Say Goodbye
The Unbroken Barometer has been running for one week and one day. In this short period of time, it has managed to attract a daily audience of over 200 people, viewing the front page up to 720 times. Since a counter was introduced last week Saturday (exactly a week ago), the blog has received over 2200 page views.Anyone who has been monitoring this blog over the past week will have seen his or her fair share of opinions. I have been called many interesting names and been asked to comment on many interesting topics (including the state of Pork Sausages). The debates have become quite heated, some of them even spilling over into my email account. Only one user was ever censored on this site, and that is because I believe that they were making a deliberate attempt to gain hits for another site, opposing the principles of this one. Those principles were freedom of speech and tolerance.
I have been using Blogger, a website which allows people to have their say, and I believe I have been heard. With over 700 comments, I believe many other people have been heard too. The problem I now face is the lack of structure in these comments. Blogger is no longer able to handle the load of comments it is carrying.
I have been approached by people who are willing to assist in creating a proper website devoted to free speech, tolerance and issues affecting South Africa, the focus being crime. I hereby throw my spanner into the workings of The Unbroken Barometer.
What people have been debating over the past week is our problem of crime. Another interesting debate that has arisen is what can we as ordinary South Africans do? My suggestion is to do something!
A comment I accept and have appreciated on The Unbroken Barometer is that Neil Watson’s site is something good. It is a catalyst for meaningful debate. It has shaken South Africans into action. Just take a look at all of the Blogs that have started. Look at all of the Positive websites slowly emerging. Look at the people hunting down similar names to crimexposouthafrica.co.za in order to do SOMETHING!
I can already hear those comments and emails flooding in again. “What are you doing? You’re a 20 year old kid, sitting in front of a computer, making a website” Yes. I am. I am also a volunteer fire fighter for the South African National Parks. I have volunteered for many different things, volunteering for the past ten years. I have been reluctant to get into this debate, but here goes.
What is wrong with being young? Believe it or not, I know I am young and have received a great deal of flack for it, but it is a problem I am working on daily. Why can’t I have an opinion? Why do I give up my right to be proud and positive because I haven’t reached the age where everything (apparently) becomes grey and gloomy because I have a wife and two children? Does that look stupid to you? It is, but it is what some people say about me. I’m going to lose my enthusiasm for life “when I get my own family”. Those are the same people who are looking forward to seeing me once I have had that family attacked for a cell phone. Come on people. Who are you?
Here is something that all of the young and old people who aren’t upset with their families can do. Help make a difference. Go to www.OurSecurity.co.za. You’ll find much the same thing as this blog, only with more structure and a better ‘infrastructure’. It’s amazing how things are improving as 2010 approaches.
www.OurSecurity.co.za is a website created by volunteers gathered from The Unbroken Barometer who want to make a difference any way they can. If you can, please offer your help by emailing me. We need all the help we can get. Otherwise, you’re welcome to simply go to the website and have your say. Make a comment; tell us what you like, tell us what you don’t like. We’ll make it work.
Something else we are going to try on for size is advertising. Yes, we are planning to make loads of money. There’s one simple catch. We don’t ever see the money. If I can work out how to actually use the software, we’re going to offer advertising space to companies who donate money to charitable organisations. We’re not taking money “for administration costs” because we believe that a site like this will survive with the support of South Africans willing to make a difference.
So here it is, in summary. I will no longer be posting regular comments on The Unbroken Barometer. Instead, I will make comments on OurSecurity.co.za. I would like to invite all of the people who have commented here to carry on with the debate at the new site. You can still comment anonymously but your IP address will be logged to protect the site. It would be easier if you logged in. It is a very quick process. I’ll see you there.
I’ll try to stop typing now, but before I do I have something to say.
I had people trying to ‘discredit’ me because I was a fan of the Scary Movie Trilogy: Scary Movies 1, 2, 3 & 4. I laughed when I read the comment from the person who believed I didn’t know a trilogy was three. Would someone that stupid think of starting a blog based on political controversy? I also ‘caught it’ because I am a student. Students are meant to be activists. What do you want us to do with our spare time? Must we come and graffiti your walls?
I have had a lot of support from many different people, and I would like to thank them. I would like to thank those of you who have commented ceaselessly day in and out and those who have debated for what they believe in. I would also like to say that there are many people who do themselves no favours by being obscene and even threatening towards people who are trying to solve one of the biggest problems our country has faced.
Thanks to Angie, and also to Melini from ECR Newswatch and Renee from Independent Online. For those who haven’t seen the latest report, take a look: The Herald. If this blog has done anything, it has at least helped to discredit a website that is doing our country no good at all.
It may seem like I am trying to give myself a pat on the back. There’s nothing wrong with having high self-esteem. And no, I’m not trying to be the second famous person, and just to prove it I’ll end here.
Good night, and good luck.
Addy
posted by Addy @ 8:52 am
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