Time you can't get back. Energy has to be renewed. In other words, any effort that takes time and/or energy has costs associated with it.
So, regarding the now finished (in more ways than one) "Best Town EVER" contest, let's look at how much it cost Port Angeles.
Looking at just the last round of voting, there were roughly 62,100 votes for Port Angeles, each one requiring you to finish a captcha. So let's be conservative, and say it took 15 seconds to cast each vote, meaning you could do 4 per minute. If you break those 62,100 votes down, it cost 15,525 minutes, or 258.75 hours to cast all those votes.
Now, there were also comments, a total of about 18,500 of them. Let's be conservative again, and say that a third of those were for/from Port Angeles. That gives us 6,166 comments. Let's say it took 20 seconds to post each comment, or 3 per minute. Breaking that 6,166 down, you get 2,055 minutes, or 34.25 hours.
Then, let's be very, very conservative, and say that all the voting and comments on earlier rounds took 100 hours total. (Though it was doubtlessly more, but we're being conservative here...)
Now then, if you add that all up, you get 393 hours, which breaks down into 16.375 days spent on this. Yes, over two full-time, 24 hour a day weeks of effort went into this stupid contest.
Imagine what could have been down with all that time and energy. Imagine how many sidewalks could have been cleaned. Imagine how much litter could have been picked up. Need a house built? It could have been done. Need thousands of flowers planted to beautify the town? That would have been no problem. I'm sure you can come up with all sorts of projects that could have been done with that much time and effort at your disposal.
Putting all that time and energy to use on just about anything else would have left Port Angeles with tangible results. But, once again, this experience has shown that it's not about results in Port Angeles. It's all about maintaining the carefully crafted and nurtured lies and illusions that keep the town stuck in the past, trapped in poverty, and, right now, quickly running out of both hope and water.
And money. Don't forget the city is also out of money.
ReplyDeleteYou know the old saying...Second place is the first loser.
ReplyDeleteTurns out top 2 P.A. and Chattanooga will be written up together in the Sept. issue. First time they've done that.
DeleteMy understanding is that they'll be writing about 15 towns from this round, not just the Top Two.
DeleteAnd don't forget those who posed as others to make negative comments. Shame.
ReplyDeleteThank you to all the people (whomever you are) who injected some honest insanity into this dishonest charade. Best town EVER? We're not even the best town on the Olympic Peninsula, frankly. In an honest assessment, Port Townsend and probably even Sequim could kick our ass.
DeleteAs has been pointed out so many times before, we have a LOT of work to do before we can compete with the real, modern world.
When you quantify it like this, maybe, just maybe, some of these gee whiz revitalize people might be able to see that this wasn't some "harmless fun." It was a harmful distraction from the business at hand, and a tremendous waste of time. Amazing!
ReplyDeletePort Angeles is clearly NOT ready for prime time, which, in the long run, is a good thing.
ReplyDelete"Winning" this would have been a terrible thing, long-term. Simply put, we're just not ready to dazzle or even mildly entertain visitors right now. Downtown is a graveyard, the Lincoln sits there abandoned, the sidewalks roll up at 6PM, we have no trees or sidewalks for walking around, etc. If we managed to get a whole influx of new people visiting with things as they are now, all we'd be doing is making a whole lot of BAD impressions. Those people would then go back home and say "don't bother!"
I don't think that's what the town wants, right?
We need to get our house in order before inviting others over to visit. We need more and better restaurants, we need a truly viable arts scene, we need a real nightlife, we need real youth and culture and energy. Right now we have precious little of any of those things.
Look at tiny little Port Townsend, just down the road. Go there any day or night - even during the work week - and you'll see tree-lined streets, busy shops, art, and people, people, people. THAT is what a successful town looks like, THAT is a town that could realistically hope to be competitive for being "the best town ever."
Port Townsend has quality of life. Lots of places do, small and large. Currently, we don't. If you don't believe me, ask NOAA. Or better yet, go look around downtown, or at an empty hotel parking lot. There's the real story, if you care to see it.
Yeah, but Port Townsend isn't a culinary wonderland. Nor is it more than a few hours on a sunny afternoon. The really GREAT beer hall was booted (and replaced with another over-priced shop). The really GREAT Undertown coffee shop was closed. The fantastic yarn store is gone, and vacant. Even the only good pulled pork in the area is gone.
DeletePort Townsend has some quality of life. It has it's own problems, too.
Now the whining about a hacked site is starting despite the very people here that were encouraging multiple votes by any means and spending their countless hours clicking away at it. I'm sure it was happening on both sides but it's still meaningless since it's statistically invalid.
ReplyDeleteI love how the PDN "reports" that there were "untrue" postings during this contest, when the ones I saw referenced articles or photos from...the PDN! So, which truth is the truth, Mr. Brewer? The real bad news, or the fake good news?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...
Two weeks??? God, how depressing!
ReplyDeleteMore to the point, how stupid!
"Funny" in reading the Revitalize lady go on about how people are calling to make reservations to come to Port Angeles as a result of the contest.
ReplyDeleteThese poor chumps are calling in response to a fraud. Like before, when people made three day reservations, came to Port Angeles, and left after one day.
As has been said over and over, there are hundreds and thousands passing by Port Angeles every day. Few stop.
Had to laugh reading the comments about fraud in voting. Really? Openly encouraging people in Port Angeles to sit at computers and vote for hours at the site is not fraudulent? What is a "win" if nobody but yourself will vote for you?
Yes, CK. What a colossal waste of time and resources.
And, the Elwha river level has dropped again, to 594 cfs today. Normal/average for this day is 2180.
