[MD] Re Arlo

[John Carl]

Horse throws out a plea:

Ok folks - how's about everyone that contributes to this list voicing their
> opinion as to how we can make this into a forum whereby we discuss the MoQ
> in a civilised and constructive way.
>
> Your thoughts and suggestions please


I'd say the only way to do it, is to do it.  People tend to pick up on the
flavor of those around them, and when there is polite discourse, people
respond politely.

I read an interesting article in Wired magazine a few months back, about the
evolution of social networking and discussion lists like this one.  The
normal path for an online discussion, is that it grows in popularity till it
becomes so big that nobody matters anymore.  The community devolves into a
collective.  People feel lost in the crowd, and so everybody stops posting
and the list melts away.

Reading back over the years, I think one reason MD has resisted this pattern
(over-popularity) is that newbies feel intimidated by the rancor.  And this
is, to an extent, a good thing.  There are certain amongst us, who act as
"white corpuscles" to attack foreign infections with strong anti-bodies of
"you're stupid and shouldn't be here".

That's not really my style, but I can see the usefulness to MD as a whole.
The problem, of course, comes in when vituperative rhetoric dominates the
majority of discussion.  That's no fun.

But if we make it too easy, then it'll just be platitudinous back slappin'
all day long.

I like to just let it evolve as it does, and move in ways that seem good at
the time, and if that doesn't work, well, we'll try something else.

Me and Harry S. Truman