• My Nov 25 comments
• Nov 26
• Jan 22, 2014 comment

17 min

What the hell. This is worthy of a front page posting on the Sunday edition of the Blade's website???

I like the dramatic sub-headline on the story page.

"Anonymous critic hides in shadows of Internet"

Is that similar to anonymous critics hiding in the shadows of newspaper editorials?

From the Blade story:

It’s unknown what impact videos such as EconCat88’s will have on the city’s economic development efforts, ...

No impact.

People with the money to build or invest will not base their decision solely on a YouTube video search.

By the way, the number 2 video in the Y

"That is a good reason to interview EconCat88 and get his story out."

EconCat88 is getting his "story" out. It's called the Internet. What else is needed? Since when is the official "story" only told by the so-called professional media?

Even today, old media orgs still dislike the fact that they are no longer gatekeepers of the information that gets disseminated to the public.

Fortunately for everyone else, the Internet makes it easy to tell a story. And everyone may have a different version of the story. So what? It's up the consumer to filter through it all. You can also ignore it.

From the Blade's story :

Anonymous critic hides in shadows of Internet

Shadows? Pretty dramatic.

Is that similar to the critics who hide in the shadows of newspaper editorials?

It must be a slow news period because it seems odd that this is worthy of a front page posting on the Sunday edition of the Blade's website.

From the Blade story:

It’s unknown what impact videos such as EconCat88’s will have on the city’s economic development efforts, ...

Oh, come on. It's beyond stupid that anyone would be worried about someone's art on YouTube.

The impact is none. People with the money to build or invest will not base their decision solely on a YouTube video search whether the videos are negative or positive.

Forget what EconCat88 has done. This becoming a local media story is what makes Toledo looks silly.

Blade:

There’s not much Toledo officials can do about EconCat88’s videos. It’s free speech, and he has the right to post videos, no matter how biased.

Why was that mentioned? Have Toledo officials been secretly hatching a plan to take down EconCat88? Why would Toledo officials waste their time thinking about YouTube videos?

The low temperature this morning at Toledo Express Airport was 12 degrees. 12. The normal low temp for this day is 30 degrees. The frigging weather is a bigger negative than frigging YouTube videos. Complaining about both is senseless.

"...there really is nothing I can do for you other than give you my sincere pity."

You're right. We do see things differently because I don't know what in the hell you are talking about now.

Pity for me? You're definitely wasting your time, pal.

I'm not part of cabal trying to out an obvious YouTube sensation. Something else is more deserving of pity.

From what I can tell, the highest view count on one of EconCat88's Toledo-related YouTube videos is 31,588 views on the video that appears as the 5th result in the YouTube search on 'Toledo Ohio.' That video was posted on February 2012.

Scroll down a bit on that same search result page, and the 14th video has 184,748 views. That's nearly six times the number of views as EconCat88's award-winning video. The 14th video is titled Abandoned Mall Exploration. It was published in April 2012. About the video:

Went inside North town mall of Toledo, Ohio while on spring break. Pretty cool place to explore, but I did try to go and get extra footage the next day and my entrance to the place was re sealed.

I hope that video does not negatively impact Toledo's economic development plans.

More people are interested in the insides of an old abandoned mall than what someone has to say negatively about Toledo, Ohio.

I predict the Blade's eventual word count on the EconCat88 story will exceed the total number of views received on all of EconCat88's Toledo-related videos combined.

"And you worry about The Blade's accuracy or agenda? C'mon!"

Which one does the Blade possess that I have to worry about: accuracy or an agenda?

Lighten up, Francis. I'm more worried about the Lions two-game losing streak, and the Browns sinking into the abyss.

a·byss [uh-bis]
noun
1. a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
2. anything profound, unfathomable, or infinite: the abyss of time.
3. a.the primal chaos before Creation.
b.the infernal regions; hell.
c. a subterranean ocean.

