Time to join the modern world

THERE has been a lot of engagement following our story last week that a number of Argyll and Bute councillors have asked members of the public not to post comments on social media – ie, Facebook – but to put pen to paper and write to them instead by ‘snail mail’.

One councillor related an instance where more than 60 comments were posted about problems in Soroba but only one person had written to her with an old-fashioned letter. The councillor added that as soon as she received the letter, she acted by setting up a meeting.

But if she was aware of the problem previously because of social media, why did she not act sooner?

I can certainly sympathise from the narrow perspective of how unpleasant it can be when people are posting sniping critiques online and it true to say that some individuals can be unacceptably vitriolic and use inappropriate language.

But the bottom line is that social media is a modern phenomenon and is not going away any time soon.

It is a huge hit with countless millions of people who communicate in mass numbers as never before. Rather than asking for the bus to stop, maybe these councillors should try to see where it is heading.