From: Mermaid (hidden@lucifer.com)
Date: Thu Oct 02 2003 - 21:20:22 MDT
I think Hermit's post is very hostile and full of malice. If you are going to defend that, then we are going to have to have a rather long and unpleasant chat about that. Please do not even go there. I dont want to hurt you. Really. It is what it is. Period. End of story. I am not going to let anyone make me see something in that nasty post that doesnt really exist in there.
That said, let me make it very clear that Hermit is neither significant nor relevant when it comes to my involvment with CoV. I have always had my doubts about CoV and I have come a long way since the time I thought that its a kooky bunch of Einstein wannabes. I am not going to be discouraged because Hermit disapproves of something.
However, I do NOT have the energy to co-ordinate this AND deal with Hermit's convoluted schemes. Experience tells me that it takes enormous time and even more energy when something has to be defended here. I simply do not have the energy to deal with multitasking at the moment. Even sandcastles take time to build, you know. I didnt sit in front of the computer and type that first post out in 30 seconds flat. There is nothing constructive about suggesting...what was it again?....277 pages of debating rules. There is nothing worthwhile to translate from his perception of the whole thing as 'Fishy Format'. I am taking it for what it is. A mean reaction to a very simple, well intended idea. Ok, so the idea isnt terribly brilliant for some, but its a start, for fucksakes. I cannot argue and defend my use of two words, Parlimentary Style. It would be a CRIMINAL waste of my time. I cannot even put 'Hermit's enquiry' and 'charitable' in the same sentence.
I set those dates and days of the week because I wanted to be around when I kickstart this. You might have noticed that the whole thing is spread over the entire month of October. The submissions are due on tuesdays and fridays. I took the liberty of setting it up according to my schedule and free time in order to lock and unlock the thread(apparently, the lock/unlock option in the bbs is a tad broken), mildly moderate if necessary and co-ordinate in case there is confusion re the rules. The idea was that once people get comfortable/familiar and if they like the idea, virian debates can be carried on their own on a skeletal set of rules with minimal moderation.
Its too much on my plate to defend my choice of words, sell the idea to the group after Hermit's ..err..helpful intervention, do the cheering bit, do the networking bit, clarify doubts, make changes in accordance to other genuinely helpful suggestions AND all this without changing the tuesday/friday cycle for the month of October. and oh yea..be polite too..got to watch my back for the disownment rules. got to watch my language, right? All this distrust within the group, the lack of openness when it comes to honest communication is making me very tense. I want to relax and enjoy my time here. I dont want to be defensive all the time. This isnt fun. This just isnt working for me, you know.
I had no doubt that there would be interest for such an idea as the debate challenge in the CoV. However, I had doubts about how effectively I communicated the idea. I expected people to want to tweak it a little bit here and a little bit there. I expected to clarify the participants queries. I expected suggestions for a change of topic if people did not particularly care for the topic. I expected to be questioned on why people wont know whether they are for/against the topic or their partner/opponents until three days before the debate starts by curious, but not rude members. I did NOT expect to substitute the entire thing with a 277 page BOOK on debate. I did NOT expect snide remarks. I did NOT expect to defend myself and what I designed as my pet project. I did NOT expect to be asked to take a charitable view of a very nasty man's enquiry.
I am not completely discouraged, but I am tired. I hope that people here will be kind enough to show interest again when this debate project is revived sometime in the near future. I have unlocked this thread again.
I have to confess that I was in a rather terrible mood last night when I killed this. I acted rather unkindly to other well meaning folks too. (You know who you are. My apologies) Also, it seems as if I might get busy even earlier than I thought. I'll be damned if I give up on Debate Challenge #2. But for now, I am pooped. I am done.
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