From: Jeff Davis (jrd1415@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Jun 12 2003 - 16:28:18 MDT
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The "formal" ban has, it seems (am I wrong?), been
replaced by a general understanding that we don't want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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