Sign of the times can be tricky

wta230614lfsign01.jpg Masterton welcomes you sign at Waingawa bridge. WAG 24Jun14 - NO FANS: Masterton s new entrance signs have created an online furore. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

THE sign that represents your town is never an easy one to get right.

Masterton, in fact, has three entrance signs right now. Two of them are distinctly the product of their generation, particularly the one festooned with the Rotary and Lion symbols as you head down High St.

The Golden Shears sign has always had that unique look to it.

But the new one before the Waingawa Bridge has set a new Times-Age Facebook record for views, comments - and, it seems, utter condemnation.

Masterton District Council has deflated the festering balloon of hatred (and our admittedly gleeful stirring of the pot) by pointing out the sign is temporary.

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So our stirring, if nothing else, points out how engaged people will be about the entranceway into Masterton.

But, I say again, it's a tricky thing to get right, and our throwing an image of the temporary sign to the wolves (which our Facebook audience can be) was a bit hard on the council.

One of the best set of entranceway signs I've seen is the one the Porirua City Council does, and refreshes year on year. They are photographic, featuring the people of Porirua - old, young, family, sporty, artistic, if I remember rightly. They're cheerful, full of pride, and a perfect metaphor for the town's diversity.

Having said that, there was talk a while back about having a "symbol" sign for Porirua, along the lines of the famous Ohakune carrot or the Paeroa bottle of L&P. The cool idea was to have a gigantic peanut slab, in homage to Porirua company Whittaker's Chocolates, until it was realised a large, brown, lumpy object would forever condemn Porirua to ridicule.

That's the difficulty - the metaphor. And a diverse audience quick to find fault.

Perhaps what is interesting is there were a few commentators on Facebook who were prepared to defend the sign, which says that while the mob can be rabid, people will stand up and defend something. It suggests to me that when council put in something permanent, there will inevitably be plenty of haters, but there will also be some considered and thoughtful opinion.

It gives me confidence that our Facebook is not just prone to a slagfest; there are people who are ready to see the positives. So let's keep that in mind, when the "permanent" sign comes through.