Some complain because they truly want/wish it were better.
Agreed. And I think it’s not that difficult to discern those whose intent is to work for a better community, those who seem to complain for complaining sake and those who may be looking to make the issue look even worse than it is to perhaps just get the board shut down (some of this last group may also be part of the reason for the complaining in the first place).
To those in the first group, let’s do our best to be constructive so it’s not just #####ing but moves the community to better outcomes.
As to the second group, this is where I wonder if it’s such a negative experience, why continue to come here (whether you are left or right of center and I get they those on the right may feel well outnumbered - but again, if this isn’t a place you enjoy posting and participating, why waste your time and energy?)
The third group, and I don’t believe it’s large in numbers but the amplification effect seems to provide outcomes where that level of negativity far outweighs the number of folks actually experiencing/expressing it.
The fact is, if you don’t like a gathering, an event, whatever, then disruption is a good means to get to a point where you ruin it for everyone forcing that event/platform to be cancelled. I’d hate to think we would not recognize this and work together to ensure it doesn’t happen, but I also understand that predicament of those whose responsibility it is to manage these boards within the context of running a business that is affiliated. But, if your only goal is to disrupt or maybe even silence a board where you feel too many views that run counter to your own are expressed, it’s easy to throw Molotov cocktails and pick fights in a way to create a self fulfilling prophecy.
it’s analogous to someone saying of the fights don’t stop, we are cancelling the school trip. A couple kids don’t like the school trip even though the vast majority do. So they start fights. Naturally, other kids fight back. Voila! Trip gets cancelled. Those who had no motivation other than ruining the fun for everyone have an easy way to get their goal, even if 95% of these other kids didnt fight back.
Within the context of these boards, I’ve seen a marked change of behavior overall recently. It shouldn’t be that difficult to see who may be complaining for complaining sake (and hey, it’s their choice to come here), but also those who may have as their goal disruption so they ruin a board that they consider a bastion for the left, a “cesspool” (again, then why would you be a part of that? Unless you want the “cesspool” to get bad enough that it no longer exists), or what have you.
Without the rest of us masses piling on as we did a couple weeks ago, let’s dole out suspensions when warranted and not allow those whose goal may be to literally end all positive and productive discussion by simply being an agitator intent on doing just the opposite so the result is not discussion for anyone.
