When you participate in email lists and the leaders of a local chapter of a national group say "don't donate to 'such and such', only donate to this other one", doesn't that mean that the local chapter of the group is endorsing one group and not another?
Ya, that's what I thought too. However, it seems that the local heads of MoveOn.org can say what they want, deny it after and then accuse those who ask questions of being liars and troublemakers.
Oh well. C'est la vie. There are plenty of organizations that need my time and money, MoveOn is doing fine without me.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
When trying to volunteer is simply not worth the effort.
I am a member of or participate in a few local groups in Minneapolis, for the most part they are local chapters of national groups (The Nation, Move On, OccupyMN). I have been mostly on the periphery of the OccupyMN movement, helping a bit on the technology side, but not able to be feet on the ground at the protests due to my job. So when I heard of a new group that sounded like it was positioning itself to be a support system for the Occupy movements with a working title of EngageMN, I was almost giddy with excitement. It sounded like a wonderful opportunity for me to participate and provide a service and I was ready to get started. It now looks like I am not welcome and my services are certainly not desired.
How did this happen? How do you get uninvited to volunteer for a group that doesn't even exist yet? It seems that all you need to do is bring a question to the wrong person within the group. I sent an email to three people I thought to be the correct people to communicate with inside the group, and was almost immediately sent an unprofessional and nasty response from a completely different person I'd never met and still do not know. This person berated me for sending an email to the wrong person within the group and let me know that they were the leader of this group and not the other person. They then proceeded to berate me for bringing up the question and accused me of spreading rumors. And since that was not even enough, they then went on to accuse me of purposely sending an incendiary email to their work email, even though they apparently had been using their work email for EngageMN and OccupyMN up to that point. In fact, what account do you think they sent this unprofessional email from? Yep, that same address that they just berated me for sending to. I responded to this person's email (replying to the correct email as they now demanded). I let them know that I was still interested in volunteering and received a snippy reply that let me know exactly where I stand.
Oh well.
This surreal exchange actually made me think about another observation I had about unmoderated mailing lists, especially non-tech mailing lists. I have participated in dozens of technical, social and political mailing lists over the years. Most of these lists were well organized, well moderated and had great conversations with the exchange of valuable information. Then there were the unmoderated, or poorly moderated lists. These lists were little more than troll magnets, attracting the equivalent of belches and fart noises to otherwise intelligent conversations.
What I've found is that many of the politically progressive mail lists are not able (or willing) to effectively moderate their email lists. This ultimately results in those conversations attracting the trolls and miscreants that eat away at the structure of the online group and memberships and drive the thinking participants away. I see this happening with the local Minneapolis Move On mailing list already, even though it is brand new. Without moderators or any kind of structure, there is very little information of any real value, and in order to get to the valuable information you need to wade through juvenille attacks against unpopular opinions and views. While this is the same for non political mailing lists as well, for me it is frustrating to see the efforts of well meaning people being diluted by a tiny subset.
These projects, groups and movements would benefit significantly from the use of online forums and moderators to add value to their discussions and provide a much more efficient way to talk to members and keep the miscreants from derailing conversations.
Given the experiences I've had so far though, I won't hold my breath.
How did this happen? How do you get uninvited to volunteer for a group that doesn't even exist yet? It seems that all you need to do is bring a question to the wrong person within the group. I sent an email to three people I thought to be the correct people to communicate with inside the group, and was almost immediately sent an unprofessional and nasty response from a completely different person I'd never met and still do not know. This person berated me for sending an email to the wrong person within the group and let me know that they were the leader of this group and not the other person. They then proceeded to berate me for bringing up the question and accused me of spreading rumors. And since that was not even enough, they then went on to accuse me of purposely sending an incendiary email to their work email, even though they apparently had been using their work email for EngageMN and OccupyMN up to that point. In fact, what account do you think they sent this unprofessional email from? Yep, that same address that they just berated me for sending to. I responded to this person's email (replying to the correct email as they now demanded). I let them know that I was still interested in volunteering and received a snippy reply that let me know exactly where I stand.
Oh well.
