Whether you're of the school of thought that says ignorance is bliss, or you have a strong desire to stay informed, even on subjects over which you have little or no control, will likely determine your take on a new Internet service offered by Harford County.
Earlier this month, the county began a service that allows tracking of county snow plows in the aftermath of big storms so anyone with Internet access via computer, smartphone or tablet can keep track of what roads are being cleared.
Known as the Harford County Snow Plow Tracker, it will be activated only during storms that result in plows being sent out.
Presumably, there's no way to advocate for a plow to change course and head for a particular neighborhood out of scheduled turn, nor should there be. It will, however, allow for the general public to figure out which neighborhoods end up being cleared first. No doubt this will spark a few questions about which neighborhoods get plowed first and why.
Still, it has the feel of a service that's kind of like calling up the radar feed on a weather site. It's neat to watch, but there's really nothing that can be done about it, and by the time you're looking at the radar, you probably already know it's snowing or going to snow.
Then again, during a storm when most people should be trying to stay off the roads until they're cleared, watching radar loops and the progress of the local snow plow fleet is at least as much fun as watching midday TV.