Blimey.
If even
spring-peeper is getting fed up, we’re really off the edge off the map with this now.
I kinda want that thread in Community to be reopened. It was inexcusably ugly at the end, but it’s clear that the conversation isn’t over. Maybe if everyone can agree not to be vile while also addressing stuff….? Including the pass-agg and sarcasm and pisstaking, maybe….?
One of the things about this place is that it’s pretty much self governing and self modding. Baby eating anarchists innit. But anarchy stands and falls in the social contract. Which is breaking down everywhere, including here I guess. We bring with us what we experience IRL.
It’s true that there’s a lot of pedantry and nitpicking here, I’ve fallen foul of it myself and also been enraged by it too. But I’ve learned that it’s one of the ( possibly dysfunctional) ways that Urban keeps on the way that it has.
I’m aware that some of the new posters aren’t posting. I’m assuming they’re reading along. There’s a couple of louder ones who are bringing their own culture into the room and trying to get Urban to bend to that shape. I’m getting a bit bored with the constant pushing and shoving around that. Either we ignore it and just get on with Urban, or we deal with it head on. Any other suggestions would be good.
Patronising condescending all that, maybe so, but that’s pretty much what you find when you join any long-existing group. It’s the monothought clique thing I guess.
What I’m seeing on here is willingness to change, but new posters have no clue what was here before. Before, they’d have been shut down and fucked off. That didn’t work (fewer posters, smaller more boring conversations) so there’s less of the attacking and more of the explaining. I can see how that would be really offputting from the outside, and feel like a constant put down
I guess I’m saying that while I welcome change and growth, I reckon it needs to be done with gardening metaphors in mind :nurture, care, thought, patience, all that hippy stuff, on all sides.
There’s a part of me that’s impressed with the way the new posters refuse to take any shit. Urban needs strong involvement from posters. But I’m also weary of the defence of the trite. There are plenty of threads where that’s celebrated and enjoyed, and posters who focus only on that fun bubblegum stuff. But they don’t insist on bringing it into the more serious threads. That’s not about being pseudo intellectual, it’s about pushing back against the general dumbing down in the world, and a desire to protect things like rigorous thinking and thoughtful debate. That’s what I’ve always valued about this place, Christ knows it’s rare in the world these days.
Okay. I know this is a massive derail, and agains the FAQs cos I’m bringing in chat from elsewhere. I hope no one feels singled out or attacked by what I’ve said, that’s not my intention. If
editor or any other mod thinks this should be taken down I’ll do that.
I’m off for the evening. So I’m expecting this to be scolded or castigated, or ignored, or loads of likes. I’m really hoping it doesn’t set off another bunfight.
www.urban75.net