This surreal exchange actually made me think about another observation I had about unmoderated mailing lists, especially non-tech mailing lists. I have participated in dozens of technical, social and political mailing lists over the years. Most of these lists were well organized, well moderated and had great conversations with the exchange of valuable information. Then there were the unmoderated, or poorly moderated lists. These lists were little more than troll magnets, attracting the equivalent of belches and fart noises to otherwise intelligent conversations.
What I've found is that many of the politically progressive mail lists are not able (or willing) to effectively moderate their email lists. This ultimately results in those conversations attracting the trolls and miscreants that eat away at the structure of the online group and memberships and drive the thinking participants away. I see this happening with the local Minneapolis Move On mailing list already, even though it is brand new. Without moderators or any kind of structure, there is very little information of any real value, and in order to get to the valuable information you need to wade through juvenille attacks against unpopular opinions and views. While this is the same for non political mailing lists as well, for me it is frustrating to see the efforts of well meaning people being diluted by a tiny subset.
These projects, groups and movements would benefit significantly from the use of online forums and moderators to add value to their discussions and provide a much more efficient way to talk to members and keep the miscreants from derailing conversations.
Given the experiences I've had so far though, I won't hold my breath.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
The Rude Pundit is right.
From the Rude Pundit 09/02/11
At this point, Republicans have gotten so batshit and destructively irrational about their hatred of Obama and the Democrats that they've become like the psychotic boyfriend who grabs his girlfriend who's threatening to break up with him and puts a razor to her face, saying, "I'm gonna make you so ugly, no one will ever fuck you again. And then you'll only have me" before horribly scarring her.
What more can we make of a party that seems determined to wreck whatever it can in order to turn the nation to shit, calculating that frightened Americans will turn back to Republicans.
The Republicans, and more specifically, the Rabid Chihuahua Party have shown utter disregard for the wellbeing of this country and have put themselves and their own self serving beliefs above and beyond that of the country. At this point the Republicans are no longer even Republicans. They have given up everything that they used to stand for and have instead become anti-American extremists, willing to hand over control of the country to the highest bidder. In short, they have become more dangerous than any terrorist group they dangle in front of their followers. The damage they have already done is worse than 9/11. And the damage they will do, if we let them, will be many times worse.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Where's your team spirit?
Why the long faces? Where’s your team spirit? Give a cheer for our state and federal Democrats who have had such big wins.
Just recently our courageous state Democrats walked into class thinking they had each other’s backs and were safe. They were going to do the good work and get things done. They were going to fix what was broken and move the state forward. Instead, they got wedgied in front of the whole class and stuffed in their lockers...not cool. But the Republicans said they were thinking about swirlies, so...BIG WIN!! Yea Team!
And federal Democrats are now my heroes. They rock! They walked bravely into the cafeteria with their lunch bucket tucked safely under their arm and spare change squirreled away in their shoe. Heck, they even had their velcro shoes on so they couldn't get shoelaced. These brave souls were also ready to get to work and fix stuff and move the country forward. And believe it or not, they even left the cafeteria without a bump or bruise. Also without their lunch bucket or their spare change...or pants. And I'll have to tell them about the “kick me” sign.
Maybe tomorrow.
Just recently our courageous state Democrats walked into class thinking they had each other’s backs and were safe. They were going to do the good work and get things done. They were going to fix what was broken and move the state forward. Instead, they got wedgied in front of the whole class and stuffed in their lockers...not cool. But the Republicans said they were thinking about swirlies, so...BIG WIN!! Yea Team!
And federal Democrats are now my heroes. They rock! They walked bravely into the cafeteria with their lunch bucket tucked safely under their arm and spare change squirreled away in their shoe. Heck, they even had their velcro shoes on so they couldn't get shoelaced. These brave souls were also ready to get to work and fix stuff and move the country forward. And believe it or not, they even left the cafeteria without a bump or bruise. Also without their lunch bucket or their spare change...or pants. And I'll have to tell them about the “kick me” sign.
Maybe tomorrow.
Working on a puzzle.
Working together on a puzzle.