And, hot weather is forecast. We'll see what happens over the next week.
The article only said that she had "heard of" people calling so I'm guessing it's just more of that group's false optimism.
DeleteThe Elwha River has dropped another 20 cfs in the last 4 hours!
DeleteNow at 575 cfs!
Unbelievable!
Couldn't the same thing be said of all you folks who see Port Angeles as doomed? How much time and effort have you invested into this one dimensional approach? It would be one thing if your criticism was intended to be constructive with hope for change - but I don't see much of that here. What I see is mostly people lashing out - ranting and raving. "How could anyone in their right mind think that Port Angeles is a good place to live?" When this blog started originally, I supported it and thought it was a good thing for the community. I no longer hold that view. Lord forbid that someone has a good life here. Don't you see how your bitterness has blinded you? Probably not.
ReplyDeleteBlinded, no. If anything this blog has opened our eyes to what's really going on and we're mad as hell that our supposed "leaders" are screwing us left and right. As individuals I'm guessing we all work hard to do what we can to improve upon our our own little piece of this area, but the flagrant abuse by those in power eventually is more than enough to wear anyone down.
DeleteDear Anon 11:30
DeleteWhat you are basically saying is the Revitalize party line: "If you say things that are negative about Port Angeles, we'll kick you out of the group".
That pointing out the way in which those who are spending millions of our collective resources are pursuing ill-advised schemes, is wrong.
That pointing out that, year after year, those in positions of responsibility are failing us, is wrong.
That to point out the flaws in the approaches being taken to address the many problems in Port Angeles, is wrong.
Of course some people in Port Angeles are enjoying their lives here. Are we to spend time patting them on their figurative backs, and congratulate them in their happiness?
But, even as the Lesley was cheerleading how great Port Angeles is, she offered NOTHING to that woman who saved that overdosing young man. She was in the audience. Not a "Thank you".
Obviously because talking about the heroin problem in Port Angeles' schools and among it's youth is not "positive".
Obviously, their desire to attract customers to their businesses has blinded them to the very real needs of very real people in Port Angeles, right here, right now. Our own youth.
Amen!!!!
DeleteBitterness? Blinded? Uh, no. Good life in Port Angeles? It's hard for me to see that, either, honestly.
DeleteBut maybe you're right. Maybe it's time to let go of this...blog, anyway. With that in mind, I have set it to self-destruct in three hours.
NOOOOOOOOO. CK we need this forum. We need you.
DeletePlease don't self-destruct it.
The whole issue of a click campaign was interesting. But, what is frightening is how it dissolved into accusations and paranoia, and pointing fingers and blaming. It just comes off as bad sportsmanship and sour grapes.
ReplyDeleteEven the PDN engaged in that, which is simply, totally, unbelievably crazy. Slander suits ...start your engines.
Crazy, yes, but not out of character.
DeleteAre these traits familiar to anyone reading this blog? They are from the 5th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and describe CK perfectly.
ReplyDeleteInvalidates, devalues or denigrates other, only focusing on flaws to feel safe in the world from which they are alienated.
Constantly driven to prove oneself.
Shows arrogant, rude or abusive behaviors or attitudes.
Gradiose sense of self-importance.
Preoccupied with the perception of their own success or brilliance.
Believes (s)he can only be understood or should associate with special or high-status people or institutions.
Is highly reactive to real or perceived criticism.
Habitually redirects unfavorable appraisals of themselves.
Oh dear...I love things like this. Forget those CSI shows, how about "Diagnosis: Online."
DeleteLOLOL! Pretty funny. And, telling.
DeleteInteresting how pointing out what clearly is not working in this town, getting viewed now as some kind of mental illness by this person?!?!?
What is the diagnosis for someone who consistently and aggressively blames their failures on every one else,
Who fails to recognize the reality of every day occurrences, but instead replaces these with inappropriate expressions of optimism predicated on self delusions?
Who defends and supports the very people creating them personal harm?
What does the DSM say about this, dear reader?
Wow, Anon @ 12:42 - trying to fit people into the DSM to suit your purposes is the very definition of what you're trying ot accuse CK of. Just reveals yourself for the troll you are and why we should give you less credence than anything else written here.
DeleteThe priorities shown by this town's civic leadership over the last month or so has been appalling. I won't waste my time helping any of them do anything. Doing so would only serve to validate them and their stupid and insensitive actions.
ReplyDeleteWith leadership like Port Angeles has, it is no wonder the town is in such deep trouble.
I agree. The City of Port Angeles and their Council should be ashamed. Private individuals used their own money to promote the contest, while our 'leaders' did very little. SHAME.
DeleteOh, as if that is true.
DeleteVirtually every "leader" in Port Angeles was completely preoccupied with getting people to vote as many times as possible in that stupid contest.
Get real, hunh?
More empty streets and sidewalks for this weekend, like the last ??? to put a final statement of how things really are in Port Angeles, after that stupid contest.
ReplyDeleteOh, man...After all the dirt that Tom Harper has slung for years, it's funny to see him suddenly so righteous and offended by someone who messed with a stupid online contest. Give me a break, Tom. You've launched more than one "caustic social media attack," and what happened with the dumb best town contest wasn't that.
ReplyDeleteAs for saying that the magazine's website was "hacked" simply because someone posted comments in a forum that was open to such fakery just shows how technologically clueless the Harpers are. When comments are open like they were in that contest, you don't "hack" a site to post - you just post. It's called spoofing, among other things, and it's no big hi-tech accomplishment - except maybe to the Harpers.