I have been in Duluth for about a year now and only read on-line.  I have a love-hate relationship with the DNT at this point.  I have never had any problem reading current news stories at all -- good.  But, and this is personal of course, I wonder about the management of their comments section -- bad.

We have this wonderful freedom of speech thing.  However, I think in today's world the ability of the public to access a public forum needs to be appreciated and respected.  Do the comments that regularly appear in the DNT really represent Duluth?  Does this have any impact on how those dreaded outsiders view Duluth?  Should there be a way of recognizing truth and reality in respect to access to a public media that also serves as a representation of its home circulation?
  
The DNT commentators scared me a bit about Duluth, then I found PDD. The role and significance of journalism has changed with electronic media, are there new rules that need to be considered?

You have a very good point Barrett.  But are we just left to hope that anyone visiting Duluth and picking up an online version of the DNT and stumbling into the comment section, realizes that they are in the standard 'idiots room'?  I understand the 'idiot room' syndrome and it is quite prevalent I agree.  But can Duluth be any different?  Can the Big Little town do something to mobilize to puts its best foot forward in this space?  Golly, is there another online space that can organize a little resistance to ignorance?

What really put me over the edge was when one member of the 'idiots room' boasted of being able to manipulate the 'thumbs up-down' system to hide chosen remarks.

But like I said, I am new, you can chalk this up to newcomer ignorance and I can learn from it. Thanks.

No, I think the question might best be considered as 'do the smart folks of Duluth want to be proactive about reflecting the true nature of their town to those visiting the DNT site and possible coming away with a negative assumption?'

One thing about this media position is that it is free, takes little effort, and is kind of ripe for some good community organizing ... maybe.

Just wondering, I may have that newbie ignorance.

Well, Bad Cat provides some history that I was not aware of but does illustrate my point.
And to answer Ms. Chase, I do see more opportunities in the world today for community organizing due to increased communication technology.

But I am also wondering if 'push back' is not as much an option from a MN Nice standpoint.  Is there an aversion to sticking up against something you find negative, so as to just avoid it?  I thought it interesting the Occupy folks did not seem to enlist a broader cross section of Duluth.  But maybe the method used just did not fit in culturally.
  
How did the CSS folks convince the Iraqi students?  And was it the truth?  Is there any way of really measuring?  I can't figure out how Mr. Ness can be unopposed for mayor in a place that elected Cravaack.  Will the real Duluth please stand up?