Bruins Trading Card - What happened?

Dozens of Globe readers have called or written this office asking what happened to the Boston Bruins trading card coupon that was supposed to run in last Sunday's Globe (3/26/06).

The coupon had been heavily promoted in the newspaper announcing that readers could find it in the 3/26/06 Sunday Globe, cut it out and redeem it at a local retailer, like Stop & Shop or Store24.
But the coupon didn't appear in the Sunday paper. Many angry parents called or wrote to ask why the coupon didn't appear in the Globe, saying that their children were "very disappointed" in the Globe.

The Globe switchboard received dozens of phone calls. So did the ombudsman's office.

Michael Seegers, a retail sales manager for the Globe, offered an explanation in an email on Monday (3/27), saying that "something happened in the Design/Display Desk where the coupon ad did not run but a half-page promo ad ran instead." Seegers offered apologies to all frustrated readers.

For those readers who live in or near Boston, Seegers added, the ad that appeared in Sunday's paper can be used at local participating retailers to get the first trading card sheet (Stop & Shop, L'il Peach, Tedeschi's, Store24). For those who live further away from Boston, Seegers said the correct coupon will appear in this Sunday's Globe (4/2/06).

A note to readers in the newspaper explaining the error would have been helpful, such as the corrections or clarifications that run on page A2. Even if this error was not about journalism, Globe readers were expecting something heavily promoted by the paper and didn't receive it. They deserved an explanation.

Does a criminal deserve so much publicity?

The last thing Kevin Weeks needs from the Globe's ombudsman is more publicity for his just-released book, but the angry reaction from some readers over the amount of ink and airtime he got from the newspaper and its website deserves attention.

Weeks, a former lieutenant to South Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger, is out of prison and out peddling a book about his life and times as a mobster doing the dirty work for Boston's most notorious and mysterious gangster.
But some readers wondered whether a convicted murderer deserved to be treated as a cause celebre by the Globe. In addition to the book review and lengthy news story written by veteran crime reporter Shelley Murphy, who arranged an interview with Weeks, there were items in the Globe's gossip columns (about his book signings) and mentions in columns by Brian McGrory and Alex Beam.
Weeks was also invited to participate in an online chat on boston.com.
Too much PR for a thug?

I'm certain that some consideration was given to the propriety of running a story on Kevin Weeks in the Globe, as part of what is apparently a publicity campaign for his new book.
I urge you to think again, giving more time to reflect upon the families of his victims, including those who were intimidated into giving up businesses, houses, money ... etc. Shame on you all. It is disheartening that the Globe would stoop to this for what must be a very small amount of click-through revenue with Amazon. Story here
Kevin Weeks is famous because he inflicted substantial damage on society, given that he is but one person. THAT is the story -- not the graphic detail of some lurid tell-all.
It is embarrassing, and sad that this is what it's come to: stories pitched by book publicists, instead of thought up by editors. Since that seems to be lacking, here's my idea for a follow-up story:
* A report on how newspapers shape public perceptions of criminal behavior by focusing on the spectacle of the crimes, instead of the impact; (your ongoing series on Boston's skyrocketing homicide rate is far better journalism);
* Some detail on the amount of Mr. Weeks' book advance;
* the discrepancy between Mr. Weeks' current financial situation and that of a random selection of 10 of his victims
I'm not going to hold my breath on such a public mea culpa; but I do hope it deprives you of a little sleep, and creates unease for your conscience.
No more puff pieces on violent criminals raking it in through book contracts, please.
Dan Sutton
Massachusetts

Weeks's story is compelling enough to write about but the amount of space he got last week from the Globe and Boston.com seemed excessive. But it should be noted that this wasn't some coordinated campaign by the newspaper. Columnists like McGrory and Beam often decide for themselves what to write about and they often address news-related events and people.

What I found most troubling about the Weeks story was that the online version provided a live link by clicking on the book's name in the story to Amazon.com, where readers could then purchase the book. The story did disclose to the reader that Boston.com received a small percentage of each sale made through the link.

I've asked directors at Boston.com to more fully explain this affiliation and the decision to put the link in the text of a story (which would never appear in the newspaper). I haven't been able to get anyone here to comment publicly, but the general message has been that the link is a way to make it easier for readers to buy the book if they want.

