Thursday, November 6, 2014

BAY AREA NEWS GROUP (BANG) Pages on Facebook (#2)

Posted:  6 Nov 14

Change #1: 6 Nov -- added link to "Pittsburg/Bay Point News" FB page in par. 3
Change #2: 6 Nov -- added request for information about sites of FREE printed newspaper extracts. in subpara. 4.3, for the various communities served


Want a superb, easy link into the "heart-beat" of many San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) communities -- and the world, at large?  




1.  Purpose

To help publicize useful links into the array of informational products and services offered to the public by the Bay Area News Group (BANG) -- which are instantly available on Facebook.

This bulletin is an accumulator to gather together, acquire, and deliver an increasing number of useful information-fragments. As more information on this topic comes to hand, I will reflect it here (opportunity permitting) and indicate the change by adding a revision number in the very title of this bulletin -- so you can tell whether something significant has changed since your last visit.


2.  Background

This morning, I "discovered" the BANG Facebook page and realized that it contains a wealth of static and dynamic information which could prove invaluable to those interested in SF Bay Area affairs.  Theirs is another human contribution well worth celebrating and incorporating into the life-routine.

Society is still learning what to make of this glorious "Internet Revolution" -- and is doing a great job of figuring it out.  Here is more proof.


3.  Bay Area News Group (BANG) - (click here for their main FB page)
  
"BANG daily newspapers include the following -- most of which are published as local editions of the San Jose Mercury News" [

The following are FB links to this publisher's product-service mix, extracted from their FB "About" page -- a few hyperlinks were missing, but that was an easy fix -- so all should serve a single mouse-click from here]:
These were not on the list, but I've taken the liberty of adding them:

  • West County Times -- The West County Times is a Bay Area News Group publication that covers West Contra Costa County in California, including the cities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Pinole, San Pablo, Crockett, El Sobrante and Hercules.
  • Pittsburg-Bay Point News -- "The Pittsburg News is inserted into the East County Times for subscribers. [Also] Free copies [in print] can be found at various locations in Pittsburg and at the Bay Point BART station." [check inside the "newspaper street-boxes" -- Fridays, I think -- at places like near the entrance to Country Waffles on Atlantic Ave, Pittsburg]


4.  Some Interesting Features about these pages
In no way do I have the time nor resources to examine many of my "discoveries" in depth -- yet.  No hope of always discerning useful patterns, immediately.  I'll tell you some of what I've found, so far (so you won't have to wait) but with no sure knowledge in me that the findings are consistent throughout all their offerings -- but might be.  You'll have to help me and discover those yourselves.  But, at least you're aware of what I have learned, so far, and what may also be true elsewhere:
   4.1  In the "Photo" section of the page -- images that are replicas of the printed pages.  Click them and you get a closer look at the front pages -- which tells you what they covered, which you can then investigate further, if you desire.  FURTHERMORE, on mouse-click, not only do you get a closer view, you get a bullet-list of the edition's high-points! FANTASTIC!!

   4.2  The "Timeline" or "News Feed" -- which is where you instantly see the running accumulation of comments (theirs and ours) about their published articles -- newest comment on top.  As you scan down the page, like scanning a magazine -- you will see stories they wish to call to our attention.  When you click these, you are taken to the actual stories, themselves.  A very efficient way to quickly see what is going on and what needs to be examined more deeply. 
NOT ONLY THAT -- YOU CAN ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION OF THE TOPIC, RIGHT THERE (what a splendid chance to communicate with our neighbors, throughout the SFBA -- and even the world!)
   4.3  Free printed inserts -- which are exact duplicates of a community's section as contained in the main printed newspaper -- may be offered to other communities, besides Pittsburg/Bay Point (see para 3., above).  
Reader action request.  Please comment, for the benefit of all, below this bulletin (Thanks!):
  • If you know of this free service within your community (yea or nay) and/or
  • If you know an exact pick-up location, so residents can access them and/or
  • If you have other suggestions, observations, feelings, etc. to offer to help improve things at this end.




So, this is the beginning of an investigation 
-- not a final-final.


David Nelson



All Original Content © 2014, The MENTOR Enterprises / ELMS, All Rights Reserved. BUT, I hereby waive those rights, to this extent: You may freely copy and pass this along -- and are urged to do so -- as long as it's all done free of charge, unchanged, you include this statement, AND you inform me as to how it is being used -- at YOUR convenience but, hopefully soonest.

No comments:

Post a Comment