Good evening, folks.
    Perhaps a bit of clarifying is in order here. 
    As list co-moderators, Kathy Seifert and I are very interested in continuing the thread titled "WOD on MPR."  Within that particular thread, different topics came up, diverse perspectives were shared, etc.  One of the more valuable aspects of the "WOD on MPR" thread included ways in which WOD might improve. 
    I hope we continue to talk about how we might expand membership, assess what is working and what is not working, encourage broader participation, consider quantity vs. quality issues, wrestle with how to provide a civil and respectful format while still championing free speech, and much more.
    Within the "WOD on MPR" thread, participants began a dialog about the general purposes of WOD.  Then, it segued into a sub-topic between two members regarding alleged personal attacks in the past.  Both wrote firmly and professionally about their opposing interpretations.  I agree that neither writer had violated rules of the list. 
    However, after several back-and-forths and copies of archived posts were used to fully explicate each perspective, the sub-topic seemed to have run its course.  Kathy and I believed that the participants had reached an clear impasse.  
    Our intention was to accomplish exactly what Steve Kranz identified as one roles of the list moderators - "to try and guide the discussion and make it more constructive." 
    Perhaps the re-direct was misunderstood by readers.  If that is the case, we apologize.  
    Roy Nasstrom is entirely correct when he writes that democracy is not for select views only. 
    So............Kathy and I are simply recommending a re-focus from the interpersonal exchange (Yes, it was an attack/No, it wasn't an attack) back to the general subject of improving WOD.  Let's move forward.
Thanks,
Sharon Erickson Ropes

Reply via email to