A year and a half ago, I could have eviscerated him with my thoughts. Now I can barely hurt his feelings. Things used to be so much simpler.

Anya ,'Dirty Girls'


Bureaucracy 1: Like Kafka, Only Funnier  

A thread to discuss naming threads, board policy, new thread suggestions, and anything else that has to do with board administration and maintenance. Guaranteed to include lively debate and polls. Natter discouraged, but not deleted.

Current Stompy Feet: ita, Jon B, DXMachina, P.M. Marcontell, Liese S., amych


Trudy Booth - Apr 12, 2003 2:48:34 pm PDT #9427 of 10001
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

Trudy, my thinking on your proposal is that I tried that.

I posted, without arguing with her actual content, something like "I think that was rude. Please watch the tone of your posts."

I'm tired of trying as an individual and having no success.

Which is why we'd have to try as a group.

If fifteen people calmly tell me I've gone over the line I may get pissed and even dig in my heels, but the fire isn't going to spread.


§ ita § - Apr 12, 2003 2:50:36 pm PDT #9428 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

If fifteen people calmly tell me I've gone over the line

It's pretty much happened, hasn't it?


Trudy Booth - Apr 12, 2003 2:51:19 pm PDT #9429 of 10001
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

I'm not talking about not ticking off the person doing it, I'm talking about not letting the situation blow-out.

And it wouldn't be instead of a discussion, ita, it would be when discussion isn't working or is making the problem worse (like in the current situation).


Typo Boy - Apr 12, 2003 2:51:59 pm PDT #9430 of 10001
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.

Trudy -sorry that was Nutty's proposal. And on the whole Zoe question, if we give her this unofficial warning, if she ignores it, can she get an official warning?


arby - Apr 12, 2003 2:52:01 pm PDT #9431 of 10001
Guy #1: Man, there are so many hipsters around. I hate hipsters! Guy #2: You're at the wrong place. That's like going to Vegas only to say "I hate titties!" --The Warsaw, Williamsburg (OINY)

If fifteen people calmly tell me I've gone over the line I may get pissed and even dig in my heels, but the fire isn't going to spread.

But this HAS already happened! Zoe has been politely told by many, many people to please modify her tone, and the result has been guff, snippiness and more guff.


Nutty - Apr 12, 2003 2:52:02 pm PDT #9432 of 10001
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."

Pardon me Trudy, but are you proposing that if any five people agree then that is enough to give someone an official warning? That is one proposer and four seconds gives the warning that they have done something wrong and must change their ways?

Gar, loosely speaking, that was me. And not a warning, but a new category of Stompy Action called an intervention, which does not change the user's status the way a warning does. Basically, I don't want any Tom Dick or Harry to go grinding his axe by asking for an intervention every week, but I also don't want the Stompies floundering around wondering at what point in the discussion they're empowered to act. (I picked 5 because it is a nice number and because it is good enough for Vote Proposals. We could end up with something different, no big.)

It's still at the what-if stage, so if you think there's something wrong with the idea, please explain further.


Fay - Apr 12, 2003 2:52:20 pm PDT #9433 of 10001
"Fuck Western ideologically-motivated gender identification!" Sulu gasped, and came.

And certainly not improve my behaviour for the better. It doesn't mean anything, other than I've slammed into a wall of group think. It's like being told to talk to the hand, or being sent to Coventry, both of which are acts of aggression.

Again, I concur with ita here. For me, this would drive me absolutely apeshit. I mean, foamingly angry. Really, really, really damned angry. I understand that it wouldn't have that impact upon you, but it would totally push my buttons to have everyone suddenly turn into 'bots rather than have individuals talking to me as individuals.


§ ita § - Apr 12, 2003 2:52:21 pm PDT #9434 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

I'm not talking about not ticking off the person doing it, I'm talking about not letting the situation blow-out.

I think it's very subjective. I and others may be more primed for a blowout with that approach, rather than less.


Trudy Booth - Apr 12, 2003 2:52:52 pm PDT #9435 of 10001
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

If fifteen people calmly tell me I've gone over the line

It's pretty much happened, hasn't it?

But it hasn't been calm. The cumulative effect has been decidedly un-calm. If it's the same statement fifteen times there is simply less fuel for the fire.


§ ita § - Apr 12, 2003 2:53:54 pm PDT #9436 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

But it hasn't been calm

Go back. Read. It was calm. And then ... it devolved. Because people are human. If it's gotten to the place where people CAN'T self-Doblerise, then they can't do your shorthand either, can they?