Politicians monitor the 'bloggers'

Politicians monitor the 'bloggers' -- People used to say to me when I started up the Portadown News, you better keep your head down, you're going to get into trouble Mark Devenport, BBC Northern Ireland political editor

Newton Emerson, who edits the satirical web site, the Portadown News, sees this partial abandonment of anonymity as a breakthrough.

"People used to say to me when I started up the Portadown News, you better keep your head down, you're going to get into trouble," he says.

"But that hasn't been the case and I think people are beginning to realise that you can speak your mind in Northern Ireland 10 years after the ceasefires and not get a kicking."

Well, I'm not entirely convinced of his last comment, but overall, blogs provide a forum for discussion. The problem in Canada is that discussion is verboten. You may discuss the fine shades of Liberal/liberal thought, but everything else is frowned upon. There is a lesson in this -- before t is too late for Canadians to express anything. Figure it out. NJC