Posted by Nadezda on October 27, 2009, at 19:02:46
In reply to Re: tweet / facebook options » Nadezda, posted by Dinah on October 27, 2009, at 15:09:21
I may not be paying enough attention, Dinah-- but I simply don't see it the way you do.
I actually don't know what Bob has done. It's not clear to me what it means that he's put these notations at the bottom of posts. Maybe he's explained it and I missed it-- and his explanation was abysmal. In which case, I'd appreciate a link to his explanation.
I don't want to put words in Bob's mouth, but maybe he's worried that Babble may cease to exist precisely because he doesn't make it accessible on and visible to people on facebook and twitter. Maybe he thinks the shape and structure of connection on the internet has changed and without making babble part of these new, dominant forms of communication, he's depriving it of new life. And maybe he believes that this is important enough to the survival and renewal of babble that he's willing to risk some of what he's created to create it in a better, more forward=looking way. Maybe he has some totally different motive-- of course.
I don't know. My sense , though, is that as much as it's about Bob, it's about a deep distrust and even devaluing of those who are not us-- it's about "us" as somehow special and different from those others on debased vehicles like twitter and facebook.
I don't think you can cabin off one from the other-- if people were empathic, and available to be touched and even affected by-- and drawn into-- our community, what Bob did wouldn't be so awful.
I agree maybe he did it without enough thought about people's feelings-- and fears-- and without taking time to introduce it in a careful way. But I happen to think that we should give Bob the benefit of the doubt. Even if it wasn't the best way-- I wonder that there isn't room to let him make some further response.
It may very well be that it should be about future posts, or that his ideas are open to revision. It bothers me greatly to see us as a group being so closed and so prone to give things the least favorable interpretations. Yes, this is a sensitive issue-- but the tone toward Bob recently has been disturbing, and while this may give everyone a sense of moral righteousness, it's not really that Bob betrayed us. That seems to me to be some sort of meme, or phantasy, that's being played out here-- without really being examined.
I'm very sorry if my way of thinking hurts you-- but it's not about you personally, or anyone here personally-- it's just that a group dynamic seems to have been set into motion, and to have a life of its own.
Nadezda
poster:Nadezda
thread:922472
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20090813/msgs/922968.html