[luau] Moderation--of all kinds

[Tom Donahoe]

On 2/22/03 10:36 AM, "Kevin Goad" <kevg at hawaii.rr.com> wrote:

> How about a little diplomacy?  This list should have a mediator.
> 
> 
Hi All--

    Kevin, I agree a little more diplomacy is in order. It is disappointing
that there has been so much pettiness on this list of late. I thought we
were here to learn about and support the Open Source movement. And while I
understand that a cornerstone of the whole movement is a free exchange of
ideas, when things become little more than personal invective and
self-aggrandizement, I wonder how successful this movement will become.
    This type of behavior does not allow us as a community to progress. The
battles we fight against proprietary software manufacturers and the attitude
among users of that software are hard enough without senseless infighting.
Disagreements and differences of opinion are fine and healthy, but when it
is nothing more than childish, personal attacks, our attempts to bring about
change are weakened. These dilute the efforts of the many who are trying to
do go good by making us all look bad. Clearly some moderation--by which I
mean less extreme behavior--is called for
    Kevin asks for moderation of another kind--someone willing to edit the
contributions to the list by keeping out such  emails. I have some problems
with that, and I think others on this list might. (After all, what would
keep a moderator from acting in the same childish way, letting in only those
emails he/she agrees with?) On the other hand, I am seriously toying with
leaving the list, just because a small number of people seem incapable of
acting civilized.
    All communities have rules governing behavior. Freedom of speech is a
right we enjoy in the US; however, it is not absolute. As a society we have
put a variety of restrictions on free speech. We have coupled these
restrictions with penalties for those who transgress the limits. We could do
the same in this community if we decided that was a way to stop this kind of
pettiness. Rights demand responsibility. If everyone acted that way, things
would be great, and I wouldn't be writing this. We could make a community
decision about how we react when trivial exchanges of this type occur.
    Or not.  In the end, we are all here by the grace of owner(s) of the
list. Whomever this is could decide unilaterally, and we'd have to abide by
the decision, or go somewhere else and start another list. I prefer the
community approach myself, but accept the reality of the second. Perhaps it
wouldn't hurt if we started acting as if we were guests in another person's
house. 
    I have mixed feelings about writing this email. On the one hand, I feel
it is necessary to say something. On the other, I have a sense that it will
only encourage more of the same impropriety we have seen recently. I hope
that is not true, and I hope we can strive for greater civility in our all
exchanges.

Aloha
Tom Donahoe