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Show A-19 www.parkrecord.com SAT/SUN/MON/TUES, JUNE 27-30, 2009 Sorting out fact from fiction on the World Wild Web I t is likely that future generations will regard the first decade of this century as the Wild West of the World Wide Web. This week has been a case in point. As much as the stories themselves - the protests in Iran and the death of Michael Jackson - the role of the Internet has been a flashpoint of fascination and debate. Unbridled accounts of beatings and missing dissidents in Iran have been galloping around the world via Twitter, Facebook, Skype and instant messaging, sending traditional media outlets scrambling for their new-media textbooks and supreme leaders grasping for a way to handcuff the Web. Then, on Thursday, early reports of superstar Michael Jackson being rushed to the hospital cascaded into a crippling wave of Internet traffic. Computer servers from Hollywood to New York became clogged with sensation and speculation. Twitter and Google reportedly shed some services in order to satisfy the mass need for immediate answers and MediaNewsGroup Interactive, which hosts The Record's website, along with more than 150 newspaper sites across the country, reported four times the normal amount of traffic. Which gives us pause to reflect on our own website's role in bringing you the news. The overall rules for the news stories posted on www.parkrecord.com are the same as those that govern our print edition. We do not use anonymous sources. The stories and updates are reviewed by an editor and we only post material written by Record staff and contributing writers. Associated Press and syndicated stories that appear in print are not posted on the Web. That said, if faced with a pervasive, fast-breaking story, like a wildfire, flood, earthquake or other natural disaster, we would welcome the opportunity to incorporate the Internet's astounding capabilities to share eyewitness accounts and photos. Admittedly, for us that would be akin to staying on a bareback bronc for eight seconds, but we are willing to give it a try. We still have our reservations about some of the anonymous gunslingers lurking in the comments section of our site and those bandits disguised as aggregators who shamelessly loot our content. But given the alternative, a world without the Web, we'll cinch up our saddle and enjoy the ride. SNIFF? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR How one person can make a difference Editor: I want to thank 10-year-old Cameron Gallagher for his leadership and his faith that one person can make a difference. I saw Cameron's wonderful series of signs along Holiday Ranch Loop and applauded. We, too, live along this street, and have ducked away from the road as someone exercised his or her free will to exceed the speed limit and came careening around the bend. My kids, inspired by Cameron's ideas, and his hope for a better world, also made signs and we put them up in our yard. There was another local 10-yearold in the news recently. This boy lived in Coalville. A couple of weeks ago he rode his bike out into the street, was hit by a car, and killed. It was the middle of a sunny day, and the driver was not speeding. This is the tragedy that we're praying to avoid. We've tried all kinds of traffic calming, flashing speed signs, and expensive fines, but there are still some people who just can't seem to let off the gas. Indeed, we are lucky to live in a country where we have the liberty to exercise our free will. But liberty comes with the responsibility to realize that our actions can have devastating impacts on other people. Each one of us does make a difference, and each one of us must choose what kind of difference that's going to be. Thank you, Cameron Gallagher, for taking action to solve the problems of your neighborhood. Thank you to those drivers who slow down, because they know that kids and pets are unpredictable, and you can't always see them coming. Thank you to everyone who drives slowly on the streets of Park City, not because they have to, but because it makes our town a friendlier, safer, kinder place. Cheryl Fox Park City Turn out the lights at Quinn's Junction Editor: I don't mean to interrupt the discussion on photos and freedom of speech, but why are the lights at the Quinn's Junction field on past 10 p.m. nearly every night? One of the selling points the city made when they decided to put the field in, and put up the lights, is that they would not be on later than 10 p.m. Last week we had the race, they were on 24/7. Tonight (Wednesday), well past 10 p.m., they're still on. I'm wondering if the members of city council and perhaps the mayor would welcome someone shining a spotlight into their bedroom windows at night. Do you think they would get the message? Dennis Wilkinson Park City social outrage in Park City. And then, on the cover of Scene, a beautiful picture of two