<div>Roger et. al.</div>
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<div>Thanks the compliment... at least I guess the fact you mentioned my name in the context of "reasoned and researched posts" might be one.</div>
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<div>However, I think the list is too oriented towards what might be called a "cult of personality" that results in too much focus on mud slinging, ad hominem argument, personal popularity, local cliques, etc.
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<div>I don't want the focus of my Vision2020 posts to be who I am but on the issues, arguments and facts presented.</div>
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<div>I think this focus in the media, actually in all forms of public discourse, on not making issues, arguments and facts the central concern, but rather on the personalities of those in all forms of public life, does harm to democracy. It stops qualified people from entering politics and public service when they see the dominance of mud slinging and personal attack (something Vision2020 is guilty of, that keeps some voices away), and certainly distracts the public from in depth dispassionate analysis of critical issues.
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<div>Of course, the cult of personality and mud slinging and personal attacks works! The public eats it up, and allows this approach to sometimes dominate their voting decisions. It bumps up media ratings, and influences elections, marginalizing focus on important issues.
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<div>I found the fact that the Tribune would call Bill London for a list of suggested Vision2020 members for their article an expression of the cult of personality. Bill London is just another list member, whose opinion, in the context of Vision2020, is no more important than anyone else on the list. Vision2020 is valuable because it is an experiment in free egalitarian expression of opinion in a public forum. Just because Bill is a journalist and is well known publicly is no reason to let Bill create a list of those he thinks most critical for a newspaper article on Vision2020. This seems to me to violate the egalitarian spirit of Vision2020, and rather presumptuous of Bill London.
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<div>All David Johnson had to do to read who is posting what to Vision2020 is to go to the publicly available archives and look. Or he could have posted his inquiry for his article directly to the list as a surprise, and let the list members themselves respond as a group. He could then have made up his own mind as to who or what to include in his story based on list responses that were not already slanted towards a list of who might be worth including. Of course these approaches might take more work.
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<div>Fully independent minded thinking and reporting focused on logical argument, issues and facts: the fourth estate is in dire need of much more of this!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ted Moffett<br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 1/25/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">lfalen</b> <<a href="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com">lfalen@turbonet.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">>From a diversity standpoint Metzer and Farris should be included. Instead of frequency of posts, I think those that present reasoned and researched posts should be included. Some of these would be Jeff Harkins, Ted Moffet Phil Nisbet and Nick Gier.
<br><br>Roger<br>-----Original message-----<br>From: "Phil Nisbet" <a href="mailto:pcnisbet1@hotmail.com">pcnisbet1@hotmail.com</a><br>Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 18:37:28 -0800<br>To: <a href="mailto:london@moscow.com">
london@moscow.com</a><br>Subject: [Spam] RE: [Vision2020] Tribune feature<br><br>> Hells bells Bill, Wayne provided me with my 15 minutes last year. Other<br>> than the one article that pointed out that I work for Beer, I was not too
<br>> joyful from the experiance. I would have to say that the Geologist Works<br>> for Beer headline was, however, worth just about all of it though.<br>><br>> You ought to have Jeff Harkin and Roger Falen on that list for balance,
<br>> though Dapper Dan is indeed a great pick.<br>><br>> You are correct that you have to have Joan and Tom and Wayne.<br>><br>> How about Jennifer McFarland? How about Nancy, even if she is the mayor and
<br>> too freaking proud to hang out with us low life V2020 types any more, LOL.<br>><br>> Phil Nisbet<br>><br>><br>> >From: "Bill London" <<a href="mailto:london@moscow.com">london@moscow.com
</a>><br>> >To: <<a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a>><br>> >CC: <a href="mailto:deveryone@potlatch.com">deveryone@potlatch.com</a><br>> >Subject: [Vision2020] Tribune feature
<br>> >Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 17:13:50 -0800<br>> ><br>> >David Johnson of the Lewiston Tribune is working now on a feature article<br>> >about Moscow Vision 2020 (history, function, goals, etc). He wants to
<br>> >include a sidebar listing of the dozen or so most active and most<br>> >representative subscribers. He asked me who I would list. (The criteria:<br>> >over the last few months, the most regular posters, those who most directly
<br>> >engage in the dialog on V2020, the most representative group to show the<br>> >diversity of opinion, etc)<br>> ><br>> >I gave him my list:<br>> >Tom Hansen<br>> >Donovan Arnold<br>
> >Joan Opyr (auntie e)<br>> >Rose Huskey<br>> >Keely Mix<br>> >Dan Carscallen<br>> >Pat Kraut<br>> >G. Crabtree<br>> >Phil Nisbet<br>> >Joe Campbell<br>> >art deco (Wayne Fox)
<br>> >J. Ford<br>> ><br>> >For the Tribune article, Johnson wants to contact all the dozen on the list<br>> >(by phone) for just a few quick questions about why you participate PLUS<br>> >get a photo to publish.
<br>> ><br>> >and now, the issue is passed to you...do you agree with that list? who<br>> >would you add or subtract? .....if you are listed, do you want to remain<br>> >on the list?<br>> >
<br>> >Johnson would like everyone to discuss this list of 12 on V2020, and when a<br>> >final list results, he would like to have those on the list contact him by<br>> >email (at <a href="mailto:deveryone@potlatch.com">
deveryone@potlatch.com</a>) and provide their phone numbers.<br>> ><br>> >Are you ready for your 15 seconds of fame?<br>> >BL<br>> ><br>><br>><br>> >_____________________________________________________
<br>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>> > <a href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>> > mailto:
<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>> >ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<br>><br>> _________________________________________________________________<br>> Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
<br>> <a href="http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/">http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/</a><br>><br>> _____________________________________________________<br>
> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>> <a href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">
Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>> ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<br>><br><br>_____________________________________________________<br>List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
<br> <a href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a><br> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<br></blockquote>
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