MSM vs Personal Blogs: Discuss!

[Deleted member 39678]

As for the gman blog? I have been following that blog for quite some time. And while his opinion appears to be largely based upon the series, as opposed to actually reading the court docs, imho, he does shed light with regard to investigative process, which I think is invaluable in and of itself. In other words, if we can all remember that his blog is still an opinion, I think it's a great addition to this discussion.

SBM

I have a feeling that if we allow this blog to be used as a source people will not use it as his opinion but instead fact.

That's why blogs are not allowed on WS. I guess until now. JMO

 

[missy1974]

SBM

I have a feeling that if we allow this blog to be used as a source people will not use it as his opinion but instead fact.

That's why blogs are not allowed on WS. I guess until now. JMO

The blog has been posted numerous times since January that I recall. I don't think I have ever read any posts using it as a "source link" to back up any facts. JMO

I think the difference with this blog and some other blogs is.... he isn't an unnamed random internet person that decided to type up his thoughts. To be honest, I was looking forward to what he had to say after 'investigating' the documents, but I suspect he just doesn't have the time (or maybe just doesn't want too) Pretty sure that in the end, he thought it was more likely than not that SA was guilty.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

The blog has been posted numerous times since January that I recall. I don't think I have ever read any posts using it as a "source link" to back up any facts. JMO

I think the difference with this blog and some other blogs is.... he isn't an unnamed random internet person that decided to type up his thoughts. To be honest, I was looking forward to what he had to say after 'investigating' the documents, but I suspect he just doesn't have the time (or maybe just doesn't want too) Pretty sure that in the end, he thought it was more likely than not that SA was guilty.

I think that his blog was used to quote what someone involved in this case had said. Isn't that using his site as a source for facts?

 

[missy1974]

geesh I thought I was losing my mind haha I went back to answer you Ranch and couldn't find the post LOL

I'm not sure exactly what post you are talking about, but I don't recall that it was used as a source of fact. I have read posts over the last months, and I probably even made some of my own, about that blog and his opinions. I do think that his opinion matters, especially when you see that he does have a professional background with the FBI, I think it's informative and really.... he sides more with the guilty side than not guilty LOL IIRC he doesn't believe for a minute the blood was planted or the FBI testing had any issues, but he did think the key was suspicious for example.

If you look at that blog and compare it to the numerous MSM sites that have written articles on this subject.... I would take his blog in a heartbeat! Most MSM sources can't get any facts straight, and it's rare that they even spell Brendan's name right. One article in the past week had his name spelled wrong 3 times in a few short paragraphs.

 

[Karinna]

SBM

I have a feeling that if we allow this blog to be used as a source people will not use it as his opinion but instead fact.

That's why blogs are not allowed on WS. I guess until now. JMO

Hmmm, i don't know i thought blogs & forums were kind of the same thing where people put forth their opinions on known crime cases that are alerted to via media, as in Internet, newspapers, T.V. news etc. are being brought forth to the public domain.
Whenever i read a blog on the internet i always look at it as being someone's research on a case and consequent opinions and speculations. That's what discussion & debate on any given case is. Unless we are LE and working a case that is usually all we have as in information and what LE give out to the general public in their pressers etc. and then there are things of course an investigation can't reveal so as not to jeopardise the integrity of any given case.
I think that person's particular blog is still his opinions from a professional viewpoint being an investigator for the FBI for 25 years. But nevertheless he hasn't had any working on the Avery case, but has stated things regarding the process of how an investigation is handled and i have found that part interesting from what i have read so far.

 

[Karinna]

And as we know MSM can have conflicting information on a criminal case too which can be very confusing when trying to get the truth pertaining to any given case, so there is that.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

I just noticed this thread tonight. It say's that I started it and I didn't. In fact I feel that it should not have been started at all.

 

[missy1974]

I think one of the mods moved it so it would be it's own discussion ... the Zellners Tweets thread has been taken over with everything but Zellner Tweets LOL

 

[Deleted member 39678]

I think one of the mods moved it so it would be it's own discussion ... the Zellners Tweets thread has been taken over with everything but Zellner Tweets LOL

I don't think that the rules of the forum should be discussed here by members. I should have just kept my mouth shut.

 

[shadowraiths]

Hi all, I am the mod who moved this discussion to its own thread.

That said, with regard to discussing forum rules, since the issue was raised, I think there is some merit to the question of MSM vs blogs.

Times have changed since the inception of Webslueths... we're going on 20 years, for starters. Importantly, some, not all, blogs have become more mainstream. Take, Huffington Post, for example. Or TechCrunch. Both began as blogs and then expanded, and are now considered MSM. And then, there are the localized "Patch"(es). These articles are written by people, who may (or not) be actual journalists, in their respective areas. Often, those who have the inside scoop on the local "chatter." Also, some of our very own forum members who ran their own blogs in the past broke news before MSM (i.e., Steve Huff). Notably, MSM began getting their information from not only blogs but from information "insiders" posted to forums, such as this.

