Let's be helpful...WAS Re: [Sigia-l] web writing for kids

[cwodtke at eleganthack.com]

In vague hopes of elevating the subject: there *is* a reason we shouldn't
let bad behavior go unchecked.

I had a lovely lunch with Randy Farmer the other day. If you don't know
him, he was the architect of the clever slashdot moderation system. He is
now working at yahoo to try to fix our message board issues.  Many of
Yahoo's message boards are full of profanity and garbage.

Randy explained to me an interesting phenomenon that was outlined in the
Tipping Point: the broken window problem. What happens is in a
neighborhood a window gets broken. this happens in every neighborhood. But
in some neighborhoods, it is fixed. In others, it remains broken. A broken
window left unmended calls for another window to be broken. Eventually
garbage and graffiti accumulate as well, and the people who might have
fixed the windows move out. The neighborhood goes down. Crime goes up.

Randy said this was the problem with the message boards. The first bit of
profanity is shocking, but not a big deal. But if it isn't taken down,
more comes. It's a signal that no one is watching, that no one cares. The
folks who would post useful comments leave, unwilling to sift the signal
from the noise. eventually the boards are useless.

New York used this theory to fight crime in New York via graffiti removal.
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rpp/31/rpp31-13.html

Randy went on to explain how he created a self-policing community on
slash-- it was a pretty cool lunch.

Anyhow, if say, three people's behavior on a list is equivalent to broken
windows, and there are no mechanisms to prevent or remove bad posts-- i.e.
mend broken windows-- and those folks are unwilling to police themselves
then one of two things must happen. The list-owner must find a way to
repair the broken windows, by removing the posters or moderating the
posts. Or the list must accept that at some point, the neighborhood will
go to hell, and people will move to other neighborhoods. Once there was no
decent alternative to this list, now between the ID activism and AIfIA,
there are.

I actually am fond of this list, which is why I keep coming back to it,
like a moth to the flame-- not to hawk anything (at least, not since I
went into my Y! employment slumber), but in hopes of keeping current, and
learning.  I would see this list live on, a healthy place for people to
get an introduction to the myriad of problems that face information
architects.






>  I hate this subject beyond compare.
>
> Can't people just glean the wheat from the chaff (did I get that metaphor
> right?)
>
> Even the most annoying people have good things to say. Yes, it would be
> nice
> if everyone had the same sense of decorum, but to be honest it sounds
> really
> boring to me. I have been both attacked and attacker on this list at
> times,
> but never have I threatened anyone's life, or even libelled their
> reputation, nor has that happened to me. People seem to be a tad overly
> sensitive if you ask me and we should just go with the personalities that
> make up the mix of this community. Can't choose your neighbors unless you
> move (which is always an option; unsub). But if you want to stay and get
> the
> most out of the list then just deal with it.
>
> -- dave
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org] On Behalf Of
> MJJAIXEN at up.com
> Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 11:25 AM
> To: sigia-l at asis.org
> Cc: donna at maadmob.net
> Subject: Re: Let's be helpful...WAS Re: [Sigia-l] web writing for kids
>
> That has already been tried numerous times --- and has failed.  Unless you
> count mail filters and unsubscribing, of course.
>
> "Donna Maurer" <donna at maadmob.net> wrote:
>
>> Ugggh - I hate the idea of one person (or even a small group) having
>> to
> be the
>> manners monitor. Surely we can do something as a community rather than
> putting
>> someone in charge of policing...
>>
>> Donna
>
>
> ------------
> When replying, please *trim your post* as much as possible.
> *Plain text, please; NO Attachments
>
> Searchable list archive:   http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/
> ________________________________________
> Sigia-l mailing list -- post to: Sigia-l at asis.org Changes to subscription:
> http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigia-l
>
> ------------
> When replying, please *trim your post* as much as possible.
> *Plain text, please; NO Attachments
>
> Searchable list archive:   http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/
> ________________________________________
> Sigia-l mailing list -- post to: Sigia-l at asis.org
> Changes to subscription: http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigia-l
>