Maybe moderators don't even realize it's happening -goodness knows they're busy enough.

We don't have moderators.

And I think Consuela's questions are the right ones, and what Steph said about people who feel like the answer to #s 1 and 2 is yes.

I would've spoken up, even though I'm also very persnickety

no, you're pernickety (waits for the laughter of Literary posters)

Anyhoo, I think some good points have been made. I think that it's important to note (as I believe David touched on) that when you criticize someone/thing, you have to have some cred to do so. This is why the "newbie" post is not getting as much weight as it might. A suggestion or comment on something else may have been treated differently.

There are people on the board that tend to get a little high handed, or even post things that could be considered rude or offensive. When that happens, I snarl "asshole" at the screen and move on, possibly bitch in my LJ. It's not always possible to like everyone at the party, even though you want to be there.

I snarl "asshole" at the screen and move on

Hell, I sometimes do that to my own posts.

The center could stand to keep the wishes of the edges in mind. We're intelligent people and, historically, compassionate ones.

That can only happen if (1) the peeps at the edges make their wishes known, and (2) accept that sometimes those wishes aren't going to be granted. Stating that it isn't fair that the majority doesn't agree with you is understandable, but probably won't change the opinions of the majority.

I think that it's important to note (as I believe David touched on) that when you criticize someone/thing, you have to have some cred to do so.

Okay, I guess I can't let things die. But when I posted essentially the same thing -- though in a much more aggressive tone -- people stepped up and said "Nope; everyone gets a say." How is what I said so different?

Okay. Need to let it go. Not important. I know the lurkers support me (but via fax, surprisingly).

Consuela's questions

sometimes

maybe

t /not helpful

I would offer that stories of happyland and a board filled with all goodwill are really just not accurate. It seems that everyone feels that way about the board when they first became active, and the gradually and sometimes not so gradually they see faults and then we all eventually enter the realm of cycles of cranky and grumpy.

The center could stand to keep the wishes of the edges in mind. We're intelligent people and, historically, compassionate ones.

But making the people at one edge happy makes people in the middle moderately unhappy, and people at the other edge REALLY unhappy. Ideally, a decision made in the center only makes the edges moderately unhappy. If you know you're on the edge of popular opinion, you have to know that most things won't go your way most of the time.

I am a bit sad that almost no one responded to his (or Hec's or Trudy's) posts by saying "IS there?" "Am I possibly making people feel disenfranchised?"

Scrappy, thanks for raising that point. I hope we all have a bit of the "Is it me?" thing in our hearts -- I know I do. The problem is, it's a hard thing to publically discuss. It's the cyber equivalent of "Do I look fat in these pants?"; the right answer is always no. (Okay, unless you're in a dressing room and debating between two sizes, one of which is smaller than you normally wear, and not fat in the least in any case, but let's not parse the metaphor.)

And maybe a conscious effort to return to the congenieal roots of the board - the openness and tollerance I heard so much about for so long - might not be a bad idea

Rafmun, this sounds like a good idea. I'll admit that I feel the board is about as harsh now as it was in 2001, when I started posting. But trying for tolerance is never a bad thing.

Steph, everyone gets a say, but not everyone's say gets the same weight in everyone's head.

But the board I heard so many good things about featured posters considering other posters' points, extending true consideration to ideas - whatever the source, newbie or veteran.

I also don't appreciate the implication that there is little to no consideration of others, or politeness, in the current board culture.

Rafmun, it's these assertions that bother me, that I disagree with completely, and that you are just throwing out there and insisting we take at face value.

I'm interested in what you have to say, and engaging you in discussion, but it really seems to me as if you're descending deeper into hyperbole with every post.