Otherwise put, the line between MSM and blogs blurred long ago. And as with anything you read on inet: Caveat Lector! (reader, beware).

And finally, my rule of thumb? Source material. By this I am referring to police reports, court records, and peer reviewed research. Imho, anything beyond that is imho, just various people's interpretation that may (or not) reflect the data.

Again, MSM, blogs, or... what ever... caveat lector!

Oh, and. Happy sleuthing!

 

[angelainwi]

I think it is a valid discussion because as shadowraiths mentioned the online news media world has evolved in the last 20 years

 

[missy1974]

Great explanation of it shadowraiths and thanks!

It's been a year or so since I have actively searched or followed a case, and this is the first one that I have noticed just how much those blogs are so much more accurate than MSM links, and in some cases show less bias too (which is interesting!)

linking... I like linking LOL :crazy:

 

[Limaes]

JF is considered MSM is he not? Does anyone other than me fact check his articles before linking to them? Most of the time they are either filled with errors or his own version of what an official document is stating and he refers to reports from the experts that are not available to the public at this time so they can not be fact checked. JMO

Is Reddit considered a blog? I don't like the formatting there and don't read there a great deal but would be good if either everyone agrees whether it be used as a reference or not to avoid arguments. JMO

 

[DexterMorgan]

I just noticed this thread tonight. It say's that I started it and I didn't. In fact I feel that it should not have been started at all.

Lol.

Agree. It should say started by xyz mod.

Lol

But seriously. Just pm the mod to remove your name from thread starter.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

JF is considered MSM is he not? Does anyone other than me fact check his articles before linking to them? Most of the time they are either filled with errors or his own version of what an official document is stating and he refers to reports from the experts that are not available to the public at this time so they can not be fact checked. JMO

Is Reddit considered a blog? I don't like the formatting there and don't read there a great deal but would be good if either everyone agrees whether it be used as a reference or not to avoid arguments. JMO

I don't know who "JF" is.

Reddit is a forum like WS. Apparently it's okay to link to it on this sub forum but I don't think it is on the rest of WS. Why I don't know.

I don't understand the idea that "facts" from reddit are okay if a member personally "verifies" it as being true.

I don't even know what that means in regards to WS rules. Does that mean I can bring rumors to WS as long as I say I "verified" it? Looks like a loophole to me.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

Lol.

Agree. It should say started by xyz mod.

Lol

But seriously. Just pm the mod to remove your name from thread starter.

At this point I don't think it matters.

 

[Limaes]

I don't know who "JF" is.

Reddit is a forum like WS. Apparently it's okay to link to it on this sub forum but I don't think it is on the rest of WS. Why I don't know.

I don't understand the idea that "facts" from reddit are okay if a member personally "verifies" it as being true.

I don't even know what that means in regards to WS rules. Does that mean I can bring rumors to WS as long as I say I "verified" it? Looks like a loophole to me.

JF = John Ferak. He writes for Post Crescent.

You make a good point Ranch. How do we verify, that someone has verified it? Does agreeing with something mean you have verified it?

All very confusing. JMO

 

[missy1974]

JF is considered MSM is he not? Does anyone other than me fact check his articles before linking to them? Most of the time they are either filled with errors or his own version of what an official document is stating and he refers to reports from the experts that are not available to the public at this time so they can not be fact checked. JMO

Is Reddit considered a blog? I don't like the formatting there and don't read there a great deal but would be good if either everyone agrees whether it be used as a reference or not to avoid arguments. JMO

As a matter of fact, yes. He recently did an article about the quarry property where the pelvic bones were found, saying it belonged to Manitowoc County, which was also a post and big discussion on reddit. A few of us on here were trying to figure it out and I finally just emailed him and asked if he verified it because the records for Manitowoc County are a nightmare to go through.

FYI ... this was his response:

** (my name)**: the county's sand and gravel pit is adjacent to Radandt's quarry and it's been County land for years. I believe it's about 80 acres while Radandt's quarries are 300 to 400 acres. - John


Which actually didn't address my question if he was able to verify that they owned it in 2005 lol

The formatting on reddit is terrible, no clue how or why so many people use it. JMO

If we didn't use reddit as a source at all, we wouldn't have had any of the documentation. It was reddit that started the crowdfunding which raised the $1000's to get all the documents, transcripts and photo's. I have said before... they have some great posters... on both sides of the fence (because I do read all the subs over there), if we could pluck them out and bring them over here, it would be great!

 

[Limaes]

Yes, I know about the crowd sourcing. They were put on a separate website were they not?

Sent from my SM-P550 using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 39678]

If we didn't use reddit as a source at all, we wouldn't have had any of the documentation. It was reddit that started the crowdfunding which raised the $1000's to get all the documents, transcripts and photo's. I have said before... they have some great posters... on both sides of the fence (because I do read all the subs over there), if we could pluck them out and bring them over here, it would be great!

SBM & BBM

Why don't you just copy and paste everything they post that you like and post it here with a link?