Posted by kid_A on June 12, 2002, at 16:35:52
The purpose of this missive is not to argue that person X is or is not a valid contributor to this board. I have my own opinion, but I don't think that goes very far to initiating a productive discussion.
I do think it possible, within the bounds of reason to determine if a poster is adding either more signal or perhaps noise to the environment, but perhaps I think that this notion or reasoning has no place here as concerns the powers that be, so this may not be an avenue worth discussion.
...which leads me to this conundrum. By and large I would say that the primary body of users here that I have come in contact with are polite and civil individuals. Despite our imbalances, I think we live up to the notion of a mostly civil online society.
Unfortunately I think that some who have contributed positively (and perhaps this is subjective, but I do think it not an impossible task to determine, if you look at messages statistically), I think that some people are feeling alienated and helpless in their ability to not only speak their minds, but to preserve what for them has previously been a welcoming environment unhindered by social upheaval.
Letting users run rampant regardless of their effect (outside the bounds of what could be considered uncivil behaviour) on others while at the same time stymieing those users who have over a period of time both contributed positively to the board and come to rely on it for support only serves to alienate many users for the sake of one or two.
Whats left is a homogenized and watered down mode of conversation (coincidently enough I think Zo even commented on this) where we are ill advised to speak our mind lest we be banished for some period of time. We all become dictated by fake and constrained responses even when threatened or perhaps challenged.
I don't think this gives any of us the right to blatantly ignore the rules of civility which I highly agree upon, but I do think at times punishment can be unfairly meted out where perhaps some compassion would have served the community better, especially in instances where those who have so well contributed previously have been isolated from their peers for their perhaps minor violations of civility.
Please don't take this as any manifestation of indignation or gross displeasure. I like to support the decisions made here in as much as I can, but I do think that discussion, however brief or painfully long (in my case), only serves to better the environment and hopefully fosters such an environment that everyone is pleased with.
Thanks in advance for your consideration and attention.
poster:kid_A
thread:5602
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020510/msgs/5602.html