The roller coaster is about to start again. Stick your hands and feet out where they’ll catch on something, please.
I created the religion discussion article a few months ago to channel that topic into an area that I wouldn’t have to read about it, because I’m not passionate about it either way. I was getting tired of the topic creeping into the chatbox, so I hoped creating an article would keep comments contained in that discussion thread and I could ignore it.
Ignore it I did! For the first time on this site I’ve cultivated, comments were being posted and I wasn’t reading them. It was actually liberating in a way more than not wanting to participate in that topic: it meant the site was growing in volume beyond a couple daily comments.
Then I heard people saying they were unhappy with the discussion, that comments were getting mean or nasty or out of line. I also heard complaints that the religion debates were spilling out into other discussion threads that did not have anything to do with religion. When I heard some people say they were reluctant to comment on any topic for fear of being attacked, I decided to cool it off and shut that topic off from further comments.
I was impressed and depressed with the comments in response to that decision. Some pointed out the free speech aspect of this site that is distinct from any other Idaho Falls avenue. Some said how much they liked the anonymous freedom enjoyed here as opposed to our local Post Register’s letters to the editor policy. Some called into question the strength of my spine. I can handle insults (take them all day in fact), but I was depressed that discussion was centering on me as an individual rather than about our community. That certainly wasn’t my intention, either.
I’ve thought about this for the last eight days or so. I think it is important to host these discussions. If they are not happening here, they are happening out in our community. I’d rather see a community-wide platform that interested parties can debate these issues with people they’d never normally meet. It may not happen often, but sometimes participants may learn new information and hey someone could change their mind (and maybe admit they changed their mind or concede someone has a good point).
The key to this is that if you are not interested in a particular hot topic, you do not have to participate or even read it! On the upper left column a script shows you customized links to discussion comments that you have not read yet. It’s very convenient because you just click each link in turn and scroll down to read what is new since you last visited. I click the topics I’m interested in, then click the ‘Mark all as read’ link for remaining topics I’m not interested in reading about. Easy as that!
Furthermore, if you strongly dislike a particular person here, their name is purposely published at the start of their comment so you can scroll past it if you don’t want to read what that person has to say. This allows anyone to still participate in discussions without getting pulled into arguments with people they don’t want to talk to anyways. If fewer people read an antagonist’s comments then fewer people will get riled up and respond, eventually the antagonist may comment in a more friendly manner. This is not just my theory, but a tactic I’ve read about from online community-building experts.
I was remiss in my moderator duties in one respect and I will endeavor to change. Discussion topics sometimes veer too far from the original point; it happens naturally. If this happens I or anyone else can comment a reminder of what the original topic was and ask questions to relaunch discussion around that orignal idea (this tactic is effective and you don’t seem bossy). Hopefully this will help contain the ultra-controversial discussions and help prevent those discussions from bleeding into irrelevent discussions.
I was disappointed how severely our comment volume dropped after that thread was closed, especially after I pointed out we publish hundreds of other topics that rarely get any discussion. I reopen the religion discussion to give those interested parties what they want in our community, and in fact plan to introduce some more controversial subjects that we have not ventured into. I and others will also continue publishing plainer (mundane?) topics that have local significance, and hopefully those are discussed with vigor and enthusiasm also. If you don’t like it, please feel completely free to change the subject with your comments or by publishing your own articles.
Finally, I admit I have to eat humble pie on a daily basis for things I say. Someday perhaps I’ll get smart and stop sticking my foot in my mouth so much, but it never happens. I’m still going to try and fail and try again because I learn more when I engage others.
I hope nobody is ever reluctant to participate in our discussions. If so, just look at some of the dumb things I say and have confidence you likely won’t be as bad as me. 8^)
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It WAS all he had to say about it!
:@:)
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