Three kids, Danny, Ronald and Thadeus Parker sit at a dining room table with a jigsaw puzzle dumped out between them.
“Ok, we need to get this done before my mom gets home and starts dinner,” says Danny. “Let's all take a pile of pieces and we will help each oth-”
“Puzzles suck and they're stupid,” Ronald growls. “We should get rid of all puzzles. I'm the leader here and we need to cut all the puzzle pieces in half.”
“What for?”
“Cause I said. I'm the best at putting puzzles together.”
“But you just said you hate puzzles. Now you want to be in charge and cut the pieces up?”
“Of course, that's how you put together puzzles.”
“Right...sure.”
Thadeus Parker bangs his little fist on the table, “I have a corner piece so we all have to work on this corner.”
Danny raises an eyebrow, “But I'm working on thi-”
“No,” Thadeus Parker whines. “We all work on this corner. Now!”
“I'm working on this part over here, you go ahead an-”
“No! No, no, no! You do what I say now! Now! Now! Now!”
Danny looks quizzically at Ronald, “Is he mental?”
“Hey man,” Ronald half whispers, “he's my little brother and he's Daddy Koch's favorite and Daddy Koch will take my allowance if I don't do what the little snot says.”
“Ok, but I'm not doing what he says.”
Ronald again growls, “well, I'm the leader and I say we do what he says.”
“Ya right dude,” snorts Danny, “you're not my leader.”
Thadeus Parker takes a puzzle piece and eats it.
“What are you doing?” Danny sputters and glares at Ronald “Get him outta here!”
“Man, I can't,” says Ronald, petulantly. “I need my allowance. He stays here and we do what he says.”
Thadeus Parker again slams his fist on the table and puzzle pieces fly across the room. “We all work on my corner here. Now!”
Danny looks at Ronald and his little brother, shakes his head, shrugs lightly and begins picking up the puzzle pieces. “I guess we work on your corner.”
Ronald grins and says, “dude, you are such a wimp.”
Three kids, Danny, Ronald and Thadeus Parker sit at a dining room table with a jigsaw puzzle dumped out between them.
“Ok, we need to get this done before my mom gets home and starts dinner,” says Danny. “Let's all take a pile of pieces and we will help each oth-”
“Puzzles suck and they're stupid,” Ronald growls. “We should get rid of all puzzles. I'm the leader here and we need to cut all the puzzle pieces in half.”
“What for?”
“Cause I said. I'm the best at putting puzzles together.”
“But you just said you hate puzzles. Now you want to be in charge and cut the pieces up?”
“Of course, that's how you put together puzzles.”
“Right...sure.”
Thadeus Parker bangs his little fist on the table, “I have a corner piece so we all have to work on this corner.”
Danny raises an eyebrow, “But I'm working on thi-”
“No,” Thadeus Parker whines. “We all work on this corner. Now!”
“I'm working on this part over here, you go ahead an-”
“No! No, no, no! You do what I say now! Now! Now! Now!”
Danny looks quizzically at Ronald, “Is he mental?”
“Hey man,” Ronald half whispers, “he's my little brother and he's Daddy Koch's favorite and Daddy Koch will take my allowance if I don't do what the little snot says.”
“Ok, but I'm not doing what he says.”
Ronald again growls, “well, I'm the leader and I say we do what he says.”
“Ya right dude,” snorts Danny, “you're not my leader.”
Thadeus Parker takes a puzzle piece and eats it.
“What are you doing?” Danny sputters and glares at Ronald “Get him outta here!”
“Man, I can't,” says Ronald, petulantly. “I need my allowance. He stays here and we do what he says.”
Thadeus Parker again slams his fist on the table and puzzle pieces fly across the room. “We all work on my corner here. Now!”
Danny looks at Ronald and his little brother, shakes his head, shrugs lightly and begins picking up the puzzle pieces. “I guess we work on your corner.”
Ronald grins and says, “dude, you are such a wimp.”
Friday, July 1, 2011
How do you negotiate with a group that does not acknowledge your right to exist?
This is not about the Isrealis and Hamas, but is right here in our own backyard.
