Tribune in Chicago just launched a new hyperlocal site today called Triblocal.com that encourages users to submit stories from nine communities, with more to come. Explains the Tribune, “The site, which will be largely unedited and self-policing, is designed to let citizens and organizations publish their own stories and post everything from high school team photos to favorite restaurant menus.” Triblocal.com also employs four of its own staff reporters to cover stories in those regions, and many of the stories from the site will be reverse-published to print. [Lost Remote]

This seems like a really good idea to me. There must be examples of radio stations trying similar things. I’m just not finding them.

Media Guerrilla has advice for companies or organizations trying to choose a ‘partner’ to help produce new media content. He has a series of questions to ask potential partners, including this one:

“How are they using new media in their business? It’s a fairly straight-forward question, right. Is the company or the consultant you’re talking to eating their own dog food? What you want to hear is of course yes, but I think what you also want to see is a degree of variety in how they’re active across the web. Having a personal blog, for example, is great, but at this point in the game, it’s practically a must-have. How else are they immersed?

Every so often, someone takes a run at putting their life online. Not just a blog, but “live video 24/7.” justin.tv has been live for 14 days, 12 hours and 18 minutes and justin vows to “wearth the camera until the day he dies.” These things always feel very stunt-like but I sort of understand the compulsion to put it all “out there.”

Yes, such efforts remind us how mundane our lives really are but so what. Isn’t this just the logical extention of reality shows (The Truman Show)? And if your life were really rich and full, you would not be reading this blog post about justin.tv. This is called the “My Life Isn’t As Interesting As I Think It Is Paradox.” [Thanks, Jason]

Someday in the not to distant future, our nursing homes (“long term care facilities”) will be filled with residents who spent a portion of their lives online. Email, web surfing, etc. They’ll expect/demand net access in this new phase of their lives. (I first posted on this in November, 2005)

If I owned such a facility, I’d install a fast DSL line, just for the residents. And a strong, wifi signal throughout.

I’d invite family members to equip mom or dad with a computer if they wanted and I’d have a procedure in place to make sure access was restricted to that resident and that the computer didn’t walk off (a problem with valuables in many such facilities). I’d arrange to have some computers in the day room that anyone could use.

I’d invite high schools students to take part in a program to show the residents how to use the Internet. Help them send/receive/read email from family members. Send photos back to their loved ones around the country.

I’d put webcams on a couple of the computers in the Day Room (or whatever it’s called). Yes, I know there are privacy issues, but I’d find a way to deal with that. And I’d encourage family members to video chat with their loved ones. Wouldn’t have to be long or involved, just a short “visit” with a familiar face/voice.

All of this is going to happen eventually. But some enlightened, well-run facility has the opportunity to be a leader in this space. The winners are: the resident; the family of the resident; the young people who share their knowledge and –perhaps– get some wisdom in return; and the facility that has improved the lives (if only for a few minutes) of their residents.

Disclosure: My wife, Barb, is a long-term health care attorney and many of her clients own or operate such facilities. But the idea for this post comes from my own interest in all things online and the time I spent visiting my father in such a facility.