If you're hurting for positive videos, then watch the ones at Smash Toledo. Anymore for me, it's all about the food. The city better have great food, and then maybe I'll visit the damn museums and parks.

My Nov 25 comments

EconCat88 posted at 10:55:03 PM on Nov 24, 2013:
Jr do you recommend I agree to be interviewed by rosenkrans or should I Ignore their requests. Obviously some people are upset about some of the negative truths being told about toledo.

I'm curious as to why you are asking me, but I would say, "No."

Don't give them what they want. Or wait until after the holidays. Drag it out until January or February.

Keep producing your art. Obviously, some will dislike it, but that's expected.

You never want to be liked by everyone. Otherwise, you become unimaginative.

Another idea ...

Since your means of communication is the Internet, which is all that counts, conduct your interview over the Internet right here in this thread or in the comments section on one of your YouTube videos.

People can submit their hard-hitting questions here or on YouTube. You can answer here or put your answers in a video.

If you agree to a Blade interview, videotape it and upload the unedited video to your YouTube account. I'm sure that won't be a problem for anyone.

But if you are taking questions over the Internet, I'll ask one.

If you had to select one, which one would you pick?

A. Chocolate Milk
B. Regular Milk

! posted by jr on Nov 25, 2013 at 08:49:27 am

Sweet frigging fancy Moses. The Blade actually did publish another story in today's "paper" about EconCat88.

By my calculations, the total word count for the two stories is now: 2,877 words. I smell a poohlitzer.

EconCat88, you are the new Seneca County courthouse. This is why you should not agree to do the interview, at least not now. Your legend can grow by dragging this out.

If you do agree to the interview, months from now, ask the Blade reporter this question:

Why do you seek that wackadoo Carty Finkbeiner for comment, regarding anything related to Toledo, especially the so-called negative aspects of the city?

Consider the irony there. The Blade interviewed Czarty about someone else's alleged negativity.

Since I'm not from here, I don't have the overly sensitive, defensive attitude that so many Toledoans possess. I moved to northwest Ohio to be close to Lake Erie. But I prefer to live in the city because I don't like driving, and I like being close to the action. Some of that "action" could be bad at times, but I take the bad with the good. I enjoy the close proximity to many businesses, orgs, parks, etc.

While living 30-plus minutes away on my own small, private nature preserve sounds appealing, I'd feel too isolated, despite being surrounded by nature. Besides, I get to enjoy nature of all kinds in the city. I don't want to be too far away from all the many types of food places and events.

I grew up in a small town in the hills of eastern Ohio, and the closest "big" city was Pittsburgh, an hour and forty minutes away. Nothing against small rural towns, but living in a mid-sized city works better for me.

But please, Toledoans, get some new material. It's so damn comical and annoying when people trot out the same positives over and over and over, like we don't know these things exist:

baseball stadium
arena
art museum
science center
parks
university
blah, blah, blah.

Newsflash. Other cities of similar size and larger contain those amenities too.

This whole story about some YouTube videos that contain fewer views than the number of people who voted in Toledo's trivial mayoral election earlier this month (49,538 voters) is laughable. The videos or comments don't affect anything. Good and bad. If these videos are a problem, then this is definitely a charmed area.

The story here or the bigger issue here is the Blade's interest, which, as some have stated above, is now creepy.

Take action and improve things

A Facebook comment by Dock Treece posted on yesterday's Blade story:

And when someone offers to use their own money to make things better guess what they run up against....

Point out the obvious, get attacked.

Attempt to improve the area, face obstacles.

August 2011 TT comment :

--- begin 2011 comment ---

From District 5 Toledo City Councilman Tom Waniewski's August 2011 e-mail newsletter:

Parents and students from Start got together and let me help them paint the bleachers at Bowman Park. We were applying a primer to the first base side stands. Sherwin Williams donated 36 gallons of paint. Thanks to the unions for giving us the clearnace and allowing us to paint these worn and neglected bleachers.

Permission is needed from the unions for something benign like improving neglected bleachers.

