Bravo. Very well said. Kimm
On 7/29/07 3:31 PM, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Neighbors, > As is typical for our list, people are tending to exaggerate on both ends > of the issue: either there is no issue (characterized by the "that's what the > delete button is for defense" which posits that anything goes is a suitable > standard of conduct) or that the new list is anti-democratic, insular, opposed > to debate and dissent, etc. > It's too bad that Ross discontinued his monthly statistical report on list > volume, top posters and top topics. It helped to quantify the traffic and > made it easier to see what was going on conversation wise. In my view, the > stats were a useful social control mechanism because the top 10 posters were > publicly identified for talking so much. I had on several occasions used the > stats to urge that the big talkers be more circumspect and to consider that > their content didn't match their contribution; more likely, it was the > opposite. So one problem with the list is that the volume is often > burdensome, and that the value of the posts is steadily dropping. > To those who see the delete button as the answer to volume, I completely > disagree. I guess you enjoy spam, junk mail and telephone solicitation, since > you can use the delete button, the recycling can or the hang up and feel fine > that you have not lost any time, or felt the need to check items for lack of > value before discarding them. Others have said its like going to a party and > seeing a jerk there who talks too much, is rude, etc and you worry not as you > can simply walk away. Me, I say if I keep going to parties and there are 5 > jerks I will likely encounter and have to extricate myself from their > yammering, maybe its easier to stop going to the parties, or host one myself > and not invite them. > As to content, I'm not so much opposed to disagreement and dialogue. What > bothers me is the lack of civility especially common among many big posters. > Name calling (including intentional reversal of names, use of last names or > diminutives as insults, gender based attacks, etc), open hostility, personal > attacks, etc., are included routinely in a lot of posts. It is also apparent > that there are pairings of people who are unable to stop themselves from > answering their opponents, no matter what they say or how they say it, right > or wrong, etc., as if they were former romantic partners who never could > forgive and forget. > This also takes the form of people ceaselessly engaged in some kind of > propaganda campaign to support their personal political goals, continually > talking, inserting their issue in every context, caring not if they are boring > everyone else to tears and being nasty to boot. > These entrenched behaviors, which resist all attempts by others for > moderation or change, are causing the demise of the list. One thing that > bothers me the most, and should bother those who view the list as a community > communication device, a democratic tool, and the embodiment of free speech, is > the cumulative impact of the big talkers and the rude: they have suppressed > communication from what appears to be the large majority of the list. Those > members, certainly with valuable knowledge and opinions, post rarely or not at > all, electing instead to hunt for the occasional post of value, like people > panning for gold. They have things to say but have learned it could lead to > attacks, pigeon holing, etc., which just isn't worth it to them. Who misses > out from that? > Our founding father evidently made a decision that he valued free > communication at any cost, so he will not do much by way of setting rules of > conduct or ejecting those who won't follow them. So what we have is a free > for all by design. People can control themselves, or yield to group pressure > in the absence of external controls. It appears that these efforts have > failed. So I don't think its about content, diversity or debate, its about > civility, promoting real dialogue and controlling anti-social behavior. > > Paul > > ps Wilma is not the kind of person that is the problem. She actually thinks > and responds. She brings her views and is capable of changing them and even > apologizing when she's wrong. And I doubt she's made it in the top 10. > > > AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from > AOL at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000437> . >
