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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 42 to 66 of 536. Go back in thread:
Posted by Gabbix2 on January 18, 2005, at 19:43:08
In reply to Re: a board for friends » Dinah, posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2005, at 19:27:27
> Anyone who joins up as a Newbie greeter can post there.
> Your friends can join up as Newbie greeters,
> Therefore your friends can post there.
>
> It all depends on joining up...There is no way around the fact that it is a restricted board, no matter *how* it's looked at.
Having everyone join up is an impossibility, then it would be Babble, and Bob wouldn't allow it anway.
Posted by Gabbix2 on January 18, 2005, at 19:44:00
In reply to Re: a board for friends » alexandra_k, posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 19:30:28
I guess I should have read all the posts before I responded, I was being redundant.
Posted by Gabbix2 on January 18, 2005, at 19:45:01
In reply to Re: a board for friends » Gabbix2, posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 19:32:42
> Pick a post on the newbie board, any post that you feel you could really contribute to by replying, and try to post. That's what I mean.
>
> It stinks.
>
> Dr. Bob and his gated communities... :(Perhaps a Babble sorority is next?
Posted by Fallen4MyT on January 18, 2005, at 19:58:35
In reply to Re: a board for friends » Dinah, posted by Gabbix2 on January 18, 2005, at 19:45:01
UGH I would most likely be the one they hazed then dumped
>
> Perhaps a Babble sorority is next?
>
>
Posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2005, at 20:00:15
In reply to Re: a board for friends » Dinah, posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2005, at 19:16:02
I think it may be to prevent 'trolls' or 'flamers' picking on the newbies. To make sure they get a nice greeting.
My understanding was that anyone (barring the above) could join.
I try to repost newbie posts where people may be able to give them more helpful answers.
Nobody has replied to a single one of my reposts.
Not sure whether that is because peoples don't like my reposting or what...
Posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 20:10:06
In reply to Ahem, posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2005, at 20:00:15
How likely is that to happen, though? The majority of Babblers are nice and would respond kindly to newcomers. Those who choose not to follow Dr. Bob's guidelines aren't here long, and hopefully wouldn't choose the newcomer board anyway. (Actually the worst of them could probably post on the newcomer board because by the time they weren't newcomers anymore they'd be blocked.) So the only people who could flame newcomers who aren't already allowed to post there by virtue of being newcomers themselves are people who have been posting here for several months. So how many of us who have been here long enough to not be newcomers ourselves do you think would hurt the newcomers?
Posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 20:12:52
In reply to Re: Ahem » alexandra_k, posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 20:10:06
in contrast to the number of people who aren't official greeters who could contribute something on the board if they were allowed to post.
On the one hand, the number of non-newcomers who would be impolite.
On the other, the number of non-newcomers who would be helpful.
I think it's a foolish choice on Bob's part.
Posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2005, at 20:16:04
In reply to Re: Rather especially, posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 20:12:52
Maybe it is something that is worth discussing.
I was just trying to read his mind.
He may well have another reason or two.
Dunno. Getting interested in his reasoning myself...But I don't think calling him names will help :-)
Posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 20:25:48
In reply to Re: Rather especially » Dinah, posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2005, at 20:16:04
Oh dear, did I call him names? I thought I said his *choice* was foolish. That's how I always talk to my son. :)
If I called Dr. Bob any names, I humbly apologize, and hope he realizes that while I am baffled and astounded by some of his choices, I have considerable respect for him as a person. (Which is what makes his choices so baffling.)
Posted by alexandra_k on January 18, 2005, at 20:46:19
In reply to Re: Rather especially » alexandra_k, posted by Dinah on January 18, 2005, at 20:25:48
Posted by nikkit2 on January 19, 2005, at 6:25:12
In reply to Re: a board for friends » nikkit2, posted by Fallen4MyT on January 18, 2005, at 15:58:47
I think I've pointed out a few of the problems that a "friends" board would cause, and I don't think I've ever said its a "dream" of mine to have it.. I just tried to explain why I, personally, like the PB2000 board.. I'm not suggesting any further boards, or that I want to ignore everyone on the board. I *do* post to people on PBSocial, and I do like reading their posts.. I just prefer, when I have osmething about *me* to post, to use the 2000 board.
These conversations have ALL been had here before though if you want to read through the archives.. many many times in fact!!
Nikki x
Posted by Dr. Bob on January 19, 2005, at 13:34:16
In reply to Re: a board for friends, posted by saw on January 17, 2005, at 23:57:50
> you're seriously considering the notion of letting someone setting up a room and inviting who can join?
I was, but it wasn't very popular, so my next idea was just to limit how many people could join this kind of board. Here's the thread from before:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20040112/msgs/308260.html
> What on god's green earth do you think is going to happen to the current level of people who feel like no one likes them on the board
>
> DinahI don't know, but maybe they'd find out that's not the case?
--
> you know that I have given up campaigning for a parents board - but if there are to be any more boards, perhaps that can be considered first.
