A web community is like any other community, and needs police.
Just as people become tired and distant from their own local communities when vandals are allowed to freely trash the buildings, cover walls with vulgar or hateful messages, and play music loud enough to destroy eardrums, people demand a minimum level of civility in the places they spend any time in.
Since ordinary users can't perform a "citizen's arrest" of vandals, they are dependent on the "cop on the beat" to control things on their behalf. In most cases, this is a site admin, or a localy-appointed monitor if the community is large enough, and the job is largely thankless.
Ignoring the policing part of creating a community will inevitably destroy it, as there are always a few putzes around, who will quickly mess up the neighbourhood if not controlled. Messy neighbourhoods, hate-filled neighbourhoods, discourage loitering, so people move on quickly.
Cheers,
Puddin'
Comments
I'm sure I must live on another planet
because I don't understand why conflicts erupt. Surely, if there is a difference of opinion, it only needs to be talked through and at worst agree to disagree. Or am I being simplistic?
Angharad y syml.
Peace lover.
Angharad
We all live within the same thin veneer of atmosphere
Hey Ang,
I'm with you hon. I don't get it either. I try REALLY REALLY hard not to offend people, but it doesn't always work. I have had people angry at me, I mean REALLY angry at me, for having fun with my story blurbs, FOR MY OWN STORIES. What's up with that???? I write the way my muse inspires, I can NOT do it any other way.
I have tried recently to NOT make any comments that might be taken the wrong way. I try to ONLY make positive comments,OR, I make no comments at all. If I have something to say about errors or what might be done to improve a work, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, I write a private message. Most of those have been at least accepted as opinion and not nasty criticism, which they would NEVER EVER be intended to be.
So this whole 'flame war' shit is just SO FAR beyond my comprehension I have nothing to say to that topic.
Thanks for writing your stories Ang. AND thanks to Erin and company for providing this website to read all these GREAT stories.
with love,
Hope
with love,
HER
Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.
Simplistic? No, but...
There are, sadly in my opinion, people that really do not care about other's opinion and no ammount of talking will convince them that they should do anything "for the public good". They feel they have the "right" to do what they want, when they want, how they want, irrespective of what happens to anyone else. (Sadly, a very common occurrance on the New Jersey roads...)
IMO - they're effectivly no better than 2-3 year olds, and in some ways worse, because they have more sophisticated tools to achieve their aims.
That just explains the RATIONAL people... Then, when we add those that don't even think before they do or act... *sighs*
I like to think that if we could talk together, like reasonable adults (even if we aren't) we could solve many problems or at least agree to peacefully coexist. Sadly, I've seen too many cases where this seems to not be the case.
*sighs*
Annette
P.S. I expect some folks may well take exception to my opinions up there, but they are MY opinions and observations. They may or may not reflect fact. If any are offended, I appologize in advance.
Not by much...
People become invested in "positions," and then "adopt an attitude," to quote an old movie, and it's difficult to disavow one's offspring, even if kin through hasty impulse. I didn't see most of the recent instance of heightened feelings, but can well understand that both parties were frustrated, precisely the situation when intervention is most necessary to preserve the public peace.
This function so defines the best use of police power that in North America, or at least Canada and the USA, policemen are often officially defined as "Peace Officers" in the law, and that status may extend to certain other public officials.
Cheers,
Puddin' y diymhongar
Always in favour of healing the world
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Much Ado
I was away for most of the day, I get back and see cryptic messages about the aftermath of some unexplained event.
I posted a request here for some background, and someone was kind enough to fill me in. (Thank you, again!)
Now that I know what transpired, I must say that I can't understand the way people behave sometimes. In one moment, a person can be kind, helpful and considerate, and in another moment, that ol' reptile brain takes over.
"Fascinating, these humans," as Star Trek's Mr. Spock might have said.