Now this might be a stretch, and in some ways I know it is, but let's take a look at our own small subset of extremists here in the US and how they have succeeded in bypassing all normal and logical requirements to negotiate in good faith simply by denying the right of the government to exist, except as a weapon to use against their enemies, mostly domestic.
We have been forced to listen to our own little extemists tell us how evil all government is and how it should only be allowed to exist to perform specific functions which, coincidentally, happen to fall in neatly with their constricted morality. What remains is this; how is anyone to negotiate with the Republicans, when the Republicans themselves can't negotiate with their own extremists? Boehner can't say a word anymore without the express written consent of the T.P.P. and if the Speaker can't negotiate in good faith with the best interests of the majority in mind, how can anyone negotiate with him?
The answer is to negotiate around the extremists. You can't invite them to the adult table, because they are not mentally or emotionally equipped to discuss, debate or negotiate, so you leave them at the kids table and talk only to the adults. This will undoubtedly elicit horrendous tantrums, fits of rage, violence and threats ad nauseam, but in the end is the only real way to make any progress.
We in Minnesota are just now beginning to see what the end game is for the extremists in the Republican party. Today is the first day of our state government shut down and has shown Minnesotans and the country that the extremists here will stomp their foot, throw themselves on the floor, kicking and screaming, and yell threats and name calling in order to protect the top 2% (make that 1%) over the other 99. They have shown that their end game is a government that only exists to protect the powerful. And they have shown that they do not acknowledge the government's right to exist, except as a weapon to enforce their own morals. In our case, we are lucky to have a governor who recognizes this. Governor Dayton has made every attempt to speak as an adult to adults, and has in return been rewarded with tantrums that would make a spoiled toddler blush. We are now seeing what our Minnesota extremists had in mind from the start, as comments on some of the conservative forums show. Violent rhetoric, glee and gloating about the government shutdown, and promises that this is only the beginning.
If this is only the beginning, then how long will it take for the Democrats and Republicans to realize that progress can only be made by sitting the extremists at the kids table with a coloring book and going off with the adults to get the work done?
Now this might be a stretch, and in some ways I know it is, but let's take a look at our own small subset of extremists here in the US and how they have succeeded in bypassing all normal and logical requirements to negotiate in good faith simply by denying the right of the government to exist, except as a weapon to use against their enemies, mostly domestic.
We have been forced to listen to our own little extemists tell us how evil all government is and how it should only be allowed to exist to perform specific functions which, coincidentally, happen to fall in neatly with their constricted morality. What remains is this; how is anyone to negotiate with the Republicans, when the Republicans themselves can't negotiate with their own extremists? Boehner can't say a word anymore without the express written consent of the T.P.P. and if the Speaker can't negotiate in good faith with the best interests of the majority in mind, how can anyone negotiate with him?
The answer is to negotiate around the extremists. You can't invite them to the adult table, because they are not mentally or emotionally equipped to discuss, debate or negotiate, so you leave them at the kids table and talk only to the adults. This will undoubtedly elicit horrendous tantrums, fits of rage, violence and threats ad nauseam, but in the end is the only real way to make any progress.
We in Minnesota are just now beginning to see what the end game is for the extremists in the Republican party. Today is the first day of our state government shut down and has shown Minnesotans and the country that the extremists here will stomp their foot, throw themselves on the floor, kicking and screaming, and yell threats and name calling in order to protect the top 2% (make that 1%) over the other 99. They have shown that their end game is a government that only exists to protect the powerful. And they have shown that they do not acknowledge the government's right to exist, except as a weapon to enforce their own morals. In our case, we are lucky to have a governor who recognizes this. Governor Dayton has made every attempt to speak as an adult to adults, and has in return been rewarded with tantrums that would make a spoiled toddler blush. We are now seeing what our Minnesota extremists had in mind from the start, as comments on some of the conservative forums show. Violent rhetoric, glee and gloating about the government shutdown, and promises that this is only the beginning.
If this is only the beginning, then how long will it take for the Democrats and Republicans to realize that progress can only be made by sitting the extremists at the kids table with a coloring book and going off with the adults to get the work done?
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