While I understand that much of the internet's appeal is convenience, I think the idea of providing a link in the text of a news story is not a good journalistic practice. It can easily leave readers wondering whether the reporter (or the Globe) is trying to promote sales of the book (or whatever else is being offered for sale).
There are other ways of offering readers convenience - all of them should be separate from the text of a news story to prevent any chance for confusion or misinterpretation by the reader.

What the readers say...

My apologies for not posting this sooner, but better late than never. This is last week's highlights of readers' comments to the Ombudsman about stories (or lack thereof) in the Globe. This compilation is distributed to all of the Globe's journalists and executives via email. I may not necessarily agree with a particular argument that a reader makes, but think it's important these comments are seen.

What They Say
March 11, 2006
More than a few readers wondered angrily why the Globe didn't cover last weekend's large conference of Catholic women and men at the convention center. Others commented on a James Carroll op-ed on Hurricane Katrina. Some readers had questions and observations on the Globe's coverage of the Catholic Charities' decision to end adoptions.
And, as always, there were comments about the Sunday comics. Here come the highlights, some of which have been lightly edited.

No coverage of the Catholic conference
How dismayed I was to read the Sunday Globe (3/5) and find no mention of either the Catholic Women or Catholic Men's Conferences held in South Boston on 3/3 and 3/4!! The paper had plenty to say on the Bishops gay ban on adoptions and included many letters on the subject but not a mention of these well-attended conferences. How could this be?? How quickly negative comments are included regarding the Catholic Church but when over 3000 Catholic women and over 5000 Catholic men attend these conferences, not a paragraph was printed on it in the Globe. Perhaps some people would like to hear that Cardinal-elect O'Malley received a ten-minute standing ovation-or that you could hear a pin drop each time Fr. Corapi spoke or that Scott Hahn interpreted the Our Father for all explaining it like no one else could. We get so tired of all the negative press and comments when there is so much positive going on in the Catholic Church. Why don't you try reporting on this?
Carol Brown
Marshfield, MA

By neglecting to cover the 2006 Boston Catholic Women's and Men's conferences, which took place at the convention center in South Boston this weekend, you missed an opportunity to serve your readers. Over 8,500 men and women attended this year's conferences. The featured speakers, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. John Corapi, were all great. I would not be surprised to see the attendance at next year's conferences approach 20,000 men and women. It will be a great marketing opportunity; you should buy a booth.
Bill Redmond
Massachusetts

A few hundred dissident Catholics from across the country gathered in Indiana last July for the Voice of the Faithful national convention, and the meeting received prominent coverage by the Globe. Yet when 8,500 faithful Catholics men and women of all ages gathered Friday and Saturday in Boston to hear some of the best Catholic preachers in the world talk about defending the faith, not a word appeared on the pages of Boston's most widely-read daily newspaper. Are the Globe's editors and writers only interested in criticizing the Catholic Church and reporting on dissent? The Globe owes those of all faiths an explanation for this egregious oversight.
Mary Jane Davis
Brookline, MA

Every time I begin to wonder if the Globe is going to do something that will help it shake its well-earned reputation for anti-Catholic, anti-Christian bigotry-- the Globe does something that makes it supremely easy to convince even non-Catholics and atheists of the Globe's inherent twisted attitude toward the NEWS.
Let's see, front page headlines with clearly slanted pro-gay coverage smacking of editorials for days, BUT not one reporter available to go down the expressway to see over 3000 Catholic women and well over 5000 Catholic men meet in support of traditional Catholicism at the South Boston Convention center.
Of course the Herald's coverage was no bargain. Everyone from our parish who was there is now convinced by their own eyes and ears that when it comes to coverage of Catholic events, the media is either totally incompetent--as reporters--or steeped in an abysmal bigotry that keeps them from reporting accurately.
Oh well! a few more people convinced to go to internet sites and drop their purchasing of sources that can't report the NEWS fairly or evenly.
Deacon John M. Bresnahan
Holy Family Parish
Lynn, MA

Catholic Charities and adoptions…
The stories about Catholic Charities dropping their adoption services are missing some important information that would help the reader get perspective Story here. How many adoptions take place per year in the state, how many of those have been handled by Catholic Charities, and who handles the rest of them? Are some of them handled by a state agency? How much does it cost taxpayers (Federal and state) per adoption for Catholic Charities to arrange them? If the state is doing some of this work, how much does that cost per adoption? Has anyone studied the results of adoptions handled by whatever agencies, to see if religious groups and public agencies get similar results in the longer term?
Robert Walsh
Hingham, MA

