George:

I may have missed it, at 85, but anyway I haven't yet seen any recent discussion about how often the city chalk board would be monitored. Graffiti has been discussed as a problem, but I have missed seeing anything about anonymous editing or fictional signatures.

I know a local man who put one message on the virtual chalkboard, or whatever that was on the internet, but found that some following contributor changed his message but left his name. That could also be done in chalk. (Try changing not to now in a sentence.) Free speech needs to be protected as a well as promoted.

Paul Saunier (electronic mail, May 26, 2005)

Editor's Note: See Free Speech E-rased on Va. Virtual Monument and for examples of erasure and editing on the virtual chalkboard, see The Virtual Chalkboard and The Washington Post.