Wow, after reading this (My Dear KOS Community …) I started to suffer an attack of post traumatic stress.
Like an idiot I spent every free moment in a 14 month period of my life as a volunteer moderator on an out of the way campaign/PAC forum which was overshadowed (but more sophisticated – in execution and content) by its related and considerably more famous blog. After several versions and a subsequent incarnation the former settled into a culture of content, exchange of ideas, right wingnut abuse, and maximum snark which allowed for diversity, but also dealt quickly with those intent on disruption. The latter site to this day still has self-described problems with dissent, the cult of the victim, trolls, and dwindling membership.
The boss directed the denizens of the blog over to the forum to try and help them address some of their problems. Big mistake. Big. Huge. Evidently those remaining subsequent to its heyday had become humorless and more psychotic. My mistake was pointing out that they were spilling beer on the carpet. Much high dudgeon ensued. That tends to happen with true believers. Suffice it to say, there was a clash of cultures – some of it was snort coffee up your nose and spew it all over the keyboard funny.
When I could no longer be productive I walked away.
If we can’t learn to do that (among other things) then blogtopia (yes, skippy coined the phrase!) will never reach its full potential for progressives.
Navel gazing and self-reflection in moderation can be a good thing, but it musn’t interfere with the business at hand.
There are some things we all need to accept:
- The owner/organization/sponsor of the blog calls the shots. If you’re going to complain about the infringement of your right to free speech please go ahead and start your own blog – if your content is good maybe others will show up to read it. Or maybe not.
- Longevity does not confer gravitas, quality of content does.
- Being a newbie doesn’t quite confer a lower status, just the same, don’t be an [xxxxxxx] – and don’t be defensive about being new.
- Wailing about being victimized doesn’t wear well on anyone. It’s laughable when it comes from supposedly self-reliant right wingnuts.
- The opposition is organized – they come to the progressive blogosphere in mind boggling numbers to disrupt, sow dissension, and lower morale. Not everyone who posts on progressive blogs is who they want to appear to be. Trust me on this one.
- Trolls and those intent on disruption should be crushed and mocked without mercy – and the management should remove them as soon as possible, leaving their wasted carcasses as an example for others. While recipe posting is a brilliant tactic, too much attention to battling trolls distracts the members of the site from other much more important business.
- The media reads the blogs. They are lazy. They look for stuff which smells like dissension. You are irredeemably stupid if you uncritically and breathlessly repeat right wingnut talking points, stories, and memes. The media will use such because they are lazy, superficial, and stupid. Did I mention that they were lazy?
- The odds are against any of us being the next great professional political strategist or pundit. Okay, considering the Faux News Channel and the rest of the cable news network talking heads this isn’t my strongest point. Don’t take it personally. Learn to throw an elbow and to take a head butt.
- If the progressive blogosphere is to reach its true potential it will take all of us turning the philosophical and theoretical into the practical. If you haven’t already signed on to volunteer for a 2006 local or statewide campaign you’re just occupying space and wasting bandwidth.
So, the management called the shots. I walked away.
Once things came apart I politely notified the boss “it’s apparent to me that my presence…is no longer productive”. The response was great – along the lines of don’t let the door hit you in the [xxx] on the way out.
What, no gold watch?
The really great part about walking away? I now have my life back – and my health and sanity have returned to normal (well, relatively). And yes, I’ve already started volunteer work for a 2006 campaign.
