We Got Mail!

We Got Mail!

All this has happened before. All this will happen again.

While words have been said on rationalizing why no one jumped in to support me against the charges laid by Brandon, the obvious words left unsaid - that no one had the balls to say - was this was also the case for Brandon - no one here felt the responsibility to either back up his charges, or chastise him for making such outrageous claims.  And yet with just ONE accuser before us, another RPeep who has been here for a while actually had to ask if its true.  Wow.  If I ever needed evidence to reinforce my long-held belief that a lack of visible public moderation here has its consequences, there it is.

Some time ago it was suggested to me that frothing on in the forum about public figures was fine and dandy - including libelous claims against honourable persons who serve your country, but any personal attacks on  fellow RPeeps was verboten.  Of course the enforcement to correct any personal attacks that did take place was never there, so nature taking its course, and with no evidence of consequences, the frothing and attacks against public figures was easily redirected at any RPeep - not just me - who offered even the slightest of opposition to the bleating.

The total failure to excoriate or even publicly reprimand in some fashion those who go too far has a predictable result of driving many voices away from this forum.  Why would anyone wish to risk the wrath of a Brandon or HC or Servo or even maybe a Beaker for merely stating an opposing opinion?  Must all opinions be carefully worded and threaded ever so delicately to avoid disrupting the sensibilities of the reader?  If you have anything resembling conservative viewpoints, that certainly seems what is demanded here - and my experience here is not the only one.

As a place for serious political discussion, this forum is a near total failure.  With my voice removed for some months, it was noted by more than one person that the level of rancor remained unchanged.  Blame me all you want.  Blame any other loud voices, be they conservative, liberal, independent or nutbar all you want.  Point the fingers where ever you choose - but know this - many of us have long recognized the reason for the failure of reasonable discourse in this forum - and the root of this failure isn't with any one individual participant. 

As far as my responses to certain people here goes, while some may dislike my style and claim alienation, in the face of no moderation or demerits for those who cross the line in their rhetoric, I'd like you to consider the presentation alternatives available to an opposing voice in responding to the screaming and frothing ALREADY ON DISPLAY.  And don't start with me in an admonishment to provide reasoned discourse in 'leading by example' - as this isn't anything demanded of anyone else here.

Unintended Consequences

The consequences of failing to set and maintain a reasonable standard for discourse here are numerous, and many are not obvious to anyone not familiar with the dynamics at play on a public forum.  Here's just a few I have personally observed:

Knowledgeable voices on serious subjects remain muted and unwilling to participate AT ALL, having seen long-term the non-serious responses to serious topics, and/or the angry arrows aimed at the outspoken.

While almost all of us here are quite reasonable folks, all it takes is just a few - even one or two - to run amok, do silly things and pay no consequences, thus setting an (undesirable) example for others on just what can be gotten away with here. And thus the newbie lurker can turn into another example of a forum participant showing behaviour that is undesirable.  I've seen this several times now.

Newbie members assume the worst about certain members based solely upon the obvious and blatant disdain that a handful of others post.  With no corrective action taken against the offenders, the newbie assumes that allegations are true.  'Your reputation precedes you'...  Sad that the reputation of others may be controlled in any way by the vocal frothing of a handful here, but there it is.

RP members leave the forum and RP permanently as a result of the intolerance on display.  Military spouses have left not to return. How many now?

People leave here for Facebook, RL or safer environs elsewhere due to the venom and vicious attacks.  The RP forum isn't the only place to connect with music lovers, or other like-minded folk on any topic. Facebook, as one example, offers personal accountability (you use your real name) - and the prospect of moderation.  With every forum participant lost, the chance is high that their economic support is also lost.  While the forum is a tiny part of the business that is RP,   IMO, the opportunities available to RP to use it to their advantage are for the most part being wasted ... having venom and conflicts on public display weekly can't possibly be good for any business model.  One display of intolerance or personal attack allowed to stand undoes many dozens of great posts by the rest of the community.

Yeah so?

In the end, this post isn't about me.  It isn't about Brandon.  Its about the much bigger picture - the direction of the RP forum and your own personal interactions with others here.  Want to talk about anything other than politics - fine.  But talk about politics at your own peril here - for there are nearly no limits to what will be tolerated in the forum - Brandon's recent malicious allegations and personal attacks, which he refuses to either prove or retract - and has paid no observable consequences for, have reinforced this for us all once again - as if some of us needed a reminder.

Unless things change around here, which I highly doubt, I see the pattern continuing on.  That's truly sad.

All this has happened before, and all this will happen again.

ADDENDUM:

I'd also like to point out that the lack of effective moderation also has had negative effects on one of the most important areas on this entire website - the song comments area.  Talk about cutting your own throat there...

And a heartfelt thank you to those of you who stepped in to address an RP member's question and refute the allegations made by Brandon.  Your efforts did not go unnoticed.  If the forum had any semblance of moderation, such events wouldn't likely occur in the first place.