>
> SabrinaIt was already considered:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20041109/msgs/419569.html
But it turned out to be more complicated that I thought:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20041109/msgs/423768.html
But it's still on my to-do list. This just happened to come up in the meantime...
Bob
Posted by alexandra_k on January 19, 2005, at 17:17:50
In reply to Re: a board for friends, posted by Dr. Bob on January 19, 2005, at 13:34:16
Oh, he he he.
I thought by 'small town boards' people were talking about a board for people who are from small towns!
Makes much more sense now :-)
Posted by mair on January 20, 2005, at 22:14:50
In reply to Re: a board for friends, posted by Dr. Bob on January 19, 2005, at 13:34:16
> > What on god's green earth do you think is going to happen to the current level of people who feel like no one likes them on the board
> >
> > Dinah
>
> I don't know, but maybe they'd find out that's not the case?
Yeah, and maybe they'd find out that there really is no comfortable place for them on this Board.It's not always easy to feel that you fit in when you're here alot; it's very difficult to leave the board periodically and come back. How horrible it would be to come back and discover that many of the people you remember most fondly are all off on a Board which is filled and to which you have no access.
I was against the 2000 Board when you set it up, although i came to see that it served a valuable purpose for a relatively small group of people who were introduced to the Board when it was just one Board. But it still irks me that I have no way of communicating with the people who never venture off that Board. The vast majority of the people here now have always known PB as a large place. We all seem to find places that are comfortable for us - I think that would just be so much more difficult if you created still smaller groups.
Mair
Posted by Dr. Bob on January 21, 2005, at 0:54:16
In reply to Re: a board for friends, posted by mair on January 20, 2005, at 22:14:50
> The vast majority of the people here now have always known PB as a large place. We all seem to find places that are comfortable for us - I think that would just be so much more difficult if you created still smaller groups.
IMO, people who are here now are going to tend to be people comfortable in large groups.
But not everyone here may be comfortable. And people may *not* be here now because they weren't.
Also, the current large groups would still be here...
Bob
Posted by mair on January 21, 2005, at 7:26:29
In reply to Re: smaller groups, posted by Dr. Bob on January 21, 2005, at 0:54:16
>
> "Also, the current large groups would still be here..."
>
Yes, but the fact that the current large groups have always been here hasn't meant that people who could opt for a smaller group (2000 Board members) ever venture back into the large groups. I guess my concern is that people who are currently active in the larger groups would self-select a particular group, and once that group became full, the rest of us would then have no access to those people unless they decided to emerge. I really do feel that cliques do form sometimes and people do feel left out; smaller groups would amplify that dynamic.Mair
Posted by Dr. Bob on January 22, 2005, at 3:38:57
In reply to Re: smaller groups » Dr. Bob, posted by mair on January 21, 2005, at 7:26:29
> the fact that the current large groups have always been here hasn't meant that people who could opt for a smaller group (2000 Board members) ever venture back into the large groups. I guess my concern is that people who are currently active in the larger groups would self-select a particular group, and once that group became full, the rest of us would then have no access to those people unless they decided to emerge. I really do feel that cliques do form sometimes and people do feel left out; smaller groups would amplify that dynamic.
1. If A wants access to B, but B prefers a smaller group, should B be forced to stay?
2. The concern is that without B the large group would languish? Might it not be able to adapt?
3. Not everyone prefers smaller groups. People from 2000 do venture out.
4. People do sometimes feel left out already. Is it better this way, to feel neglected by people in the same large group, or not even to be able to join those people in a smaller group?
Bob
Posted by Dinah on January 22, 2005, at 6:52:16
In reply to Re: smaller groups, posted by Dr. Bob on January 22, 2005, at 3:38:57
Posted by alexandra_k on January 22, 2005, at 16:25:30
In reply to Re: smaller groups, posted by Dr. Bob on January 22, 2005, at 3:38:57
> 1. If A wants access to B, but B prefers a smaller group, should B be forced to stay?
You can't force people to stay anyway. A could always Babblemail B and try to set up a dialogue, maybe even try to lure them over to a bigger board that way...
> 2. The concern is that without B the large group would languish? Might it not be able to adapt?
Some people who post mainly to the 2000 board and not really the others may have left Babble altogether as it got bigger. They may have stayed solely in virtue of the smaller group and the ties they had established there.
> 3. Not everyone prefers smaller groups. People from 2000 do venture out.I am not really opposed to the idea of smaller boards. I wouldn't mind the opportunity to participate in both.
> 4. People do sometimes feel left out already. Is it better this way, to feel neglected by people in the same large group, or not even to be able to join those people in a smaller group?Maybe there could be a smaller board for people who feel especially neglected? Or that might be a big board already... But it could be divided up into where posters names fit into the alphabet.
That would be a nice sort of random way of creating smaller groups. That way nobody would feel left out because they were intentionally excluded. Though it might take a bit of time to see how many people were going to post there. Might be boycotted anyway.
Posted by mair on January 22, 2005, at 17:34:01
In reply to Re: smaller groups, posted by Dr. Bob on January 22, 2005, at 3:38:57
I don't want to invest a whole lot of emotional capital in this debate because experience tells me that if you really want to give this a try, you will regardless of sentiment. But please do clarify what you have in mind. It's tough to express useful opinions without knowing how you want this to work.
