What the fuck is an "ecoroof"? That would be an awesome lede to your story.

Journalism/Writing 101; define your terms and possibly unfamiliar concepts.

Good point. Here's a link, for your (and others') edification: http://www.brownfield.org/bps/index.cfm?a=…

Ali, don't just post a link to something. I know how to Google things. I think you should do a bit of editing on your post and describe what an ecoroof is. It will draw the reader in, rather than leaving them out.

Also, your first link to the BES website isn't the best link you could have used. This one would be better as it actually involves the topic directly: http://www.portlandonline.com/BES/index.cf…

And this is a comprehensive guide to ecoroofs: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cf…

Graham. Be nicer. Thanks.

Matt, I'm providing constructive criticisms and providing research and that sort of stuff. I would imagine that this would be your job, but you're busy harassing our mayor on his weekend off.

Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were trying to be helpful.

I for one, am happy that the Mercury assumes that I'm smarter than the average American, and doesn't have to waste half the story telling me what a freaking eco-roof is, [or how to get a tour of the one on the central library,] and just jumps right in. If some people have trouble with that, they are free to google it, but leave the story as it is for the rest of us. Thanks.

@Matthew, what you're arguing isn't intelligence; instead whether or not the reader is erudite on the current topic. I can guess what an ecoroof is, but the article wasn't clear and the picture posted was of a sidewalk-level stormwater runoff catcher-thing (the proper term is eluding me at the moment).

bioswale.

And getting back to the point: I'm fairly sure that the people that would think that $5/sq foot subsidy was interesting, know the difference. If they have define the terms in the article, then the headline should be changed too, since the subsidy will need to be put in context.

On the other hand: Why? The Mercury is written and read by smart people. And the other people can google it.

Matthew and Matt are right! And, as I've pointed out before, this is a blog! I want to see small bits of breaking news type things, sort of informally. Graham, you're looking for some kind of very formal, polished, multi-draft, peer reviewed articles. Go somewhere else.

@Reymont, I'm looking for the writer to link to what they said they were linking to. I want the writer to show some craft and some understanding of the methods for journalism. If we don't critique the intern, the intern will think that the behaviors she's engaging in are acceptable. Also, you might not realize this... but 1/3 of the posts on /b/town end up printed in some form in the Mercury.

So this is actually part of the peer-review process. This is where the problems and mistakes get taken care of. Ms. Hallett and company do a good job of editing the print version, but they do not have the time nor the inclination to edit the blog. That is why there are asshole trolls like me, we point out the failures and do a Nelson laugh. It's an ecosystem. We're the worms fixing the nitrogen into the soil.

@Graham - that's the standard line of all critics: "I complain because otherwise they won't get better!" What everyone else is telling you in this thread, though, is that your efforts aren't wanted here. I DON'T want them to make the changes you're suggesting, your efforts are rude, and I don't believe you really DO want them to get better - you just like complaining. Get your news somewhere else; the intent of this blog clearly doesn't match what you're looking for.

Sorry, Reymont. I agree with Graham. If a writer puts up a link, it should actually work.

@Reymont, there are two people who think the article is fine as is. You and Matthew. Both of you obviously already know ecoroofs and bioswales and all that are. You're already invested in the topic. The reason that no one else is posting is due to a failure of the writer to draw in an outside audience.

I feel that she could have done so by posting better links, a relevant photo and by a brief explenation of what the various things were. And really the headline and the lede as written have just about nothing to do with the remainder of the article.

@Graham: There are at least three people who like the article. Reymont, me, and (hopefully) Ali "the Intern" Reingold.

@Graham: Me, Matthew D, Matt Davis, and Ali. That's four.

@ujfoyt: The link posted worked just fine, and took you to the top-level page of BES. Graham loves to complain, so he suggested that Ali link to a deeper page in the same website. He's wrong, it should definitely be the "who we are" page.

@Reymont At what point did Matt Davis provide any feedback (positive or negative) in regards to this blog post? And counting the author of the blog in the positive column is hella disengenuous. Linking to the BES website was just about as helpful as linking to Google.

@Graham: Your main point seems to be to get people to be involved in the story. In that regard, Ali seems to have succeeded, since there are 19 comments on this story, compared to 0 on the one about air pollution in N Portland. If that isn't success, what is?

This is all very amusing. I knew what an ecoroof was/is, I read the story, I figured out the issue with the link, and sent this article to a friend who is thinking about installing an ecoroof. I found the article informative. 'Nuff said. (@Graham: "I believe I have said enough.")