I am wondering if you believe that the Globe bears any of the responsibility for those hard to place foster children who will no longer be placed in adoptive families due to the decision by the Catholic Church to stop their adoption services. Catholic Charities was placing children with gay parents for years. By the Boston Globe's account, they represented less than 2% of the adoptions placed.
Because the Globe wanted to be provocative and draw attention to it, the end result is now that hundreds of children will not have access to adoptive parents.
I fully understand and support the public's right to know and the press' responsibility to protect that, but with that right comes the responsibility to not report in a reckless manner. There was no public interest served by exposing this story. the only interest was the Globe's financial interest. I am sure you can assuage the Globe's collective conscience by claiming there is some higher journalistic purpose served by what you did, but at the end of the day, each of you is responsible for making many children's lives worse.
Sleep well
Andrew Brennan
No location given

Bush, Carroll and Katrina…
I sent this letter below to the editor today concerning a column by John Carroll. I will not repeat what I said in the letter, but I will note again, that the column contains several serious misrepresentations of facts that should be corrected. Column here. The Associated Press which originally released the videotape that Mr. Carroll discusses, recently (Saturday, I believe) issued a correction to its original story about it. In the original story, the AP said the video shows the President being informed that the levees were vulnerable to being breeched, or broken, contrary to what Bush later said. After many people, including AP newspaper subscribers, complained that the video demonstrated no such thing, the AP issued a correction, admitting that no official on the video presented such a warning to the President. Instead, Max Mayfield was only heard saying that water might overtop the levees, much as water might flow over a bathtub, not break or breech them. The President, therefore, did not "lie," as Mr. Carroll claims.
Mr. Carroll, unfortunately (or perhaps deliberately) relied upon the first AP story and ignored the correction, leading one to believe he never saw the video and just regurgitated the AP's discredited original story. This clearly demands a correction on the Globe's part.
Opinions are one thing. Factual misrepresentations or falsehoods are another.
Jerome L. Sternstein
Hawley, MA

I wish to protest Mr. Carroll's irresponsible and mendacious article today in the Globe. The president has been widely reported in all quotes on the matter as having been briefed that levees in New Orleans were "vulnerable" so there is one small item of truth to this hatchet job. What they were vulnerable to depended on the exact track the hurricane took and it's strength when it reached the vicinity of New Orleans - and the main concern was overtopping. This, in turn, is certainly one mode of failure, but distinct from breaching.
I cannot in honesty tell you this lowers my esteem for your paper. I have none.
R.C.Edwards

The Bush videotape does not show Bush not knowing about the levees breaking. He is told that there is a possibility they may be topped, but that NO was OK. What in this narrative does James C. want Bush to do, go and say STOP WATER??? By the way, levees topped are not the same thing as being breached. Please look both words up in the dictionary so you will know the difference. AP has apologized for getting the story wrong. I think the Boston Globe needs to do so also.
Ada Costey
Massachusetts

More on Sunday comics…
Not sure you are the person to contact, but I want to voice my complaint about the new format of the Sunday funnies.
The Globe is compromising the integrity of the illustrations with the change of the proportions. The distortion is disturbing and the stacked layout is choppy and harder to follow as well.
Ann Desmarais
Amherst, NH

This is the second Sunday in which four comics were squished sideways to fit two across in the comic section. Please Stop This! It's really irritating to look at and read.
Stonewall Ballard
Concord, MA

Bring back At Home…
I think it would be well worth considering returning to the At Home section rather than Style, which seems to validate a sort of empty consumerism that has grown in our time. What I liked especially about At Home was the advice on child rearing, and the Confidential Chat. As a career counselor for many years, I have witnessed the social change that has brought women into all levels of the workplace. If the child is father to the man, the father, or grown-up adult, often behaves and thinks much the same way as s/he did before Barbara Meltz arose to explain us to ourselves, and to help us help children understand themselves and the world.
And Confidential Chat recreates the old-fashioned sense of neighborly advice swapping. How about resurrecting Tips for Teens?
Who has time and motivation to follow Martha Stewart? Many, doubtless, or she wouldn't be where she is. But please reconsider At Home.
Diane Neal Emmons
Manchester, MA