people in love sharing a tender kiss. To Ms. Bogart: "The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you shine on it, the more it will contract." - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Lack of use wasn't for lack of trying Thanks to the kindness of strangers Editor: Last week's Park Record carried an article announcing that the "deep Park Meadows" bus route for the Sundance Film Festival would be discontinued next year (2010) due to lack of use at the 2009 festival. I would like to point out that the lack of use wasn't for lack of trying. I live at Meadows Drive and Sunny Slopes and we were delighted to see a Sundance Transit bus stop sign behind our house. As usual, we had a house full of filmmakers who were attending Sundance and they too were happy to see that they could leave their rented cars in the driveway. On the first mornings of the festival they waited for a bus that never came. Several times they tried to find a bus for this route at the festival. Towards the middle of the festival a bag was placed over the bus stop sign. Finally, the Festival Transit Map provided to all credential holders and visitors does not carry this route on it. It was a very good idea to establish a route that runs through a neighborhood housing many festival visitors, but sadly it turned out to be a phantom route. If it is not indicated on the bus system's official map, if it does not show up at the stops, and if it is canceled halfway through the festival, how can the public use it? It might be a good idea to rethink the strategy and give it another chance. Editor: A million thanks to the very good Samaritan who helped my husband and 1 on Monday, June 22. This wonderful eagle-eyed person found my car key that I lost while Roger Strand biking the Glenwild trails. They Park City searched out our car at the Spring Creek trailhead and left it inside with an anonymous note. This saved us, at the very minimum, the cost of replacing my expensive key. The maximum cost would have been The Park Record Staff I •-?s"\i much, much higher! •'; PUBLISHER Andy Bernhard ^ " i Thanks again, kind stranger. V\.: . Editor Nan Chalat-Noaker Your actions left me speechless and V-;"'1 Staff writers Jay Hamburger j ; thrilled to live in such an incredible .;;•:'. Pat Parkinson 'y'-'-i town! ''.,-- .-;-. . _;.. Joe Lair -'..-..iv, Kathryn Toll Park City /."'.•. Jill Beckett Park City '.'<•'•"/•'•';.• / ( ' : • . " :'• • • . ' GregMarshall .'-^,\ Andrew Kirk '...'^-j "--^r 1 ' 1 ; s-> '.'••'••>'?..- .:•• "'-v"'',-./ A l i s h a S e l f , ;'",'• i, Shining light on the mind of a bigot [••V Contributing writers Tom Clyde , Ten Orr "•.-,•' .•{•••'"?: : Joan Jacobson - : 1; ". ".;: ••" Larry Warren -;•••?' Editor: I have been out of town and recently went to The Park Record office to get back issues of the paper. Imagine my shock and concern when I saw the picture on the front of your vol. 129 (June 10-12) edition. What kind of message does this send to our children. Salacious, rude and irresponsible. John Burdick crying in pain, John Spung obviously making light of it and Paul Tan taking notes for, I am sure, a future lawsuit. OMG, where is the v Steve Phillips .<, : '. Copy editor David Hampshire ADVERTISING -••'- Classified advertising Cristin Hicks ; Office manager Circulation manager Accounting managei Advertising director Advertising sales Kandilee Snyder ;%z£ii C Lacy Brundy 3?\.M Kate Fischer " • \ Valerie Deming Lori Gull Jennifer Musial Erin Donnelly Pamela Graves LETTERS POLICY The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines: They must include the home (street) address and telephone number of the author. No letter will be published under an assumed name. Letters must not contain libelous material. Letters should be no longer than about 300 words (about 600 words for guest editorials) and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are too long of if they contain statements that are unnecessarily offensive or obscene. Writers are limited to one letter every seven days. Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 10 individuals and/or businesses. Photographer David Ryder ;. Production director Matt Gordon '^'*>i i . Production Scott Schlenker "If Sarah Ely Pat Hamaker ** t • • : * > : SEND YOUR LETTER TO: EDlT0R@PARKREC0RD.COM 3szs£SzaEZLr?r:g:~T:i^5r5. fTr* "''V-***' f ~ • ? - photos by David Ryder FOr t h e reCOrd Asked on Main Street What, if anything, should the U.S. do about the recent events in Iran? Mariane Flint, Park City I can't decide if we should butt in or just stay out. Don Anderson, Bountiful, Utah I would like to see it resolved peacefully but it's not gonna happen. Lucy Moore, Austin, Texas I don't think we should get so involved. Brian Noon, Santa Barbara, Calif. All we can do is give moral support. Uriel Estrada, Chicago, 111. For now, let them do what they need to do first, and then maybe we can take it from there, if needed. |