Posted by special_k on April 18, 2006, at 8:55:13
In reply to Re: Just take down the politics board I guess., posted by ClearSkies on April 18, 2006, at 7:59:53
I have sympathy with how they are intended to work too. I guess I just worry that there are some blocks that don't seem to have the intended effect. But then... I guess it depends on how you characterise the intended effect...
Could be to protect posters from future incivilities.
Works to do that in the sense that the poster is prevented from posting for a time. May not work to do that in the sense that the poster might not continue with future incivilities in that time at any rate.
Could prevent future incivilities in the sense that the poster takes the blocking seriously and tried to avoid future infractions. Could not work to do that in the sense that the poster might not understand how to avoid future incivilities. Could not work to do that in the sense that the poster might be annoyed at the blocking and hence be motivated to future incivilities out of frustration etc.
Re other posters learning vicariously... Hard to say about that too. Other posters might be motivated to avoid blockings. Other posters might continue because they don't understand what they have to do. Other posters might be prompted to be more uncivil than they would have been out of frustration / fear.
How to weigh... How to weigh...
> > You haven't really had admin action
> > I dare say a blocking or two would change your mind.
> > I dare say it would.I should qualify that. If you didn't understand what you had to do to avoid future incivilities and / or if you thought the blocking was unfair / you didn't understand / you didn't think it was justified in which case... It could make the situation worse. It could change your mind.
> I've been PBC'd and blocked. Although it was really upsetting since I was in a fever pitch (no surprise) by the time the block was issued, that subsided after a while.
Okay. So you understood what you did wrong and it gave you a cooling off period. Best case re blocks. Sometimes that works. Sure. But all cases? And do the best cases justify the bad cases or do the bad cases justify a revision in the blocking system?
I think they do.
But maybe I am biased by my experience
(And ironically enough I guess my experience is used / can be used to discredit me. To discredit my opinion. But it has been expressed before... And will be again no doubt. And will blocking me aid or hinder that process? Hard to weigh... Hard to weigh...)
> For me, blocks are not something that scare me, but having been blocked made me realise that if I wanted to continue getting support and gather education from this site, that I'd better follow the rules.And if that is within your power sure.
If you don't understand what you did wrong
If you thought your blocking was unjustified
(Or that the length of your blocking was unjustified)
Then you might have a different response...I'm just trying to get it on the table
That how they are intended to work is one thing...
And how they do in actual fact work (if in actual fact they do work) is another...
And I want to get it on the table that there are alternative ways of doing things.And maybe it is time to comprimise...
I think it is.
That's all. I'm just trying to get that out there.
Not so much with the clear cut cases.
But with the more 'borderline' ones.As eg's of borderline cases...
Declan.
The poster who was blocked for posting a link where that link had another link to a site where you could obtain illegal meds (there is ambiguity as to whether you are responsible to links from sites you link to or not)
Muffled's block on writing for swearing unasterisked
My warning / blocking for expressing opposition to the US idealThose kindsa cases.
That could be better dealt with via explanations and blockings when they persist.
Or with asking for clarification.
Or with acknowledging a distinction between critiquing books and ideals and critiquing persons who post to the boards.That is all I'm trying to say.
Sorry if I offended you Dinah.
I never meant to.
poster:special_k
thread:634229
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20060412/msgs/634409.html