Who speaks for youth?
A few months back, I wrote to you about an op-ed piece from an Endicott College student who wrote about apathy and how owning an iPod makes you uncaring Op-ed here. In publishing this piece, I believe the Globe misrepresented youth and as a young adult I was angered and dismayed by this portrayal.
Well, in the publishing of the recent op-ed about Jon Stewart destroying politics for youth, I believe the Globe once again misrepresented young people by printing such a silly contribution from a recent college grad. Op-ed here. Who makes the decision to print a contribution that claims Jon Stewart and his fans "Sit upon an ivory tower", but the author himself comes off so incredibly arrogant, the result is just ridiculous. He quotes Alexis de Tocqueville for crying out loud. For the past 4 days, I have not talked to one person that thought that this guy has a point. Obviously the Globe wanted to print something about Jon Stewart because he was hosting the Oscars, but this?
Please tell the Globe editorial staff to be fairer to young writers by printing thoughtful and insightful pieces. Not ones that are timely to an awards show.
Adam Reinke
Massachusetts

Settlers or Squatters?"Settlers" are people who live on land legally. "Squatters" are people who live on land illegally. Since Israelis who live on Palestinian land are there in defiance of International Law, they are properly called "squatters." Every country but Israel thinks that they are squatters. Every time you or articles you print misuse the word settlers to refer to these squatters, you and they validate and, in effect, lobby for Israel's self-serving and illegal seizures of another people's land. Is this what you want to do?
Bob Krasnansky
Ellicott City, MD

The War Chest…
I don't understand the Globe's use of the term "war chest." Story here ) It is often used whenever political campaigns are described and was used on to describe the political assets of Marty Meehan. Why is it a war chest? Is there a war?
Josh Violette
Sedona, AZ

The Microsoft advertorial…
When the Globe began its NEW policy of allowing corporate folks to use the editorial page of the Globe as their personal blog what we got to today was bound to happen - Microsoft flogging us with a personal appreciation of how wonderful they are. When you gave the space over to New England Home, etc I had no problem but when you give the space over to Microsoft - and I assume they paid for the privilege - we have reached a low. What's next? Philip Morris telling us how much they are doing to end lung cancer and keep children from smoking? This is the problem when you rent your front porch.
Microsoft has enough money to buy a full page ad anywhere in the Globe. When Bill Gates gives his fortune to helping with medical issues such as AIDS/HIV or malaria through his foundation that is one thing, but this editorial page selling is another.
Jeff Seifert
Medford, MA

Something good?
I know that the front page "sells" papers and therefore your paper covers all the "nasty" stuff of the day on that page. What I would like to see is at least one page devoted to good deeds and good news like the man blinded when a youngster and sightless for 17 years --with the help of modern science using stem cells regained his sight--wonderful uplifting news. I am so tired of the negative news that occurs in the media --not only in newspapers but on TV as well. Help bring some of the good that goes on in the world to the public who are sick and tired of the downbeat approach presently in use.
Bob Milstone
North Andover, MA

What They Say 3/4/06

It's been a while since the last Ombudsman's blog entry. My apologies. I'll try to be more consistent with entries.

Here is the latest version of my weekly report for all Globe journalists and executives of the highlights of feedback from Globe readers from the past week. I will try to post this on the Ombudsman's blog so that readers can see what other readers are saying about the Globe. This is the way the report looks when I distribute it to the staff.

What They Say
March 4, 2006
The comments from readers this week varied from reaction to the Ombudsman's column on letters to the editor to new complaints about the quality of newsprint and production. Some readers complained about the comics - both daily and Sunday. Others commented on the early coverage of the Dubai Ports story There were also some nice comments.
The highlights follow, with some light editing for length.

Letters, letters, letters…
When I saw your Ombudsman article on letters to the editor in today's Sunday Globe (2/26), I thought you might address an issue I have wondered about. Since you didn't, I thought I would write.
If my memory is correct, I have written five letters to the editors of the Globe over a period of about 10 years. Two have been published. On those two occasions, I was surprised and angered to see the extent to which my writing had been edited. I can understand editing to correct spelling or grammar or to shorten a letter that is too long. For both published letters, I found that your editors changed my words much more significantly than that. Words were changed. Sentences were left out or reordered. The meaning was not the same as what I wrote.
I write a lot in my work. I am used to being edited and am not particularly sensitive about people changing what I have written. On the other hand, I always get the final say when something is going out over my name. I understand that the Globe needs to take responsiblity for the quality of things it prints. The obvious power you maintain is not to print the letters I send you. It is not proper for you to change my words and publish them as mine without my permission. I understand that I was warned that my words would be edited. I assumed that it would be done respectfully. When I found that it was not, I stopped writing.
(Note: the writer requested that his name not be published and this letter was not edited.)

