I quoted this before. Perhaps people will pay attention this time. Warren Ellis, on Microcasting, Message Boards And Social Networks over at Die Puny Humans:
The argument against this is usually that the net was intended to be a free conversation space, and that gating off spaces goes against its intent. Obviously, I don't agree. And further, I think the evolution of the net has outpaced early intents. There are people out there who freely admit that most of their time on the web is spent attempting to fuck up the flow of message boards. Pro trolls, would you believe. For those of us who want the net to effect cultural leverage, I think it's way past time to acknowledge that not everyone has a useful opinion and putting up a message board isn't an invitation that you want to deal with children's shit. If someone wants to sit down with you and your friends, they need to prove in some basic way that they're not going to spill their beer down their fucking shirt fronts.I have a feeling that you can't talk about social networks without talking about social skills. I have a feeling that maintaining the net as a communications system over the next few years is neither about technology or policy -- it's about basic pub etiquette.
Right. Basic etiquette for the Uppity-Negro.com Tavern and Vegan Grill:
- Tell people who you are.
Not saying you have to use your real name, but at least include a link to your web site, or LiveJournal, or give some way for people to find out a bit more about you. Pseudonyms are fine, anonymity is not. If you need clarification on this point, ask. Politely.
- Keep in mind that you're in public.
Can't remember where I read that you shouldn't post anything on the 'net that you wouldn't want published on the front page of your daily newspaper, and the analogy doesn't hold up well under too much examination, but basically, yes. This is a public space. An archived, searchable public space. Meaning that if you say shit about someone, there is the distinct possibility that they're going to see it. And since my name is splashed all over this place, I do feel some responsibility for what's in the comments. It reflects badly on me if other folks act a fool here and I let them, you know?
- This is a fill-in-the-blank friendly space.
Queer-friendly, women-friendly, size-positive, whatever. I don't want anyone -- well, except maybe het white male conservatives and libertarians -- feeling uncomfortable. Obviously, this includes material in the comments. If this strikes you as so much political correctness, yes, you're absolutely right, blah blah thought police blah blah "no free speech," now fuck off.
Any questions? Comments?
i have to agree with both you and warren e. - i particularly enjoyed the sentence, i have a feeling that you can't talk about social networks without talking about social skills. the internet at its absolute most fun is a sort of controlled chaos - with the understanding that too much of either is not much fun. i don't know why but as an elderly person i am reminded of the deterioration in the early to mid 80's of the punk rock full contact sport and dance craze known as thrashing, which seemed purely anarchic yet had a whole set of basic and carefully observed structural guidelines [the volunteer perimeter, for example], which were all completely subverted by the devolution from punk "thrash" into metal "mosh". there was a time at certain hardcore gigs where the thrash pit was the safest place on the floor, as long as you put out as much energy as everyone else. and if you punched someone in the face on purpose, you got your ass tossed out. i guess nostalgia is useless and we always have to look forward - controlled chaos situations are seldom truely self-policing. the internet sooner or later had to have its own version of altamont to spoil the vibe. the question then is what next. i think your basic etiquette rules are pretty much it.
I don't know, r@d@r, back in the early & mid90s, we were all quite proud of our mosh etiquette, & bitched about the Gap kiddies [now they'd be Abercrombie kiddies, I guess] that made it dangerous b/c they didn't realize that there were rules.
The rules we stuck by sound a lot like the ones you mentioned.
& anyway, yes. I must approve of Aaron & Ellis' take on online community policing b/c it sounds so much like how "we"'d take care of the floor in "our" clubs.
I've been through all sorts of online communities over the last seven or eight years: uncontrolled anarchy, group moderation, and several others. I've concluded that the best thing is controlled anarchy ruled by a benevolent despot.
I decided a year and a half ago that I would rather have a friendly weblog than a popular one, and kicked a twit out of my comments section. I still get crap about it on occasion. You will too, but the people peddling crap are not worthy of your time and attention, any more than my crap-peddler is worth mine.
Meanwhile, all hail the benevolent despot of our tavern & vegan grill!
neo:
i would have enjoyed being at one of those shows.
ginger:
or, you can edit their comment to make them look dumber, give them a handle like "puffer" or "wheezle", and post their IP address.
Yes. As r@d@r said, always post IP addresses...
S'funny, I did the editing thing for a while, but now I just give things the totally subjective and in no way consistent cringe test: if something makes me cringe when I read it, I hit the Delete button.
Can't point you to examples, because, you know, deleted.
Never been in a mosh pit, by the bye. Or done LARPing, but find it interesting reading about the stuff from people who have. When I actually know who they are, which goes back to point one, I guess.
Did LARPing for a while.
Eh. I'd rather MUSH. At least then I can get up and walk away from the keyboard when the rules lawyers start up. Yeah, one can always claim that one has to go to the bathroom at LARP, but it's much easier to just say "RL!" and dodge out of a situation that's become annoying.
Only so many times one can go to the bathroom during one LARP, after all.
That, and it's much easier to play someone who has decent hearing when dealing with text than IRL. My character likely isn't hearing-disadvantaged, thanks.
Weenies.
"It's nice to be nice-- to the nice!"
Etiquette is often an uphill battle.