Technology

Thanks to the News & Observer for reporting that "Blogs are changing politics." I know that's a real newsflash for all you OP readers.

This story raised two questions for me:

1. Didn't Tom Jensen already write an informative column about this exact same subject (elected officials blogging)? Ah yes, here it is: "Blogs keep us plugged in on politics," 12/16/06.

2. How many of the people in this article had blogs before OrangePolitics started?

Pearce said the Triangle's political bloggers are centered in Orange County because its politics tend to be more liberal.
- newsobserver.com | Blogs are changing politics, 2/2/07

Hmm, yeah that's probably it. There's no other reason Orange County would have a disproportionate number of political bloggers.

The News & Observer has a new blog dedicated to their Orange and Chatham County coverage called Orange Chat.

Did you ever read a story and say, "I wish the reporter had asked ..."

Well, the truth is sometimes we did but there wasn't space to put it in the paper.

Welcome to Orange Chat, where we hope to expand on the Orange and Chatham County coverage we provide in The News and Observer and The Chapel Hill News, and where we hope you'll tell us how we're doing.

Send us your questions, criticisms and suggestions.

And thanks for reading.

Mark Schultz
Editor
- Welcome to Orange Chat, 1/18/07

Thanks to Brian for the heads up.

As published in the Chapel Hill Herald on December 16th, 2006:

You probably know Sally Greene, Mark Kleinschmidt and Laurin Easthom well as members of the Chapel Hill Town Council. You may not, though, know about another pastime that the three of them also share. They are among the ever-growing cadre of local bloggers.

Greene is one of the most intellectually well-rounded people I have ever met, and it comes through in her blog postings. She practices law, lectures and teaches about racial issues in the South and has edited an essay collection about the writings of Virginia Woolf. Her postings in the nearly two and a half years since she started her blog, titled GreeneSpace, have touched on all of those topics as well as her more public role as a member of the council.

Some of her more recent postings have included a preview of a panel that she will be moderating next month in relation to desegregation in Chapel Hill, a discussion of Barbies and advice on affordable Christmas gifts.

Of course she has also delved into the scale of buildings downtown and other more political stuff.