[Theforum] (no subject)

[Lachlan Cannon]

Can we please have an end to this thread, now? Although it has got more
positive towards the end, it's terrible that this thing was sustained.
Shouldn't this thread have been stopped by Adrian? When we do have things
like this happening, we need a strong admin presence to be able to step in
and say threads over (like Eric Meyer acts on CSSD).

To be quite frank, I haven't ever been as ashamed of the people running this
community as in this thread. While it hasn't been an all out flame war, it
has become close to one at some stages. I understand that people have a lot
invested in evolt. I understand that people all have their own visions for
it which will always conflict. I understand that people are quite passionate
about what's happening. I do not understand the all out wars that this list
has come on the verge of having. Yes, every issue has two sides. Yes there
is cause for debate. There is never cause however for arguement. Go back and
read that again. A debate is a logical discussion by two opposing sides over
a point. It is to the point, and civil. An arguement is not. If you're going
to write something that is commenting on a person, instead of a decision
STOP. Take a break. Switch your computer off and go have a walk for an hour.
Come back and see whether you can't make a reply which is in the spirit of a
debate - if not then don't reply at all.

FWIW, I think that there should be a rule on all the lists for running the
site, that if comments are made which are arguements and not debates, then
that person should be banned from that list for a short time - say a week.
If they keep on doing it after they come back, then it should be a longer
ban - say a month. After that there should be no more chances. Maybe this
would keep a much better atmosphere in these lists - at least people would
be civil to each other, anyway. Really people, please try to act as
professionally towards each other as you would towards a client. It seems
strange to me that I see a lot more people my age - 17 years old, acting
more mature in discussions and debates than I see some of the people on this
list behaving. Please everyone chill, and focus on what's really important -
evolt. If you really can't do that, then maybe you should take a break.

Remember, you as a group have accomplished a heap of great things -
evolt.org is the coolest community I have found on the net. It's currently
being worked on to make it even greater - you have accomplished a lot, and
stand to accomplish a lot more if you can work together. You did these
things as a group - infighting makes the group weaker not stronger. Can we
get back to making evolt an even greater place, now?

Lach