[Vision2020] Divisiveness and blogs

Sat Jan 28 18:09:57 PST 2006

I worked as a telephone operator for 11 years and I can tell you that the lack of face to face means that people feel they can say anything. We were all worked over by what are otherwise decent people because we represented a 'big monopoly'. Indeed you cannot tell who is a kind gray haired lady or who is a beautiful brown eyed man by just what is written so many people need to be excused for their vicious writing. 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Art Deco 
  To: Vision 2020 
  Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:13 AM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Divisiveness and blogs

  Donovan writes:

  "But I still maintain that the Internet makes it harder to be civilized because you lose the body language, intonation, and attitude of a person that you get when speaking in person. Internet is good for content, horrible for understanding people."

  Part of what Donovan says may be true.  However, losing the sight of body language is sometimes compensated by not having to helplessly wallow in the body odor of some debaters.

  W.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Donovan Arnold 
  To: joekc at adelphia.net 
  Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com ; Carl Westberg 
  Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 9:05 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Divisiveness and blogs

  OK Joe, I have to agree with you on that posting. : )
  But I still maintain that the Internet makes it harder to be civilized because you lose the body language, intonation, and attitude of a person that you get when speaking in person. Internet is good for content, horrible for understanding people.

  Take Care,

  _DJA

  joekc at adelphia.net wrote: 
    This will be my last post for the day. I've GREATLY exceded the allowable number! I find all this stuff so dang interesting it is hard to resist! 
    I disagree with both Donovan and Carl on this issue. With new technology, we can SEE conflict and divisiveness more than ever before. But that doesn't mean that there was less of it prior to the technology. Vision 2020 for instance allow! s me to air my disagreements with Donovan, say, directly and offers the best opportunity I can think of for allowing me a chance to convince him otherwise. Moreover, part of teh reason that I direct my comments toward Donovan is that I happen to share many of the beliefs that he has. If our worldviews were completely different I would not make any attempt to discourse with him. For instance, I've spent much of the day arguing with Donovan over the Pledge but the fact is I am just as much of a corny-ass patriot as Donovan is. If you put us both in a room where the Pledge was being given, our behavior would be indistinguishable. We would both stand proudly, hand over heart, reciting the words we've known all our lives. I know I would be filled with emotion at the thought of being lucky enough to live in a country as great as ours, and I'm sure Donovan would say the same thing. I might often sound otherwise but I never loose sight of this fact. 
    I do t! hink that all of us can improve on our postings. We could certainly try to direct our comments in a nicer, friendlier tone. But we do need a forum with which to express our disagreements. Vision 2020 is not perfect but it is the only such forum we happen to have. Personally, I am very greatful for this opportunity.
    --
    Joe Campbell

    ---- Donovan Arnold wrote:

    =============
    Carl is right. Blogs and email forums do create conflict and divisiveness. I find people on V2020, including myself, less considerate and polite to others online, versus in person.

    I think it is in part because we do not see the person, often do not know them, mistranslating their meaning, and/or get so caught up in the argument/content and lose site of the human on the other end.

    I know many people on V2020, and none of you have horns and a tail. However, just reading the content of some people, I would swear you ! could trace their IP address directly to a dark tiny corner room on the bottom floor of Hell.

    Carl, or anyone else, it would be interesting to see a study on the increase of divisiveness caused by blogs and ways to counter them.

    Take Care,

    _DJA

    Carl Westberg wrote: I, after extensive research and cogitation that started about 4 minutes ago
    and concluded just now, have determined that blogs are responsible for much
    of the divisiveness that comes with just about anything that's discussed
    anymore, from Wal-Mart to the pledge and everything in between. With
    approximately 4 million blogs being born every 5 minutes, it's incredibly
    easy to find those that mirror your worldview, and assure you of your
    absolute rightness in your beliefs. I'm as guilty of it as anyone, hanging
    out at Commondreams, etc., while those wi! th a right leaning penchant can
    visit theirs, and everything is pure black and white for us, with no gray
    areas to complicate matters. I know I'm correct in this, because I just
    found a blog that says I am.

    Carl Westberg Jr.

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