Please forward this to your friends or colleagues who've left the St. Paul Issues Forum. We'd love to get them back!
JOIN or REJOIN at: http://e-democracy.org/stpaul/ -------------------------------------------------
Periodically I run into or get an email from someone who has either left the St. Paul Issues Forum or is uncomfortable posting a message here, because of the "hostile environment."
Here are my top five responses to the "hostile environment" argument:
#1) Look again. Sure, there are some hostile or aggressive posts in our forum, but they are outnumbered 10 to 1 by participants who have legitimate ideas, interesting questions to ask, or announcements to share.
#2) Yes, there is some hostility in the forum. BUT, this is an open forum on public policy issues on which some of us have passionate disagreements. The beauty of this forum, in my opinion, is that it is a place where very diverse and sometimes underrepresented points of view can be heard. I try very hard to make this an inviting and friendly place to participate, but sometimes people will get emotional and feelings will be hurt. I'm not sure that we can avoid this, if we really want this forum to remain vital and diverse forum for public discussion.
#3) You can sit out the discussion if you want. BUT, the St. Paul Issues Forum IS a place to be heard. The folks at city hall are listening, the media pays very close attention to what happens here, and neighborhood activists from all over the city subscribe (lurk). If you want to be heard on an issue of city-wide importance, this is a GREAT place to post your message.
#4) If you are concerned about the tone of the discussion in the forum, then PLEASE, do something about it. Post a positive message, post a community announcement, share a link to information about a current topic, or thank another member (privately) for their thoughtful contribution! Ever notice how the tone of the discussion changes, when someone who has concrete information on a controversial topic shares what they know. PLEASE, DO NOT surrender this valuable public forum to those who most often abuse or misuse it.
#5) What better way to change the tone of the forum, then to invite 5 thoughtful friends or neighbors to join the discussion! Recruiting 200 new participants will have an impact on the kinds of issues that we discuss and the tone of the discussion. PLEASE, help us spread the word!
JOIN or REJOIN at: http://e-democracy.org/stpaul/
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Can anyone think of a really cool slogan for the St. Paul Issues Forum recruitment drive?
I'll buy coffee for the person with the best idea! ----------------------------------------------------
-- Tim Erickson Forum Manager St. Paul Issues Forum http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ Hamline Midway Resident 651-643-0722 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
St. Paul Links - http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/links.html
"The St. Paul Issues Forum is a interactive e-mail discussion on important issues about St. Paul public policy. Participation is free and open to anyone. We currently have about 350 concerned citizens and community leaders subscribed to our discussion."
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