Why not post all electronic letters received unedited on a special web page. its cheap and more and more readers read the globe electronically.
Geoff Mitchell
Exeter, NH

Your column I found to be very interesting and informative. And may I presume to suggest another basic rule for the new letters editor: If the content of a news item or column is derogatory towards and individual or organization, that he give priority to publishing a letter in defense of that individual or organization. The Globe has been very lax in this regard in the past. Omitting such is rather like striking someone who has his hands tied behind his back. The rule also helps insure that the original writer will be careful about his facts.
Richard F. Russo
Arlington, MA

Thank you for taking the time to give more insight into the Globe's criteria for printing letters. I just think it strange that in all my years of reading the Globe, I have seen plenty letters which are consistent with the Globe's ideology. I have only seen one intelligent, well written, clearly "conservative" letter in the Globe, such as I can see in papers like the USA today, etc. Which is not surprising, since from the way conservatives (especially those of the Christian genre), are often depicted in the Globe, it does not consider that there are any articulate, intelligent conservatives out there (Jeff Jacoby being a token exception).
I have written over a dozen with not even an acknowledgment (since about 2002), while the Metro (yes, I know who owns them) has printed a high percentage of the few I sent. I am not whining, just pointing out that while the Globe seems to consider itself an objective-reporting medium, its selection of stories and letters reveal something quite different.
Dan from Chelsea

I am a firm believer of the reader being able to express his/her views. I read the Letters to the Editor and The Ombudsman religiously.
The readers of the Herald and the Globe may represent two different points of view. I f the Globe receives many letters supporting their views I don't think that they should be dismissed. The 'opposition' may have their letters published with no 'right on' letters, leading the reader to believe that there are no other readers who may share the views of the article or opinion piece.
Perhaps a better approach would be to say, at the conclusion of letters on a certain subject, is that "we have received X letters in opposition and X letters in support; and we have published a representative sample." To deny supporters the ability to be heard is wrong.
Angus Crowe
Dover, MA

Creases, curls and folds…
I have written several letters, none have been printed or answered, perhaps because they have been critical of The Globe.
First, the manufacturing quality has become very poor, I never get a paper without pleats, tears, blank pages or pages stuck together at the top, when is the Globe going to invest in new equipment to print a first class newspaper. Second, the sports department does not seem to be aware that there are High School sports north of Boston and in particular the existence of a Northeast Conference.
Myron S. Stone
Swampscott, MA

Now that the winter Olympics are over, I can get back to my favorite winter sport - curling. No, not the one on ice, but my newspaper. Obviously in an effort to save money on paper, the Globe is using an inferior paper product. No sooner is the paper out of the plastic bag it is delivered in, it does its best imitation of the Dead Sea scrolls. It has been very noticeable in the last few months. I am sure you are not going back to the old thicker paper, but I do not seem to have a similar problem with the NY Times. Do they save the best paper for themselves and leave us the dregs? I am sure I am not the only person to have noticed this.
Jeff Seifert
Medford, MA

Just want to voice my dissatisfaction with continuing issues with the Sidekick section, and with the comics page of the Sunday Globe.
Sidekick is never folded correctly. The crease is about 1/2 inch away from where it should be, resulting in uneven tails, and sometimes obscures part of a column or comic. When it first came out, I figured you just needed a little time to get the kinks out. But it's gone on long enough now... It just looks like you don't care.
You've really messed up the Sunday comics page. Last week some of the comics were barely legible, as they were noticeably squeezed and distorted to fit into a small area. What's is the purpose here? I shouldn't need a magnifying glass or a fun-house lens to read the comics. Layout needs work.
Long time reader, maybe not for much longer.
Steve
Littleton, MA

As a faithful home delivery subscriber for 40 years, I'd like to pitch a small beef about the recently added "SIDEKICK" section. With all your newspaper experience and ingenuity can't you fold the section along the center seam? It is very awkward to hold for reading or doing the puzzles when it is always a quarter to a half-inch off center. (Today it was 3/4 inch off.)
Frederick C. Richardson
Lincoln, MA

Dubai story coverage
The Globe has lost its ability to follow news stories. The fact that you have treated the P&O port security issue as a an Associated press story proves that fact. Ted Bridis article was hardly informative - retread of SOME of the facts- it was neither a factual BALANCED report or opinion it was a waste of the readers time. We expect better but you seemed to think that Ann Romney's travels around the US was a more important story. Is there anyone left in the mainstream media that wants to report on a news story or have you guys decided that to write a real news story is some how NOT profitable. Please at least make an attempt to report real front-page news, your current paper is a poor example of a once great news organization.
Bill Win

