--- Elisabeth Carvalho wrote: > > Firstly there seem to be a lot of warring factions > on Goannet. Although, I'm sure by now loyalties have > been well calcified, newcomers like me are in the > dark. In the interest of newcomers, a list should > be compiled and archived for quick and easy > reference. Getting caught in the cross-fire and > other collateral casualties can thus be avoided. > Mario replies: > If you present your opinions and observations in an honest, specific, balanced and respectful manner, using recognizable facts as the basis for your opinions, you are unlikely to be a casualty in the culture wars that inevitably flare up in any worldwide public forum such as this one, with members with some ties to Goa, but who come from diverse backgrounds, experiences and philosophies. > You may even serve to cool things off. > However, if you choose to take sides, unfairly and capriciously, then you must realistically be prepared to deal with the consequences. > Elisabeth writes: > > Secondly there is a lot of effort being exerted in > trying to "defend one's good name". Let me tell you, > on the net a Souza is as recognisable as a > Fernandes. Nobody knows your (real) "good" name > and nobody cares. Your "good" name will be > forgotten two days after your good self has stopped > posting on the net. > Mario replies: > Oh, I don't know. Perhaps, as a newcomer, it may still feel that way to you. However, the effort being expended is voluntary. Many Goanetters meet each other years after first meeting on this forum, when their paths actually cross in real life. Some have formed strong friendships. After all we do have our Goan heritage in common. Others choose to use aliases and stay anonymous, and that is fine as well. Your comments would apply more closely to the latter fraternity. > Elisabeth writes: > > And lastly to the Reformist; unless you have a cyber > rack a la medieval torture prisons, no one on the > net is going to be influenced by your need to > influence their thoughts and opinions. So as far as > the calls for retractions, apologies et al, come > on, does it really make a scintilla of a difference? > Mario opines: > Elisabeth, you may be missing the point. I think of this as very similar to gatherings at a coffee house or a neighborhood bar at the end of the day, only on a larger, wider scale. Within reason, and under the tired eagle eyes of the Goanet moderators - :)) - people can say whatever is on their minds, on politics, religion, society, whatever. Get things off their chest, shoot the breeze, even fight, argue and make thoughtless comments in an unguarded moment or if they're having a bad day. One can choose to enter the coffee house, or not. Come and go. > We have our Indophiles, Portophiles, citizens of a dozen different countries, religious, religious nuts, atheists, agnostics, humanists, political reformers, humorists, journalists, people deeply concerned about what is happening in our homeland, and some who are not. > I don't think any of them seriously think they are going to change the world, at least not anytime soon, but from the reactions I see, publicly and privately, passions run deep on some issues. I think that's a good thing. Far better for everyone's mental health and sanity to let it all hang out on the internet than to keep it bottled up to explode somewhere more important, like in the workplace or among friends and family. > Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. >
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