[Vision2020] Divisiveness and blogs

Sat Jan 28 09:28:25 PST 2006

Ah, come on, Wayne –

As Olivia Newton-John once said, “Let me hear your body talk.”

Tom Hansen

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"You may leave here for 4 days in space
But when you return, it’s the same old place
The poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace
Hate your next-door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace."

- Barry McGuire

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From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Art Deco
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:14 AM
To: Vision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Divisiveness and blogs

Donovan writes:

"But I still maintain that the Internet makes it harder to be civilized
because you lose the body language, intonation, and attitude of a person
that you get when speaking in person. Internet is good for content, horrible
for understanding people."

Part of what Donovan says may be true.  However, losing the sight of body
language is sometimes compensated by not having to helplessly wallow in the
body odor of some debaters.

W.

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Donovan <mailto:donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>  Arnold 

To: joekc at adelphia.net 

Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com ; Carl Westberg
<mailto:carlwestberg846 at hotmail.com>  

Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 9:05 PM

Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Divisiveness and blogs

OK Joe, I have to agree with you on that posting. : )
But I still maintain that the Internet makes it harder to be civilized
because you lose the body language, intonation, and attitude of a person
that you get when speaking in person. Internet is good for content, horrible
for understanding people.

Take Care,

_DJA

joekc at adelphia.net wrote: 

This will be my last post for the day. I've GREATLY exceded the allowable
number! I find all this stuff so dang interesting it is hard to resist! 

I disagree with both Donovan and Carl on this issue. With new technology, we
can SEE conflict and divisiveness more than ever before. But that doesn't
mean that there was less of it prior to the technology. Vision 2020 for
instance allow! s me to air my disagreements with Donovan, say, directly and
offers the best opportunity I can think of for allowing me a chance to
convince him otherwise. Moreover, part of teh reason that I direct my
comments toward Donovan is that I happen to share many of the beliefs that
he has. If our worldviews were completely different I would not make any
attempt to discourse with him. For instance, I've spent much of the day
arguing with Donovan over the Pledge but the fact is I am just as much of a
corny-ass patriot as Donovan is. If you put us both in a room where the
Pledge was being given, our behavior would be indistinguishable. We would
both stand proudly, hand over heart, reciting the words we've known all our
lives. I know I would be filled with emotion at the thought of being lucky
enough to live in a country as great as ours, and I'm sure Donovan would say
the same thing. I might often sound otherwise but I never loose sight of
this fact. 

I do t! hink that all of us can improve on our postings. We could certainly
try to direct our comments in a nicer, friendlier tone. But we do need a
forum with which to express our disagreements. Vision 2020 is not perfect
but it is the only such forum we happen to have. Personally, I am very
greatful for this opportunity.
--
Joe Campbell

---- Donovan Arnold wrote:

=============
Carl is right. Blogs and email forums do create conflict and divisiveness. I
find people on V2020, including myself, less considerate and polite to
others online, versus in person.

I think it is in part because we do not see the person, often do not know
them, mistranslating their meaning, and/or get so caught up in the
argument/content and lose site of the human on the other end.

I know many people on V2020, and none of you have horns and a tail. However,
just reading the content of some people, I would swear you ! could trace
their IP address directly to a dark tiny corner room on the bottom floor of
Hell.

Carl, or anyone else, it would be interesting to see a study on the increase
of divisiveness caused by blogs and ways to counter them.

Take Care,

_DJA

Carl Westberg wrote: I, after extensive research and cogitation that started
about 4 minutes ago
and concluded just now, have determined that blogs are responsible for much
of the divisiveness that comes with just about anything that's discussed
anymore, from Wal-Mart to the pledge and everything in between. With
approximately 4 million blogs being born every 5 minutes, it's incredibly
easy to find those that mirror your worldview, and assure you of your
absolute rightness in your beliefs. I'm as guilty of it as anyone, hanging
out at Commondreams, etc., while those wi! th a right leaning penchant can
visit theirs, and everything is pure black and white for us, with no gray
areas to complicate matters. I know I'm correct in this, because I just
found a blog that says I am.

Carl Westberg Jr.

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