Comics comments…
Comics are about pictures and words. Why is the Globe scrunching up the comics so it can save one sheet of paper? If you mess with the comics you know you are going to lose circulation.
Michael Biales

PLEASE, PLEASE, stop, and I mean STOP, doing the idiotic things you've been doing to the comics. Most recently, someone who clearly has no background in graphic design, perhaps the same someone who has been making all of the fantastically bad layout decisions on the e comics pages, decided it would be good to use non-proportional scaling on comics such as Curtis, Jump Start, Rose is Rose, and Adam@Home. What a vapid, misguided, and broken idea. THIS IS NOT WHAT I PAY MY INFLATED SUBSCRIPTION RATE FOR.
I am a subscriber, and have been for years, because I want to be able to read the newspaper, including the comics, not because I want to torture my eyes.
You, sirs, are doing an excellent job of alienating your subscribers. It's as if you are doing it intentionally, as if you WANT to drive your newspaper into the ground.
J. Pezaris
Cambridge, MA

I have exchanged emails with your predecessors and decided not to bother you guys any more about Mr. Tinsley and his Duck (Mallard Fillmore 2/27). Then today's entry appeared and I wonder again if anyone at the Globe reads his stuff. The idea that it is appropriate in this era to actually PRIINT in the "Comics" section a vignette including the prospect of "Beheading Jay Leno" just seems callous beyond redemption. At the same moment that the country is holding its breath about Jill Carroll . . . Today's Tinsley is just too repulsive.
Just put him on the editorial page, please. I would not want to stifle him.
Dan Langdale

Can you please add another comics page to your paper, featuring some of the best comics that the Boston Herald has eliminated like: Hi & Lois, Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Cathy, Peanuts, Andy Capp, Lockhorns, and Rex Morgan? I loved those strips and now I can't find them in either of these papers. Or could you at least find a way to include these in your paper. Chicago and Los Angeles allowed some of these comics to come back into their papers, you should be able to do that too.
Mike Popp
Massachusetts

What would Foghorn do?
We've just been immersed in two weeks of Olympics coverage on NBC from Torino, Italy. Yet the Boston Globe persists in calling Torino "Turin", the name that xenophobic Brits gave this city centuries ago. They also called Livorno, Italy "Leghorn". Perhaps they couldn't handle the real names of the places, or they just wanted to put their imprint on those nasty foreign names.
However, after the Olympics, Torino has become much more a part of us today. Isn't it time the Globe changed its style sheet to call Turin "Torino"?
Sam Coulbourn
Rockport, MA

What's a "plonk?"
I'm writing this email as a means of clarifying an apparent misunderstanding on your part, in reference to your "plonk of the week" wine article.
I work in wine retail in the south end of Boston. every week many of my customers come in with your article seeking the weeks newest bargain wines. While I applaud your efforts in informing the public of today's wide range of good inexpensive wines, you are misusing the word "plonk".
"Plonk" does not mean inexpensive wine. "Plonk" is in fact an entirely derogatory term. Simply put, the word actually means bad, undrinkable wine, no matter whether it cost $5 or $100. This slip up has made your paper a bit of a laughing stock amongst members of the beverage industry, as well as consumers in the know.
Keep up the good work with the article, but please find a more appropriate name for it.
Giuseppe Timore

Nice photo…
Loved the photo by John Tlumacki titled "Dog Days" on pg. B3 of the Sunday (2/26) Globe. Our family found it very amusing and the photo now hangs on our fridge. Thank Mr. Tlumacki for us.
The Shannon family
Saugus, MA

Thanks…
Thank you for your article, "Future of the Internet Highway Debated" which appears in the February 26 Boston Globe, online.
Recently I have read several articles on this topic, from various writers, including some at a supposedly tech-oriented news service, but yours is the only one that makes a clear statement of the issue and more importantly, provides clear statements from opposing points of view.
Please pass my congratulations to those involved with the article. Who knows, maybe they are deserving of a more tangible reward?
Steve Rimicci
Massachusetts

As you can see, the comments from readers are varied and enlightening. I may not always agree with the comments, but I think these viewpoints should be seen - by the Globe staff and by other readers.