Posted by raisinb on April 18, 2009, at 17:57:38
In reply to Re: an opportunity, posted by Dr. Bob on April 18, 2009, at 10:33:45
"The point of this site is for posters to support each other. It seems to me a straightforward way of supporting each other would be to help each other avoid being blocked"
Yes, to #1. And it looks to me--on the boards I visit--posters are supporting each other heroically. Which is wonderful.
However...#2 doesn't logically follow. It only works when you assume everyone fundamentally agrees with the policies being enforced. When that isn't the case, it may feel to posters as if they're facing a common dilemma of the powerless--like Indians recruited to help the British Raj by keeping their fellow Indians in line. Or the Jews running factories and work camps under the Nazis (obviously these comparisons are inflated, but they're the ones I could think of to explain the point I was trying to make).
I think the problem with the logic here is that helping you enforce your policies is not "supporting" those who run afoul of them. Empathy, communication, reassurance, and checking in on other posters is what constitutes support. Looks like we are all doing that all the time, which is why I love Babble.
I think we're all looking for the same thing here--fewer missing loved ones and a safer Babble (since I don't know what's in your head, I am assuming a charitable interpretation). There is a good deal of finger-pointing going on on both sides of this conflict, and I do think individual posters need to take responsibility for their own actions.
However, greater power=greater responsibility. Turning the responsibility for resolving a conflict over to the less powerful--while retaining the power--is, as I said, a highly fishy move.
poster:raisinb
thread:888433
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20090302/msgs/891447.html