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06-08-07, 12:02 AM
Why All the Fighting? Where did we go wrong?Generally, when a group of people sit around a table to discuss sensitive issues there is a high chance that the record of who said what, and what exactly was said, will be compromised because nothing is being recorded and because people just plain forget. Naturally, you would expect, in a forum such as this, where every word is recorded for posterity and accessible for every user, that there would be little room for confusion but this is not the case. The real issues and points of this thread have been lost in a sea of reactionary thinking and muddled debates.
This is due, in no small measure; to the way this thread is constructed. This thread poses four main problems for debate:
1) Linear Structure of Threads Don’t Facilitate Debate
This thread is linear, chronological and only enables the viewer to see one, or maybe two responses, at one time. This limitation is not unique to the BN Village. The problem is that very few people will ever go back to compare the most recent responders critique with text of the post being responded to. Consequently, unscrupulous posters can easily take comments out of context. When you say something that they think is a contradiction or a weak spot, they will quote you, when they prefer to just roast your ass, quotes aren’t necessary, as they will imply that you said all sorts of ill things.
2) Too Much Temptation to have “Last Word”
The linear nature of threads means that clever posters will quickly see the value of having the last word. I don’t know about you, but I have observed that, whenever people are hell-bent on getting in the last word, the quality of the discussion is always just two steps away from a sophisticated form of “F-ck You!” And, since this thread, “Can you be pro black and be with a partner from another race?,” has been at the top of the Village Square list, off and on since July 7, stage hungry posters will not hesitate to tell you where you can stick it, in classic ghetto-fabulous form. And, because of the structure of this thread they can influence any newcomer who does not have time to read the history.
3) No Accountability When Mistakes Are Made
If a poster commits the error of writing some really embarrassing shite, you know (the idea that was not thoroughly thought through and thus, either makes no sense or makes the poster sound like an idiot), they rarely, if ever, acknowledge the mistake and just keep on moving/writing like it never happened. If another poster pounces upon the contradiction, the original poster will simply say that they were misunderstood or that the responder is an Uncle Tom, Sellout, or collaborator with YT
4) Some Posters Use Threads as Therapy
You may get the absolutely worse kind of poster, the one who never really reads your posts, or anyone else’s for that matter; they just enjoy doggin’ yo ass out, because they just don’t have anything else in life to give them pleasure.
Jerry Springer Would be Envious
These forums are open to but not designed for intellectual discussion. It is a commentary on our condition in the world when our most educated are averse to intellectual discussion. You may not consider your self to be a person of great education, but if you have computer access, you are more affluent than most in the African Diaspora. Still, our best and brightest participate in a discussion that has all the trappings of broke-ass Jerry Springer episode entitled, “Revolutionary Wannabes and the Drama that Surrounds Them.”
Peace!
Last edited by Neferkare; 06-08-07 at 02:19 AM.
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