1. How large do you envision that these groups would be?
2. How would members be selected? Would it be a random process? Would it be a first come first serve process? Or would members select other members?
3. Will membership be capped, so that once filled, no one else may join?
4. May posters be on multiple small boards?
5. What happens if a member of a small board drops out or decides he or she needs to take a break from the Boards? Does he or she lose the spot? If there is an opening, who fills it?
6. Would groups be organized on a subject basis so you have people of like interests?
7. If they aren't organized on a subject basis, then are all subjects open for discussion, even if they are dealt with on other larger boards?
8. Will these Boards be monitored differently? What I have in mind is the incident awhile ago when one poster, who was not a member of the 2000 Board, complained that he was offended by things written on the 2000 Board. (things certainly not written about him or with him in mind).
7. How do you think a system of smaller boards will develop? Would you be ok with an evolved arrangement where regulars will just consign themselves to smaller boards, and the subject boards (except perhaps the meds board) will be peopled mostly by newbies and the small board members who venture over, or perhaps the boardless returning babbler? Will it bother you if it develops that small board members really restrict their participation to their small board?
Thanks in advance for answering these with your usual specificity and clarity. (-:
Mair
Posted by gardenergirl on January 22, 2005, at 17:40:46
In reply to Re: smaller groups » Dr. Bob, posted by mair on January 22, 2005, at 17:34:01
I wonder if perhaps having more boards with more specific topics might be, in a way, like having smaller group boards without the gated community feel. For example, if you had a board for dissociation or ego state disorders, there are likely certain posters who would post there. How about one for depression? One for psychotic disorders? One for redheads? (just kidding)
At any rate, I think in some ways, small groups form due to common interests. We already see certain posters hanging out at certain boards. Surely that is interest related at least in part.
I too would not like to see any more restricted access boards. It's the jr. high/high school feeling left out think all over again. I leave awful nose prints on windows when I wistfully peer inside.
gg
Posted by alexandra_k on January 22, 2005, at 22:47:25
In reply to Re: smaller groups » Dr. Bob, posted by mair on January 22, 2005, at 17:34:01
Yeah, those are all good questions. I would want to know more about what Dr B had in mind before I could say whether I was opposed to it or not.
Posted by alexandra_k on January 22, 2005, at 22:51:43
In reply to Re: smaller groups, posted by gardenergirl on January 22, 2005, at 17:40:46
Yeah, some of the boards already have a smaller feel to them.
Maybe the idea was that there would be a group of people who would get to know each other over time rather than newbies popping up all the time. Or people who make a couple of posts and then leave.
> I too would not like to see any more restricted access boards. It's the jr. high/high school feeling left out think all over again. I leave awful nose prints on windows when I wistfully peer inside.
Yeah, I have sympathy for that too.
I wonder whether smaller boards might make the bigger boards seem less exclusive though. I mean they aren't officially exclusive, but I wonder that they may seem that way to newbies. An awful lot of posts are directed to certain posters. While anyone is free to pipe up this may have the feel of an exclusive discussion to an outsider. Also there are a number of jokes and references to things that could only properly be understood by people who have been following for a while.
Posted by Dinah on January 23, 2005, at 7:25:48
In reply to Re: smaller groups, posted by gardenergirl on January 22, 2005, at 17:40:46
Unless I'm wrong (but... you know... I'm not), I believe Dr. Bob's interest is *in* the restrictiveness. That's why after the last hubbub when he introduced the idea of restricted boards, he instituted the newbie board and the student board, both of which are defacto restricted boards, but not based on choice.
If boards *must* be restricted (and I see no reason why they must be at all, or benefit to them being at all), having them align along subject matter seems less abominable to me than allowing people to choose teams like some grotesque caricature of the gym class scenario that enlightened schools have long past abandoned.
I assume this must be research related. "How the restricted community fits into a large online community. Does gating work?" For once my conclusions are that his motives are not as lofty as I might wish.
P.S. That's a Monk reference...
Posted by alexandra_k on January 23, 2005, at 13:36:37
In reply to Re: smaller groups » gardenergirl, posted by Dinah on January 23, 2005, at 7:25:48
> allowing people to choose teams like some grotesque caricature of the gym class scenario that enlightened schools have long past abandoned.
I agree with you there, Dinah. I think that Dr B would have to be very careful about that.
> Unless I'm wrong (but... you know... I'm not), I believe Dr. Bob's interest is *in* the restrictiveness.
> I assume this must be research related. "How the restricted community fits into a large online community. Does gating work?" For once my conclusions are that his motives are not as lofty as I might wish.Maybe he is interested in VSG dynamics as well as VLG dynamics? To see what the differences might be? What advantages / disadvantages there are? The only way to find this stuff out is to do research.
I don't think he is INTENDING to hurt anyone. But I do understand the concern about teenage cliques. And about people feeling excluded.
But maybe there are ways to eliminate / exclude that? I think he was looking for our opinions / suggestions on this...
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