New In Box Etiquette: Put yourself on the map

The last week or so we've had what appear to be a lot of comments to the In Box from outside the North Country -- and frankly, from outside our extended community.

All are welcome, obviously. But to clarify and shape the discussion here, I want to encourage commenters to say where you're from.

Tupper Lake? Massena? Glens Falls? Moscow or Washington DC?

Why does it matter where you're writing from?

On big national debates -- healthcare, the environment, etc. -- we've been getting more "political Spam."

That is, comments from people from outside our region who are spraying the internet with pre-canned, pre-chewed opinions.

(We first saw a lot of his during the Murphy-Tedisco race. A bunch more popped up after last week's climate change vote...)

Some are not really participating in the discussion here; others are simply uninformed about the issues and realities that shape life here in the North Country.

A second reason for outing yourself geographically is that we're big believers in the importance of place. Frankly, we're curious to know which parts of the region are joining the In Box conversation.

Again, this doesn't disqualify anyone. And this particular bit of etiquette is optional.

But if you end your comment by saying "writing from Potsdam" or "writing from Saranac Lake" we'll know where to place you on our mental maps.

Like this:

--writing from Westport