I was sorry to see that Boris from Baltimore had deleted a post he sent in a couple of days ago. Could you repost the question if not the post itself?I respect Boris' right to delete his post if he decides he doesn't like it, but I thought the question was an excellent one and reframed blog participation positively.
The question again: "What are you doing to make this blog better?"
My answer: commenting from time to time. Trying not to do so adversarially, though I do slip from time to time ... and I can promise to send in a monthly graph if people like them.
-- Merely Academic
Hm, good question.
ReplyDeleteI try to post when I see lulls, I try to vary my topics, and I always take the comments here more seriously than anywhere else.
This makes very little real sense, but behind our disguises I assume there are fine minds at work, so when someone dismisses me or pulls a trolling offense, I ask them questions instead of assuming they are idiots.
I expect to see people disagreeing with me. I'm not here to please people, I want a range of opinions. Many have interpreted that as troll behavior. I offer a blanket apology.
ReplyDeleteI saw Boris' post for a split second. It appear to me to be more of a whine. Sort-of, hand to forehead, heavy sigh, alas where are all the good old-timers? We have seen several like that in the past few weeks, fallout from the Leslie K affair?
I used to think you were a troll, too, h_p, but more and more I'm thinking you were just unfortunately mistaken for that "other" anonymous.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I don't really make this blog much better, so the answer to the thirsty is "N/A."
Why the hell is there a slash in there, anyway?
@hp
ReplyDeleteSee, I think that's idiotic. I think of this place as a place where we gather to bitch about OTHERS, the students, colleagues, and administrators who'd never dare visit a place so profane and wicked as CM. When I see sniping back and forth among people who are members of the blog, I think, "Oy vey."
And Schmitty, don't be too soft on hp. He was clearly guilty of much assholery when he first came on board, and before he finally was forced to take a nom de blog.
I saw that post and commented in a pretty acidic way that my contribution was not to post things about how lame other people's posts were. Boris's post wasn't constructive, it was all about how things were so much better at RYS. Tiresome and insulting.
ReplyDeleteI'm not above sniping back and forth, when people say douchey things, but I think limiting comments to just that is, itself, douchesque.
And h_p, I like who you've become. For me I guess it boils down to respect: if someone has vastly different opinions than mine, but does not resort to name-calling, misogyny/homophobia/etc., whining, or making the same damned comment again and again (that's you, anonymous) I respect them.
Speaking of respect: where, oh where, is Angry Archie, a smart man who would probably have me for lunch at a department meeting?
I try not to post when I'm drunk.
ReplyDelete@SchmittyRKD, yes I think there were a couple anonymous's one time. I didn't think a nick was important, but it became one of the rules here, so I obeyed. I believe I was one of the less inflaming anonymous'.
ReplyDelete@Kimmie, I have learned to pause before responding to being called an asshole. Which seems to help the tone. If you are calling my ideas "assholely" (sp?), you are in a majority. If you are calling me, the person, an asshole, you are making statements of fact in the absence of evidence. My children love me.
@Beaker, you said it, don't drive, post or grade will under the influence.
I'm not as good as the Beaker at avoiding drunkenness when posting. So I guess my only real contribution is that I keep the floor swept and mopped.
ReplyDeleteWhat was strong about RYS and occasionally here was the personality of the page, the moderator(s). The people at RYS were funny and wicked and their personalities shone through the page and gave it something.
ReplyDeleteFabSun and Leslie K added something, too. But when some folks (and you know who you are) continued to dog Leslie with misogynistic bullshit, she left (or receded), and now we have a bland site that a handful of readers try to fill.
I think a stronger central figure is important, but some of the best (Arch and Frod, definitely), are gone.
One could argue that the site is bland 'cause we have fairly restrictive rules. I'm not making that argument, but what was better about having a couple of strong (loud) voices versus a wider range of people and opinions? I would argue that there seem to be more individuals commenting now, then in the good old days were a few seem to have dominated.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the rules are restrictive, HP, and I'd love to know which of these you think are hemming in the community and making it so bland:
ReplyDeleteDo not hijack threads.
Do not marginalize the experiences of other members.
Comments and posts that seem designed purely to attack others and/or drive away readers will be deleted.
Do not impersonate another CM community member. Do not post under multiple monikers or logins. Do not post anonymously.
Do not post or comment with harassing, defamatory, abusive, offensive, pornographic, racist, sexist, threatening, hateful or otherwise inappropriate language.
Hmmm, I think we could spice things up if we were allowed the porno, racist, sexist and hateful stuff. That'd make it a little more lively.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it's cool to marginalize the experiences of others. Fix those and we'll have a party!
I said I was not making the argument that the rules make us bland. If I were to make that argument, I would hypothesize that the "good old days" of CM were filled with "snarky" comments by the individuals who are now currently claimed as missing. I would also argue that a great deal more leeway was given those individuals. Now rule #2 restricts the snarkyness for everyone. That may be what people miss.
ReplyDeleteI do not know this to be true, this is only my hypothesis, I lack a long history with this blog.
I don't think there's much point fretting about those who have left and wondering if the blog has become too bland/ too restrictive/ too whatever. People show up for awhile, they get bored, they get busy, they get lives, they stop coming by. Others come. The cycle continues. Sometimes you get a very lively group, sometimes less so. Life goes on.
ReplyDeleteReferring to my previous comment, this explains the low frequency of my posts.
ReplyDeleteReferring to my previous comment, this explains the low frequency of my posts and the lack of dustbunnies at CM. Beat that, BB!
ReplyDeletespeaking of making CM better, thank you oh powers-that-be for the new header!!!!
ReplyDeleteRules and assholery aside, one of the least cited but most attractive features of this blog is its day-to-day level of cleanliness. Here's to you, Professor Bubba!
ReplyDeleteAt the end of every day, I walk through the science building and I pass the chemistry lab on my way home. I feel the words building inside me, I can't stop them, or tell you why I say them, but as I reach the chemistry lab, these words come to me in a whisper. I say these words as a prayer, as regret, as praise, I say: Beaker Ben... Beaker Ben....
ReplyDeleteLurking and amusing myself.
ReplyDelete