Posted by Dinah on August 2, 2010, at 11:49:06
In reply to Re: Why Is Babble Not Babbling? » Dinah, posted by fayeroe on August 2, 2010, at 1:33:05
> Dinah, I feel that bob may be getting the result he wants.
I don't think he is.
I have to partially retract my statement about utopian boards. I read a website that is *very* loosely moderated, and most of the forums there are not ones I'd want to post on. But one of the boards there is as civil as Dr. Bob could ever wish. If anyone starts being unpleasant, the other members calmly convey the message that that isn't appropriate there, and then don't belabor the point but continue on with the discussion. For some reason it seems to work there.
I suspect that Dr. Bob would like us to do that here. For posters to take responsibility for civility.
I'm positive that if an authority figure there were to ask the other posters to urge the "uncivil" poster to apologize, the result would be worse rather than better.
And it's also one of the very few places where I've ever seen it work that well. It must be related to the self selection of participants. Forums that relate to the very mildest and most innocuous hobbies manage to turn very ugly. And the less strictly moderated forums either become madhouses or in smaller groups blow up in recriminations with splinter groups being formed. I guess that might happen with the stricter boards as well, but it must play out off board.
If his goal is to have posters take more responsibility for site civility, I'm not sure it is achievable. But I do think that this isn't the way to attempt it, and I wish he'd abandon one that hasn't produced the results he'd want. Since I really don't think this is what he wants. Why would he?
If his goal is more limited, to having posters recognize that they are not powerless in the face of the blocks they later protest, I also think this isn't the best choice of words. I think if that is his goal, he ought to just say "People protest blocks, but I don't see many people trying to prevent them. In fact, sometimes I see people encouraging the behaviors that lead to blocks and then complaining that the blocks are unfair. I'd like anyone who objects to blocks to do what they can to prevent them in ways other than protesting the blocks. There are other methods than protests, and they may be more effective. Protesting hasn't proved all that effective." If, of course, that is what it is he wishes to convey. I don't want to put words in his mouth.
Ok, sometimes I do want to put words in his mouth. :)
And definitely sometimes I'd like to take words *out* of his mouth.
The wording as it is is not only to vague to convey his point (whatever it might be), but tends to be "heard" as saying something completely different altogether. Even by me.
poster:Dinah
thread:956448
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20100716/msgs/956863.html