[Winona Online Democracy]
On May 12, 2004, at 09:56, Steve Schild wrote:
[Winona Online Democracy]
Last summer I posted a survey to Winona Online Democracy, asking for responses from subscribers who never write messages or rarely write messages. The survey results, excerpted on the editorial page of today's Winona Daily News, are included in a paper I delivered at an academic conference in April. The paper can be viewed at the following URL:
http://av.smumn.edu/schild/
To those of you who completed the survey, thanks very much.
Steve Schild
WARNING: Long
However, despite the length...
On Page: 5-6 Steve Schild quotes Senlow: "Selnow asks,"
"What happens in a system that isolates people into groups preoccupied with a restricted set of issues or points of view? . . . Traditional media, for all their faults, at least offered the opportunity for people to observe the world from the perspectives of people community. As author Andrew Shapiro points out, the Internet’s potential to give people more control also allows them to restrict the flow of information they receive. By giving people a choice to block out information that somehow does not “fit” with a community’s beliefs or norms, the Internet could exacerbate existing trends toward community fragmentation. (p. 10)"
[David comments:] I ask, did consideration of this phenomenon that you hold as a central condition of the beginning of your paper to affect the quality of the responses that were given to you? The answer, at least as *I* see it is a clear and unequivocal "Yes." However, was this considered in the interpretation of the data. It does not seem that way. It seems that all answers are taken exactly at face value without the consideration of other factors that may lead to a response.
On Page: 6-7 Steve Schild writes:
"A key question, then, seems to be, Which prediction will prevail? Will computerized communication broaden the political commons and make room for voices heretofore not heard? Will it become a realization of Habermas’s ideal speech situation? Or will it become a virtual smoke-filled room where participants wall themselves off from ideas they dislike and speak only with those who see the world as they do? "
[David comments:] First, I will note again that the "walling" effect would certainly affect the perception of the responses sent and the way that the data from various responses are received.
Second, I would suggest that since WOD is classified repeatedly in political terms that the political climates at the time of the survey receive careful consideration before drawing any striking conclusions. Noting that the political climate, at, and prior to the survey, has been ignored completely I question the basis of all conclusions based on that.
As Bush II seems to remind us daily, "we" are at war. The escalation of hostilities in the Persian Gulf has divided the country rather than unified it, contrary to what those "America United" bumper stickers claim. If the country is divided in the way that it is; how does one, in a reasonable state of mind, expect dialogue to not seem a bit negative at times?
Turn on MS-NBC for a while after 7 PM. On almost any night, I guarantee you will see guests on the political shows get more "in-your-face" like than you will ever see here. The level varies by topic, but with a country divided as it is this seems completely reasonable. Denying the division is to deny the US persecution of the Japanese during WWII. I see the division at work, I see it in class, I see it everywhere, yet some still have the irrational desire to deny it. Despite the obvious division in the country today and in Winona, there is absolutely no apparent level of consideration granted to this.
Richard Nixon claimed he had a silent majority backing him. The basis for that is of the idea that people do not speak up until they are opposed a concept. Later in the paper Steve Schild repeatedly points out that the list is characterised as liberal. Considering my prior point, would it not help to point out that we have, by most measures, a very conservative government policy?
On Page: 9 Steve Schild writes:
"The goal of this study is to hear from WOD subscribers who do not post, or very infrequently post, messages to the list."
[David comments:] Maybe you should have asked people, why do persons post and considered that along with your other point rather than a one sided viewpoint as you presented?
WARNING: Blunt
In the discussion section, I find it very interesting that many quotes seem to point to the walling phenomenon that you mention early, but receive no consideration after about page six. Why? It seems that this phenomenon more accurately describes the situation that the data clearly supports.
It also seems that this is paper about social interactions, but the social interactions and social conditions are not considered. The elimination of this variable that would affect its outcome one way or another is unexplainable to me.
I wrote a five page sociology paper on why the Winona Greens were condemned to failure. I could compare and contrast the situation for hours; however, there is much in common with the conditions present for the paper I wrote and the paper Steve wrote. The most obvious being what Steve Schild describes as a silencing phenomenon. The conclusions and causes though, are vastly different.
I also find it hard to condemn an entire medium based on one case study. It seems drawing broad conclusions on a narrow study is somewhat like using the Sun and the Enquirer as sample publications and then advocating that print publications are defunct because these two publications are what some would call trash.
********************************************
David Dittmann
In 2002, less than one thousand persons, worldwide, died because of terrorism; while in India, ten thousand persons died from venomous snakes.
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