Okay, I'm finally going to say this:
These damn UMD students' cries for help are really starting to bug the crap out of me.
We get it. Your professor probably told you that PDD is an excellent resource to help identify community concerns and newsworthy stories; however, that doesn't mean that any time you need to write an article you should come to PDD with the same form letter request.
/Rant

Like whatever, UMD students are like so resourceful. Or whatever. 

Makeup and stickers and ponies and myspace.com!!

There do seem to be a lot of them lately...lots of end-of-the-semester assignments or something?

I certainly understand what you are saying davids, but this marks 4 in (basically) a week, and the second dip for at least two of them.

While I think an occasional plea for help is warranted and not intrusive, I also think this should not be the lazy place for students to plumb for ideas without contributing to the pdd community-at-large. As implied, I, personally, would have a lot less objection if the people asking these question contributed in other ways to the site. Rather than seeing it as resource to exploit, it should be a resource to contribute to and receive help from, that is what community is about right? It isn't a one way street. We may well need more voices, but if so, we need those voices attached to a person not blind letters of appeal for help.

The strength, and weakness, of pdd is that the scope of it's purpose is so ill defined, and so there is a wide range of things that pop up, when too much of one thing surfaces people tend to get cranky about it.

The photo was labeled a photo illustration in the newspaper because that's pretty much what it was.  A photo that was setup to illustrate a point.  Just in case anybody was wondering...

I remember that photo, Derek! It was pretty iconic. . .

You are very rude, apparently with a lot of time on your hands if you had to comment back at all.

This was an e-mail sent to me by the poster. Come on, really? Perhaps my response was a bit rude, but these requests are quite annoying. It's not like I'm trolling, here.

Is it rude to post this here in response? I don't know for sure, but I'm tired of not saying anything about things that bug me.

dehnc007: commenting is the point. Just because you're not getting the type of responses you had hoped for doesn't mean they are invalid.

I am smiling as I read this thread.  As a semi-retired college professor I can tell you that students are smart when it comes to cutting corners on assignments and their posts to PDD prove that vividly.  

They also think they are smart when it comes to explaining why their assignment was late....er, well, somebody named Friendly Old Knifey shut down my research, and even made rude comments (by now the student can tell I am not buying the story...) So they continue.....and then my computer broke down and my roommate had company so I couldn't come out of my room to go the library. GEEZ you are strict, no late assignments?  My OTHER teachers ALWAYS let me turn things in late....  You can email those people on PDD, they will tell you it was not my fault.  Really.  

Thank you Friendly Old Knifey, you set a good boundary.  

And Derek, I loved your story.  That ought to be enough research right there, and even includes a proper citation and a credible reporter.....Of course that means clicking on your link.  

Journalism in the Internet Age, to be sure. Just make sure to cover John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.

Friendly Old Knifey: Yeah I got an "polite" email as well from the OP. 

Eric Ludy: Sure they are trying to replace going into coffee shops, or whatever it means to be an "internet reporter", but, a few different things happened here. It wasn't one person coming asking for ideas, it was four, and I don't care where I am, if four different reporters come to where I am within a week my response isn't gong to be flowers and friendly down-home homilies. In addition when you solicit something you generally try to make some sort of connection with your audience, none of that happened here, zip zero zilch. It has all been, "Hey, you bunch of strangers I need help on my class project."  And when some ambivalence is expressed we get drama laden personal emails about how mean we are. I honestly didn't see any reaching out, I saw people wanting to exploit an easy resource so they didn't have to go to the coffee shops, or wherever. Just because it is the "internet age" doesn't absolve reporters of making real personal contact.

Jude: I think we've misunderstood each other. I would never suggest using a community blog as a primary resource, and that's not what these students are doing, either. They're using it as a place to facilitate discussion of community issues (potholes, bike accessibility, etc.) and to, perhaps, connect with a primary source in the process -- or at least get a clearer direction to move forward. As an example of what I'm talking about, look at this post by jawa0068 from last week. The student's question about Duluth's bike accessibility inspired 10 comments from bikers throughout the community, one of which (by adam) told the author of an upcoming series of community meetings on the topic. I'm certain that the student didn't copy and paste any of these comments, but perhaps plans to go to one of those meetings, or maybe was inspired to call a city planner in Chicago based upon Claire's observation that that city has a lot of bike lanes.

In other words, the student fleshed out a topic by seeking the opinions of people in an active online community. Edgeways, you view this as exploitative. I see it as a compliment on PDD as a gathering place for well-informed, intelligent individuals -- an example of what the Internet at large could be if it wasn't so full of Gabriel's Internet Theory types. I also agree with you, edgeways, that this relationship needs to be more reciprocal. I suggest bookmarking  the Lake Voice News on your browser and checking it from time to time. You might find that these posts are more than just random annoyances, but a means to lead students to generate stories that incorporate a wide variety of voices rather than the usual stand-by sources that journalists so often rely upon.

