[MD] Is civility dead?

[Matt Kundert]

Krimel responded in the right way, I think: the content of his post 
was in terms of conversational/argumentative patterns, which are a 
legitimate concern.  There's another conversational pattern, in 
addition to the inferential patterns Krimel was more concerned with, 
and that's something like civility, politeness, respect, professionalism, 
etc.  Those patterns are generally ignored on the MD, but that's to 
be expected, and there's not a lot we can do about that anymore.  
But even the example Platt pulled out exemplifies an argumentative 
pattern we should talk about, and only secondarily a tone hardly 
anyone can help anymore.  Does Krimel's tone occasionally mirror 
Mr. Buchanan's?  Sure, as does mine, and I don't really wish to 
apologize for it anymore.  Once the shit starts flying, it's difficult to 
stop, what with bruised egos and the inability of some people to 
reach for anything other than a turd-covered talking point.

_Is_ there any excuse for slamming someone for a difference of 
opinion?  Sure, but most of the excuses we hide behind in the MD 
(e.g., "He started it!") are uniformly beside the philosophical point, 
and a detriment to ourselves and whatever point we want to make, 
and why I now try largely to hide behind the excuse we learned in 
kindergarten: "if you don't anything nice to say, don't say anything 
at all."  I just don't talk to people who aren't serious, because I just 
don't have the time anymore to play around.

Matt

> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:32:11 -0400
> From: plattholden at gmail.com
> To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
> Subject: [MD] Is civility dead?
> 
> All:
> Seems to me Krimel engages in many sarcastic personal attacks against DMB in
> this post that are totally unnecessary, such as "Rather than engage the
> issues raised he slaps on the label SOM and "Presto" no need to read, no
> need to engage the issue, time to just sit back and feel self-righteous."
> Certainly DMB can take care of himself and needs no help from me in his
> defense. Nor do I hold myself out as a paragon of virtue. But, isn't this
> the sort of rhetoric Horse has asked  us to avoid? Is there any excuse for
> slamming someone for a difference of opinion? Is civility dead?
> 
> Platt