daughter not only pointed this out but also that its driver was undertaking legitimate work on the council's behalf, the original complainant then back peddled furiously.
Filippa Musselle: "Parking in Ruthin is becoming a joke just watched a young girl from Leonardo's who is working but could not park get a ticket . What makes this lot exempt ??" [not that they were actually parking—NL]
Sharon Wyn Williams: "We are a contractor working for Denbighshire Council carrying out a council contract... signage changes and bin moving project..."
Filippa Musselle: "Nobody is disputing the work they are doing just the double standards applied by DCC and their enforcement of parking in Ruthin."
Here, I sense some back-pedalling.
Newspaper journalists have their flaws, not least in the case of the Free Press cries of sensationalism. But they do honour a certain code and aim for accuracy & balance. Unlike unsubstantiated comments on Facebook. Mob rule means that Facebook no longer appears to be a fair fight.
I don't agree with Geraint that the Facebook spin-off should simply be to *promote* Rhuthun/Ruthin. It should challenge and discuss. And I think constructive criticism should be welcomed, by whomsoever the comments are aimed at but also by us all. As long as it's *constructive* and not destructive.
If not this, then why have a Fans of the Old Ruthin Blog Facebook page in the first place?
But what really gets my dander up is this: we will be familiar with many of the people on the Fans Facebook site. These are people we know. They are our neighbours, acquaintances, colleagues and sometimes friends. They are usually sane people. They might have a moan in private or down the pub but would never dream of publicly humiliating anyone or being defamatory.
Yet, here we have this medium called Facebook where people simply do not think before they commit, not about the longer term consequences. And once it's up, there it stays. Acknowledging those who treat Facebook with respect, some of the remarks are puerile, some senseless, some insensitive and some plain daft. For some, there doesn't appear to be much engaging of brain before thumping at keyboard. Some do it because they think thay are being clever.
There's also the passing off of opinion as fact. Facebook defends itself by saying it gives ordinary people a voice. It's whether we use that voice properly, productively, beneficially that's the issue. Too many appear sucked in by Facebook and are very quick to jump to conclusions.
Filippa Musselle: "Parking in Ruthin is becoming a joke just watched a young girl from Leonardo's who is working but could not park get a ticket . What makes this lot exempt ??" [not that they were actually parking—NL]
Sharon Wyn Williams: "We are a contractor working for Denbighshire Council carrying out a council contract... signage changes and bin moving project..."
Filippa Musselle: "Nobody is disputing the work they are doing just the double standards applied by DCC and their enforcement of parking in Ruthin."
Here, I sense some back-pedalling.
Newspaper journalists have their flaws, not least in the case of the Free Press cries of sensationalism. But they do honour a certain code and aim for accuracy & balance. Unlike unsubstantiated comments on Facebook. Mob rule means that Facebook no longer appears to be a fair fight.