Arthur, The problem is that some people take the apparent anonymity and a-social (normless) nature of e-communications as an empowerment for the kind of humourless (as per Dave's comments) and positional (a la Darryl's very insightful recent note) personalized slurs, attacks, sneering that wouldn't be done or accepted in a f2f environment. I see two possible ways to proceed if it is seen as a problem (and I do see it as something that requires some sort of intervention)... The first is what I do in the lists that I "host" which is to adopt the "living room conversation rule" i.e. I don't allow behaviours--verbal or otherwise on the list that I wouldn't accept in my own living room--two warnings and they are gone... I've only had to invoke the harshest of remedies once in about 12 years... The second is to do what I suggest which is to introduce social norms/social behaviours and let the group decide based on some generally agreed procedures which I mentioned in my earlier note. E.g. two independent (and private to the list host) calls for "the question" i.e. to vote on the status of an individual then a private vote handled by the list hosts re: a term or permanent banning of an individual. M
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 10:43 AM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION' Subject: Re: [Futurework] Lets get back to the future of work andaway frompushing and shoving Thanks for this. I really don't like being a "traffic cop". I think that civility will prevail and that my earlier message will be clear to those who are "pushing and shoving". It's all so simple: Just avoid remarks which undercut the other person in some harsh way. There is no need to criticize the other in a personal way. Gentle suggestion re: the idea proposed or article being forwarded is fine. Remember this list is about the future quality and quantity of work; how income gets distributed, the shape of the economy going forward. arthur From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael Gurstein Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 12:38 PM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION' Subject: Re: [Futurework] Lets get back to the future of work and away frompushing and shoving Arthur, What you seem to be suggesting for list governance is rather more of the "hidden hand" market place--bad actors will be shunned and correct their behaviour as a result. It appears that for whatever reason some of those in the marketplace don't respond to the same set of product cues in the same way as others do hence the bad behaviours are in many cases engaged with rather than shunned. If the list were in fact self governing rather than left to the laissez faire of the open market there would be some process of collective self-regulation/governance. Having been involved in several such efforts I know that they can be tedious in the extreme but perhaps as list coordinators you folks might like to suggest a few simple rules for collective self-government as for example along the lines of "formal complaints by two members of the group to the coordinators and then there is a public process of voting people "off the island" -- or some such. M -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Arthur Cordell Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 6:29 AM To: 'RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION,EDUCATION' Subject: [Futurework] Lets get back to the future of work and away frompushing and shoving I received this message from an active FWer. And I am adding my own plea to FWers below. ======================== Arthur, I won't participate in the futurework list as long as racist and venomous comments continue. This kind of "talk" doesn't contribute anything to the list but bile. ========================== My open plea to FWers. FW was set up to discuss the future of work but seems to go off track from time to time. The conversation soon leads to schoolyard type of talk "I said this, no you said that.you are a creep, no you are a creep". Pointless schoolyard pushing and shoving. If people want to engage in this virtual pushing and shoving please do it off list. One to one. So that others don't have to be party to what are private shoving (pissing?) matches. I have asked individual FWers to not respond to those FWers who provoke in this way (you know who you are) thinking that by shunning those who behave this way would cause them to change their ways or drift off to another list where this sort of behavior is tolerated. But for whatever reason a few (you know who you are) seem to want to pick a fight and so things heat up. Now is our chance to be a self-governing group. Let's not do or say anything virtually that we wouldn't say if we were talking face to face. I prize civility and exchange of ideas. How do other FWers feel about this? Suggestions and ideas welcome. Arthur
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