Mahoningvalley.info last one standing

[ForumManager]

Mahoningvalley.info, congratulations, keep it up!

Thanks for the words of encouragement.  You, the members are the ones that keep this "place" going.
Especially Jay who promotes the forum often and posts numerous  events to keep the calendar full and Greg who provides the scanner feeds which are very popular.
As manager and owner I only provide the website and technical end of things. 
Although, lately I've been doing more moderating due to popular demand.
Thank you all for using the report feature. It has been working. 
My apologies for marking reported  posts in red lately. It is my hope that if we all can see what offends others, perhaps we can moderate ourselves.
Antagonism and offensiveness are liken to  beauty - seen  in the eyes of the beholder.

IMHO - Hopefully we can overlook our differences and the topics brought to light here will improve the community.  It is time to put aside personal agendas and work toward the greater good. Those that are in "visible" positions of service for our community need to accept criticism as part of their choice to serve. I believe one of our country's founding fathers stated it is our DUTY  to question government but I am not sure which person said it- Maybe George Washington?  Our community has a long history of corruption and in order to overcome our somewhat jaded past (even recently)  local government and social/community agencies need to be transparent in their operations - warts and all.  I believe their goals to improve our community are sincere but rebuilding will take time-  and there will be much trial and error along the way. It took decades to forge  our community from a wide bend in the river and will take decades to reforge.  Sorry -- soapbox - blah bah- shut up old woman. 

[Youngstownshrimp]

What is a good thing about this forum is that honest ideas and debate are well monitored here wherein those who attempt to muddy the waters with diversion and deceit are quickly called on it.  A few here try to impede free thought and tarnish the doers in this community, I guess misery loves company.  If we can develop this forum with the majority of Mahoning residents who are productive in their lives, this site can become the center of common thought to better our community to become a pressure group to set the right focus for our leaders to follow.   

And Allan, I'm sure many of us value your mindset and also wish you did not have to join the diaspora away from your home here.  This is one of the biggest problems we face, the mass exodus of the intelligentsia from Youngstown.  One question for you, do you think you can come back and develop a business to supply recycled bldg. material to the Amish in Holmes county for primitive furniture or other products made with demo material?  I have noticed that shops in Holmes county are selling product made with recycled material from older houses.

[AllanY2525]

All I can say is hats off to the forum manager - this site ROCKS when it comes to keeping
in touch with the day to day going's on in Youngstown.  For someone like me, who is a
Youngstown "Citizen Emeritus", it's a God-send to be able to log on and read all about the
issues, news and local happenings going on in the city and surrounding areas.

I only wish I could move back to Youngstown right now, but it's gonna be a while.  In the
mean time, I check the forum boards several times a week to catch up on what's happening
"back home"

I long for the day when I can retire, and come back home again.

[mooch]

Blogs are basically internet editorials like you'd see in the newspaper except they are often written by average Joe's.  By design, the writer controls the topic.   

This site is forum based.  Its a message board where people share ideas and users drive the topics.  A well run message board like this one, simply moderates the topics with minimal control.

Anyway, I don't think its fair to compare forums to blogs.  They are two different structures and it sounds like you prefer message boards, as do I.

[Youngstownshrimp]

When it comes to blogs or sites that capture the conversation of Youngstown, you have to say that Mahoningvalley.info stands alone.  Several years ago when local blogs hit the internet, they were popping up everywhere.  Defend Youngstown, Shout Youngstown, Youngstown Renaissance, Rust belt this, that, and even the "Mayor's blog."  Many of the blogs seemed to be content driven by the owner of the site and topics were mainly issues the blogs wished to discuss.  Mahoningvalley.info let's the issues posted sink or swim and this maybe the reason for its success while all the other blogs seem to lie dormant, lackluster, defunct and even "sorry, see ya on facebook."  Mahoningvalley.info, congratulations, keep it up!