RE: META: Dishonest debate

From: Jeff Davis (jrd1415@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Jun 12 2003 - 16:28:18 MDT

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    Friends,

      Hal Finney wrote,
                      <snip>
      It hurts the quality of the dialog here on this
    list.
                      <snip>
      ...the quality of almost all of our political
      discussions [is] atrocious,
                       <snip>

    and Harvey commented:
                       <snip>
      Something needs to change.
                       <snip>

      I see this problem as a direct cause of my previous
      complaint that we aren't attracting more scientists

      and mainstream support. I don't think real science
      and the mainstream public have a stomach to put up
      with this sort of nonsense.
                         <snip>
      On this list we claim to be willing to explore
      novel technologies. Yet we engage in exactly the
      same styles of pointless rhetorical battling that
      you can find in any other forum on the net. What
      is Extropian about how we handle political
      disagreements? Nothing. We just yell at each
    other.
     
      Yes. We all need to grow up, transcend, and really
      act in an extropian manner....

      But how?

              ---------------------------------

    Flame wars over guns no longer plague the list. Why?
    Because after we had all suffered way more than we
    wanted to, the list "authorities" stepped in and
    banned gun discussions. And as I recall, another site
    --sponsored/maintained by Mike Lorrey I think--was
    designated for anyone who wanted to discuss
    gun-related issues.

    The "formal" ban has, it seems (am I wrong?), been
    replaced by a general understanding that we don't want
    to go back to that condition of rampant
    unpleasantness, and so we just don't "do" guns on the
    list anymore. If someone has a gun issue they want to
    discuss, they could bring it up gently, and ask about
    how to proceed or where to go with their topic. (Or,
    if the treatment remained civil, it might even stay on
    the main list.)

    I encourage the list "authorities" to look at
    expanding on this method of peacekeeping. Provide a
    special area/"compartment"--but still under the aegis
    of the larger ExI list--where discourse likely to
    reflect badly on the ExI has its own protected forum.

    Like Harvey, I look with dismay at the squandering of
    possibility, of what so many people involved with the
    ExI have spent so much time and energy building. Why
    allow the ExI reputation to be trashed, the extropian
    vision vandalized, and current and future
    effectiveness crippled, when freedom of speech--and
    the ranting and raving that sometimes involves--can be
    exercised and protected in a pleasant alcove out back
    in the garden rather that on the front steps?

    Take it to the garden, please.

    Best, Jeff Davis

       "Everything's hard till you know how to do it."
                               Ray Charles

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