Aug 8, 2011 Toledo Blade story titled Flowers vanishing from Toledo because of wilted economy

The fountain is near Walbridge Park, and the South Toledo neighbors who serve on the park's advisory board agreed to pitch in. Last year, they purchased and planted perennials and weeded, with help from city workers.
This year, with the crisis not over, it was volunteers or nothing. A half-dozen neighbors spent about 40 hours spreading mulch and weeding the 3,100-square-foot circle, before becoming overwhelmed.

With their annual July 4th celebration coming up at the fountain, they spent $1,000 of the board's funds and hired a landscaper to weed and trim. Unionized city workers took note of the landscaper. They filed a labor grievance.

We're told to be involved. These are not huge, complex projects. Concerned citizens want to improve a tiny part of their city, and they have to deal with unions. Why? This is archaic. This is not progressing.

--- end 2011 comment ---

Are things any better now, over two years later? Why all the obstacles to making small improvements to the city? These are not building renovations. It's painting bleachers and landscaping. How can anything larger ever get completed in a reasonable amount of time?

City officials will encourage citizens to be involved, but city officials don't do enough to remove the barriers for citizens to improve their city. If anything, city officials probably erect more barriers.

Will it be better under Collins? Not according to the Blade's editorial cartoonist, Kirk.

Nov 26

While EconCat88 has his YouTube videos on temporary hiatus, here's the new Top 10 list of YouTube videos about Toledo, Ohio

Thank you YouTube and Google for contributing to the insurmountable damage to Toledo's image.

Maybe Carty Collins can do something about this. Maybe offer a Carty Reality Bus Tour of Toledo.

Hopefully, someone organizes a public forum at a local library that will be attended by 8 people to solve this problem, since hardly anyone uses the Internet to discuss things.

Wait, there's more.

Since some Web users may use the scroll function on their Internet-enabled device, they may encounter these next five videos about Toledo, Ohio on that same YouTube search result page:

Now what? Maybe someone can unplug the Internet.

If you are concerned about such minutiae, the new video list above about Toledo now seems worst without EconCat88's videos.

"before we make EconCat88 a martyr and the voice of our time, can we just take a second and reassess this?"

No.

And you're missing the point by a wide margin. The story is not EconCat88 and the content in his videos. The story is the Blade taking this seriously by stalking and bullying the guy. Maybe this is what the Blade meant by how Toledo needs to be more like China.

"I completely agree that the Blade running that article was unwarranted,"

That article? Singular? You need to catch up. As of Tuesday morning, it was FIVE articles in three days, written by three different people.

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2013/11/24/EconCat88-Trashing-Toledo-one-negative-video-at-a-time.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2013/11/25/City-critic-s-videos-spark-calls-for-action-agreement.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/Keith-Burris/2013/11/25/Toledo-must-be-defined-by-those-who-build.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/Culture/2013/11/26/Most-scathing-videos-vanish-from-YouTube-s-public-view.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/Keith-Burris/2013/11/26/EconCat88-come-in-out-from-the-cold.html

Burris:

If you are not even willing to state your name, why should anyone take you seriously?

88 and anyone else are not requiring others to take them seriously. It's content.

It's up to the consumer of the info and not the producer of the info to decide whether to take the content seriously.

Again, incredible irony here. Burris has now written two columns about EconCat88's videos. A for-profit media org has spent money and labor, creating five stories in three days. The Blade has visited 88's house.

From the Blade:

So far, the man behind “EconCat88” has refused entreaties from The Blade by way of telephone, email, two visits to his home in West Toledo, and stories seeking an interview with him.

To me, that sounds like the Blade is taking this seriously.

It burns the media when people publish freely and easily on the Internet with a pseudonym.

Based upon Burris's comment, why should anyone take seriously the Blade op-eds, which are written anonymously, and the occasional Blade news stories that are written under the pseudonym "STAFF?"

In Burris's world, it's do as we say and not as we do.

