Alan Gutierrez

I’m writing my first guest blog entry for Drum Major Institute. The working title is Katrina Fatigue Fatigue, where I’ll write about my recent attempts to address the people who ask “Why rebuild a city below sea level?” In fact, I feel as though I ought to create a question of that sort at thinknola.com and just perpetually have that argument out and get very good at making it.

A day late, I’m going through the materials of the Thirty Day Challenge as well as the Pre-Season Materials. I’d like to learn more about Internet traffic and this looks like a nice program to follow. I’m concerned though, that my mission might not lend itself to a model that revolves around conversions. The only conversion that makes sense for me is a comment that is not subsequently moderated. That would be evidence of community.

A Visio template for New Orleans: Crime Scenes with Shapes.

How do you manage to moderate a community as large as the one associated with the Indianapolis Star? Part of what makes online communities work is the self-moderation. The community is self-conscious of what how derogatory comments reflect on the community or ruin the atmosphere and move to remove vile comments to preserve the community. Newspapers need to be more vigilant. Their reporters are probably not tasked with the follow up on the comments in the same way that a blogger is tasked with the follow up on his or her posts. Mainstream media, here’s a hint: hire moderators to communicate with your commentators and foster a conversation rather than simply prune your comments of the worst offenders.

What is your guiding principle in your life? Mine? I don’t have one. I never know right from wrong. My gut fails me because it is too busy reporting with a klaxon call the slightest hint of abandonment. What can a person to in the world of reason to guide them?

Refugee Cottages from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Temporary housing sans formaldehyde.

On the Internet you only ever preach to the choir, or you pander to the trolls. That’s your choice. You either speak to the like minded who find your message through the magic of the long tail or the hateful spoilers who find your message through that exact same magic. I can feel it when I write. I can feel the trolls. I know they will arrive to leave silly little troll droppings, and I preempt them in my writing. They see it and spew. I’ve got to feel the choir. To write directly for the choir. Kick the trolls. Invite the opposing views.

Saw the K-Ville trailer. It’s okay. The true stories of Katrina make for a powerful backdrop. How nice it would be if it were to be as bold and honest as “The Wire”: Time magazine is going to run three more stories in advance of the 2nd anniversary. The first one was excellent about the Army Corps of Engineers, The Threatening Storm. The Wall Street Journal stippled Karen Gadbois for a story on the Imminent Danger Demolition List The Associated Press also did a story on the Imminent Danger Demolition List. Both of them got the story correct. No notifications. I much prefer journalists to pundits.