I can't remember the lady's name, but there is one person in charge of directing the crews. I emailed her earlier in the spring and within 2 weeks my street was filled. I will say, last summer it there were a couple potholes that were 2 feet wide and at least 6 inches deep. It took me a long time to find the person that could direct the crews (whose name, eludes me).


Oh and they suck at tamping the stuff in. I think that somewhat contributes to whole streets that are mostly just patch material. Does anyone remember 15th Ave E? My dad would joke that everyone on the street just threw out a bucketload of patch material.

I really don't think it is the weather. I have lived in other northern cities with weather just as cold as Duluth's and those city's don't have this problem.  It is quality of the roads in the first place and maintenance and replacement, which boils down to the will to dedicate the money to it.

Mevdev said:
"Oh and they suck at tamping the stuff in. I think that somewhat contributes to whole streets that are mostly just patch material."

I agree wholeheartedly with you on that!!  The same hole should not have to be filled every few months...there has got to be a better way.  The roads in North Dakota, where I travel a lot, and where they deal with harsher winters, floods, etc. and yet their streets are bliss to drive on...Even in Cuba, if you can believe it, the streets are generally better than Duluth.

How about the UMD clean up some of your garbage laying in and around campus? We'll worry about the potholes if you all can pick up after yourselves.

Grrrrr

I lived in Colorado for many years, and I feel that the problem with our roads here, is that there is no curbing and guttering.  In the mountains, there is a lot of snowfall and runoff in the springtime, as there is here, but they make a place for the water to run.  In Duluth I see it sheeting across the streets, into the poorly-patched potholes of years' past, where it's driven over until it's a pothole large enough to lose a child in.  It really frustrates me.  Duluth's roads are horrible.

dehnc007, DavidS and others ...

1st, journalism is vital to cemocracy and skilled, experienced journalists are vital to a HEALTHY democracy.  So anything I can do to support students learning about the field, I'll do it.  Not always with a smile on my face, but I'll do it if you remind me why it is important.  

I think it is ok to post questions that you need help with on here, but I have learned that not all posts "work."  PDDers can be very fickle, too.  I think Friendly Old Knifey has a great point which (for me) is that UMD students seem to be returing to the same old watering hole a few too many times.  And it is starting to appear a little lazy.  Whomever was the first to post on here it seemed like a great idea, others caught on to a great idea, but later posts have appeared to look a little, well, uninspired or maybe even procrastination level desperate as the retired college prof notes.  

The emails to responders telling them to essentially keep their opinions to themselves and stay out of it, are problematic because the media works both ways, it needs to.  If you want to get something out there then do it, but be open to the thoughful, considered feedback, even if it is negative.  I learned that lesson myself when I got some comments (here on PDD) that I really didn't like, so I know where you may be coming from. It's affected what and how I post because if I don't want to hear people complain about it or attack my ideas, I try not to put them out there anymore.  But if I do ... well, I do.  

Next, using PDD for these assignments reminds me of the phrase "Thinking Outside the Box."  Originally it alluded to an experiential ed activity where you have to literally "think outside the box" to make it a success and that requires a big cognitive shift. Few people could do it successfully without thinking very creatively and moving into abstract or creative thought, and when the answer was "revealed" creaky old doors opened up in people's minds.    But now ... the phrase itself is about as "inside the box" as you can imagine. People use it as a lazy way of saying "Be more creative."  And there is my lazy way of saying that I don't mind the student questions on here, and I have really enjoyed some, but it is getting a little played out from an actual educational efficacy aspect.  Try going back to the coffee shops or doing some more old fashioned, real world, M.O.S. gumshoe reporting, along with the new media interweb stuff that many of you are clearly able to do very well.  I want to see both talents in the news of the future.  

Finally there was a huge pothole behind my house on Cascade Street that was not quite Child Sized (great job, btw, Derek) but it could have easily swallowed an lap dog, and maybe a litter of puppies. It was big, and dangerous.  But it was marked by an orange caution sawhorse within a day of appearing and patched within a week.  So much for complaining about stuff never gettign done in the hillside. I was pleased with the city's response and I don't even know if anyone complained it could have been the police or parks & rec that called it in.  They all travel that road regularly.    Meanwhile out by my mom's house in Lester Park, there are whole streets Glenwood, for one, that are not quite passable.  Reminds me if China in the Deng Xiopeng era, when I was there. You can't beleive people get anything done with roads like that, but they do.

Thanks wildgoose, who apparently lives in the same building in which I used to live. I believe it is actually my apartment that is up for rent right now. I highly encourage people to rent it; It is very nice.