Toledo Talk posting guidelines --> posting anonymously that excerpts from this post

About anonymous postings, I think it's simple. It's a matter of choice and freedom, and the responsibility belongs to the reader and not the poster. If you don't like anonymous postings, then you have the freedom of choice to ignore such postings. You have the freedom to move on.
If you manage a Web site, and you don't like anonymous postings, then, obviously, it's your responsibility to correct the problem.

Maybe by posting anonymously, we get additional info that otherwise we would not have gotten. It's up to the reader to decide what to do with that info. Do you trust every thing you read in a newspaper or see on TV or hear on the radio? When you read [a newspaper] op-ed with no name attached, what's up with that? How do you know which person wrote what op-ed?

And you can't be selective with your viewpoint on anonymous posters. You can't say, "Well, it's fine for that person to remain anonymous because she's nice, but that mean person needs to reveal his real name."

Toledo Government

On a lighter and obviously more positive note about Toledo, Larry Sykes may win the 6th and final Toledo city council at-large seat.

Let's see, the 2014 edition of Toledo city council will or may contain the following luminaries:

Jack Ford
Rob Ludeman
Larry Sykes
Theresa Gabriel

No, it's not 1993. It's currently 2013.

And of course, Carty Collins as mayor.

The status-quo thinking of the last 20-plus years continues. Nothing wrong with that. If it ain't fixed, don't break it.

25 percent voter turnout. Juicy.

But the problem is videos of broken buildings and government waste.

Toledo's YouTube Image

For your viewing pleasure, here are the Top 3 Videos about Toledo, Ohio and none were created by EconCat88.

#1. Battle Lines: Gangs of Toledo Defining Boundaries

#2. Toledo Ohio x blocc crips

#3. Getting robbed at a Marco's Pizza in Toledo Ohio

I hope the people associated with those videos are included in future discussions about Toledo's image.

Jan 22, 2014 comment

My comment posted in a thread at TT:

"Econ, do you live in the city of Toledo?"

From one of the Blade's creepy, stalking stories about EconCat88:

So far, the man behind “EconCat88” has refused entreaties from The Blade by way of telephone, email, two visits to his home in West Toledo, and stories seeking an interview with him.

From one of the Blade's 10 articles that mention EconCat88:

Nancy Ankney of Sylvania Township wrote that: “Toledo does not need this negativity. Because the critic exists and has made videos, that doesn’t rationalize the high exposure that you have given him.”
A ruffled EconCat88 accused the critic of contributing to Toledo’s decay by moving to the suburbs.

“There was some lady from Sylvania Township that had plenty to say about the negativity of my videos, and I find it somewhat ironic that somebody from Sylvania Township would have anything to say about Toledo, because frankly, all you folks that have ran to the suburbs over the last 30-40 years, you’re actually as responsible for these problems as anybody,” EconCat88 said as he drove along.

He challenges her, “Why don’t you come down here, buy one of these dumpy houses, refurbish it, move into it, and put Toledo back on the path to whatever your version of recovery is?”

Why do so many TPS employees and city employees live outside Toledo? I don't give a damn where they live, but why not live within Toledo?

Why has Toledo's population declined so significantly over the past few decades while the population has increased in places like western Lucas County, northern Wood County, eastern Fulton County, western Ottawa County, and southern Monroe County? Why haven't those people moved back to Toledo?

Could it be said that living in an outlying community is magnitudes more negative about Toledo than EconCat88's videos? Those silent "outsiders" are bigger critics of Toledo than EconCat88.

Simple question. Why live outside Toledo?

From JR's : articles
3117 words - 19887 chars - 17 min read
created on Nov 24, 2013 at 01:06:00 pm
updated on Oct 09, 2017 at 05:22:43 pm - #
source - versions

Nov 24, 2013 Toledo Blade story about YouTube videos covering Toledo

My Nov 25 comments

Nov 26

Jan 22, 2014 comment