From: Hermit (hidden@lucifer.com)
Date: Mon Aug 26 2002 - 09:47:55 MDT
Kirkosaurus Wrecks asked, "Sebbs, L'Erm, Joe; where have all the good threads gone?"
I don't know about the others, but I've given up for the nonce. Between lies, deceit, insult and irrationality - and most of all sheer flooding - it has simply become impossible for me to keep up with the list. To coin a phrase, as I see it, the CoV has become the voice of one hand clapping. I see the current situation as being equivalent to "The Tragedy of the Commons" which was used by Hardin, to describe an ethical dilemma. Hardin's original thought experiment suggested a village, where villagers own cattle and live around a shared commons. The villagers maximize their personal gain by steadily increasing the size of their herds -- until they destroy the commons, which supports them. This can be done by a few villagers, or by all of the villagers. The ratio is unimportant. The net effect, either way, is that the commons is destroyed. That is, a shared good, the commons, can be destroyed by the few, or the group, by exploiting the fact that there are no understood restrictions upon the use of the shared g
ood. Only when one looks back after its destruction is it possible to recognize the process. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the villagers, not recognizing what is happening, cannot agree on appropriate restrictions to avoid it.
Now consider the CoV as our commons. The members of the CoV are the villagers. Ideas and their defense are our stock, our cattle. Somebody, lets say Joe expresses a viewpoint. I do the research to write a reply. And he and others perhaps, respond to that. Each point raised is accepted, rejected or deferred. The discussion itself is useful to all the members, as it demonstrates the method of analysis, the kinds of research possible, and hopefully the means of argument. All submissions, by anyone, are seen and may be commented upon by those interested. Now consider that I am slow. On average, it takes me two to three hours to write a post. When the issues become complex and subjective as in, e.g. the smirkingchimp's desire to invoke Armageddon in order to satisfy his religious tenets, make Israel happy or assuage his fears; or the genocidal actions of Israel against the Palestinians; the time to write a high quality post increases dramatically. Many responses to Joe Dees and Jonathan Davis for example have ta
ken over 20 hours to craft. At some point, unless prepared to dedicate one's life to writing replies (which I did for almost a month before giving up when the stream became a flood), it becomes impossible for me - or anyone else I fear, to keep up with responding.
To revert to the extended metaphor, as in a world where only one power exists and can do what it likes irrespective of the damage done, or a commons where a few villagers have so many cattle that just their stock will overgraze the common, what has happened on the CoV is that holders of one opinion have taken to barraging the list with so many items they assume supports their viewpoint (often comprising poor quality material), and apparently not selected with any particular care (e.g. articles which contradict their general thrust), that there is no time to do the research or write a response prior to the next flood. The supporters of that opinion have thus "won" - they own the commons. There is no way for an opponent to introduce "cattle" to the commons. Unfortunately, this has made the commons unusable for anyone or anything else. I see this as doubly sad, because while perhaps "The barbarians always win in the end" (Cresius), in this case I think that rather than external forces, we are, ourselves, the ba
rbarians. As Henry Demarest Lloyd put it, "If our civilization is destroyed, it will not be by barbarians from below. Our barbarians come from above." So it is with us. Some people I once respected have been requested by at least David Lucifer and I, to moderate themselves and use the structures we have built to avoid this situation, yet have chosen to ignore such requests. Where I might previously have stepped in, sufficient voices - that I also respect - on the CoV are obviously strongly opposed to any form of imposed moderation*. While I disagree with this position, on the basis that, as Aristotle put it, "only barbarians have as their ideal the wish to live as they please, and to do what they like", I recognize their right as members of the CoV to prefer living this way. Not being a barbarian, or wishing to associate with barbarians, I am (hopefully temporarily) withdrawn from the main list to the BBS and to our IRC environment, where I can be found lurking in #hermit.
Kind Regards
Hermit
*Interestingly, the people who complain loudest about moderation don't seem to be particularly active themselves, and appear unable to develop the membership or recognize that their position might decrease the membership.
---- This message was posted by Hermit to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=26243>
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