The subreddit Change My View
Civil Discourse Exists in This Small Corner of the Internet
The subreddit Change My View is built on the proposition that we’ve at least got to listen to people we disagree with.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/12/change-my-view-does...
Imagine a place on the internet where a post that begins with “I’m not a feminist” is met with comments quoting Virginia Woolf and asking serious, clarifying questions. A place where a conversation about gun-control legislation unfurls into a thread of analogies, statistics, and self-reflection; where a discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of immigration is carried out in a series of building logical arguments. A place where users with radically different political opinions interact productively and politely, where a willingness to participate thoughtfully is the rule rather than the exception, and where people readily admit when their views on a subject have been altered.
David Trammel
Wed, 03/06/2019 - 19:43
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I disagree and here is why (edited)
After a day at work thinking over this subject, I decided to delete what I posted. I think I explained my personal opinions a bit too much and as Admin here I should always be careful to separate my personal opinions from official Green Wizard policy.
I will explain myself in the next comment.
David Trammel
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 16:09
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Green Wizard Site Policy
Separating my personal opinions from what I see as official policy for the forum and site, I don't want this site to be in the habit of taking sides in subjects that aren't to the core of what I see Green Wizard's mission, that is prepare people to live in the Collapse.
Your point that SWJs can't or won't hold civil discussions and pointing to a reddit forum as proof, put Green Wizards in between two sides of an emotional issue, that doesn't have very much to do with that mission.
I know that there are a whole host of political, moral and ethical issues out there on the Internet, in politics and on social media that people have very emotional feelings about. I know that when we find a forum that we feel is friendly and we like the people on it, we can feel that they believe as we do on some of those issues. Sometimes its so, and sometimes its not.
Rather than having a big argument over something that should be left to other forums, going forward I would advise people that when you post about a group of people, be it political, social or what ever try to say good things about them and their actions (if they have them) and not point out how bad they are, or how much you don't like their policies.
I would point to this thread on old forum
What Might Happen in a Trump Administration?
Where we had a very civil and informative discussion about what we expected to happen when Trump had first been elected and then was forming his government.
I'd rather see that kind of discussion here and leave the vital and hate outside of this forum.
ClareBroommaker
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 21:17
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Has something else been deleted?
Has something else been deleted? You say, "Your point that SWJs can't or won't hold civil discussions and pointing to a reddit forum as proof, put Green Wizards in between two sides of an emotional issue, that doesn't have very much to do with that mission," yet I do not see anyone saying anything about "SWJs". All I see is Sophie quoting the beginning of an article that praises the civility of a certain portion of an interactive site.
David Trammel
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 21:26
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Then i may have been mistaken
Sophie, who I've meet and had lunch with, is a woman to me of deep convictions and seems to have run ins with the incel and SJW community. She's struck me as passionate about her beliefs. If I've made a mistake in my assumptions at her post, I apologize. I'll have to reread her initial post and the linked article.
Blueberry
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 17:36
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Time Out
Works with children no posting for 2days -30 days. David you make the call.
David Trammel
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 05:22
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My Own Time Out
I'm going to take a couple of days off from everything. I've been burning both ends at work and here since December and its starting to cause me to make mistakes. I've got a copy of Cathy's "Lifeline" I've been meaning to read, so I'll be back on here Sunday night.
David Trammel
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 17:58
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The Caliber of Those Who Read Greer
I hope I never have to resort to "wagging the finger and pointing to the corner" here. I've always been amazed by the civility and adultness of people who post comments to John's blogs, first the ADR and now Ecosophia.
I want Green Wizards to have that same high standard too.
I recognize people are passionate about the issues they believe in and sometimes let that passion over ride their normal common sense and say things they regret later. Lord knows I've done it a time or two myself.
Serinde
Sat, 03/09/2019 - 02:51
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Set the tone
If the tone is set early on, and expectations are high, then the result will be good. Or at least that's my experience as a moderator on another (and very different) forum. But you can bet that JMG does his fair share of weeding of incoming nasty posts before anyone ever sees them. Plus the community members there have also become acquainted with each other over the years. As Green Wizards matures, I'm sure the same will be true here because you are doing a great job setting that supportive tone.