[Vision2020] Tone of Responses (was : child forced back/was Romney drops out!?)

[Paul Rumelhart]

I'm not the final arbiter on the behavior of Vision2020 members.  I just 
think this would be a happier place if we all just took one on the chin 
and refused to send that well-crafted put down when we find something 
objectionable.

I used to post on Usenet in the early 90's, and have had my fill of 
put-downs, flaming, throwing old responses back in people's faces, 
striving to drive other posters to tears with maximum efficiency and 
panache.  I'm not talking about simply standing by and watching the 
destruction happen, I actively participated.  I got pretty good at it, 
too. 

This was back before the web when the Internet was the domain of geeks 
of various levels and very few others, at least until AOL started giving 
access to Usenet to your average non-geek.  That was hell.  I hadn't 
been back to some of my old stomping grounds for years, but decided to 
go see what was going on a couple of months ago.  The same people were 
still there for the most part, slugging out the same battles and were 
generally stuck in a never-ending loop of flame, indignation, reprisal, 
indignation, and back to flaming again.  It was rather sad.  I even felt 
bad for the guy that had tried to get me fired for posting using my 
University account.  That's where I learned to keep my work and home 
online lives separate.

Anyway, you can all do what you want.  It's none of my business, 
anyway.  I'm just suggesting that you learn from my experiences.  No 
skin off my nose if you don't.

Paul

Saundra Lund wrote:
> Hi Paul & Visionaries:
>
> In part, Paul wrote:
> "Perhaps we could try leaving out the ridicule for just one topic?"
>
> In general, I think that's a helpful and good suggestion!  But, I also think
> it somewhat inevitable that in general, people tend to get back what they
> put out, particularly when they do it over and over and over again -- it's
> called  natural consequences or karma or the down side of the Golden Rule.
>
> That's not to say that I think two wrongs make a right because I don't.
>
> However, when someone thinks responses to their posts are hostile or
> belittling or disrespectful or ridiculous or whatever, I think he/she has a
> personal responsibility to look at the content of his/her own posts to see
> how they are contributing to the tenor of responses.
>
>
>
> JMHO,
> Saundra Lund
> Moscow, ID
>
> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
> nothing.
> ~ Edmund Burke
>
> ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2008 through life plus
> 70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
> the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
> author.*****
>
>
>