h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>>And Ed contributes thought-provoking points

It's lovely of you to say so Ben, but I'm quite sure the thoughts usually provoked are 'Won't he just shut up about Marxism for once?' and 'What's he going on about now?'.

For sure. But you managed not to mention Marxism in this thread until post 101.

While you are here - does the trhead title reference Man about the House / George and Mildred, or summat else? I've been hearing the title in Brian Murphy's voice, and I'd have to have to change that.

no I didn't, sorry I hadn't got to place where I could be mod club teasing, quite

and also I miss quite a lot of sublety, which can sometimes be a downfall,

I have a good shovel, for digging myself out of such things

Actually the thread title is from 'Harvey' with James Stewart.

(but it wasn't Stewart who said it. imagine it in a matriarchal voice)

Deities, but rereading my post it does come out wrong, sorry about that.

I think what I was trying to say, rather badly, us that we are an inclusive community but we don't run the show.

Hmm, I'm not sure that's coming out any better so I'll try a brain dump and see how that goes...

we all have an idea about h2g2, about what it is, and what it an be, about how it should be run, what it should tolerate and what it shouldn't. and we are in a position here that no other online community is in. we are not only the ones that if we volunteer are doing the day to day running of the site, "enforcing" the rules and ideals that come down from the owners, but we have a voice in setting those. however we must all if us remember that when the rules are set, to stick within them. we've got here the opportunity to change the ones we don't agree with, or at least to put forward well reasoned arguments as to why they should be changed, and we'll know that they won't just be heard, but that they'll be taken seriously.

this doesn't happen anywhere else on the internet as far as i'm aware, but we need to remember that we don't own the site, we co-own it. and while the others involved in that will listen seriously to what we say, the final decision on all things is at the board level, not with us.

not sure if that's coming out any better

So, in other words, we're less of an inclusive community than an inconclusive community?

Sounds about right.

B

Inconclusive Community.

I think you hit the nail on the head there Mu

Here's another way of putting it Pastey.

There was another (banned) Researcher who wrote a column for a Jakarta newspaper. I forget his hootoo name but I know his RL one. In one column he was talking about fellow Indonesians who were baying for someone-or-other to be hanged.

'Democracy does not mean always getting your own way.'

I think that'd be better put as Democracy means not always getting your own way

I think my badly put first post has been understandably misconstrued. I'm not for people going away, the whole like it or lump it thing. What I am for is realising that an individuals view is just that, the view of the individual.

I don't see my view on most matters as being any more right or wrong, or especially more important than anyone elses. But we do need to listen to everyone elses views.

However, at the end of the day, if people/company bank rolling a site want things done in a certain way, then we have to accept that. I think my original post is a but if a reaction against the view that you should be able to say and do what you like on the internet. you can, you should always be able to (within reason), but only if you're the one paying for it.

Hey, don't sweat it. It's only dialogue. We get this.