Content and Practices for this list LO22256

Stan Schellenburg (stanschellenburg@hotmail.com)
Sat, 17 Jul 1999 13:17:15 CDT

Replying to Robert Bacal, LO22239

[Host's Note: Please read through to the bottom before drawing conclusions
on this unusual (for "Learning-org") posting. ...Rick]

Robert wrote:

"First, crap crowds out substance. That, for example, is why this is
a moderated list - I don't think that' s really disputable."

Two things strike me about these statements and others in the context of
Robert's long post: 1)the temptation I feel to dispute Robert's dogmatic
and argumentative statements, and 2) Robert's choice of words.

Knowing Robert's preference for brevity, I'll limit my response. Bottom
line, Robert, I wish you would cut the sh--.

By saying this, in addition to rejecting your message with the hope of
reducing your further contributions, I also hope to draw the contrast of
your sh-- with other people's crap because I prefer the crap to the sh--.

I'm feeling argumentative and dogmatic. Otherwise, I would ask you what
you think about the effect of this kind of short post on you and the
learning community as a whole.

Stan Schellenburg

P.S.

Actually, the body of this post does not reflect my REAL feelings. In the
long run I think posts with this kind of tone are more likely to hinder
learning in our community than help. It seems to me the tone is as
important as the substance -- or lack of substance -- for achieving a
learning environment. There is an escalation, too, from "law of the
single click," to "the posts are too long or theoretical for me," to "the
posts are too xxx for all of us," to "such posts are crap," to "your posts
are sh-t,"...

Somewhere between "law of the single click" and "the posts are too xxx for
all of us" I think we shift from supporting an environment conducive to
learning to an environment that impairs learning potential.

Am I way off base? Did anyone make it past the body of this post to the
post script? Can what is said in the body really be undone? Did it
invite diversity of participation?

-- 

"Stan Schellenburg" <stanschellenburg@hotmail.com>

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>