it's kinda like a train wreck
You want to avert your eyes -- but find you can’t stop reading the stupid SPI forum. The nastiness appears to have ratcheted itself up to a whole new level in the past few days while the moderator hums quietly to himself -- pretending that his forum is not inflicting severe and possibly irreparable damage to the town’s reputation and sense of community.
I try to stay away - honest I do - but then something like Shane’s email pulls me back to sit and watch in horrified fascination as the Prince of Darkness and his chorus (“me too!” “like he said!”) of faceless, disgruntled trolls with way too much time on their hands carelessly undo the costly, decades-long work of our Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and thousands of happy residents and visitors.
What on earth did we do to attract people like these?
And how do we make them go away? or at least shut up?
Yo! Mr. Moderator! Anybody home?
I try to stay away - honest I do - but then something like Shane’s email pulls me back to sit and watch in horrified fascination as the Prince of Darkness and his chorus (“me too!” “like he said!”) of faceless, disgruntled trolls with way too much time on their hands carelessly undo the costly, decades-long work of our Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and thousands of happy residents and visitors.
What on earth did we do to attract people like these?
And how do we make them go away? or at least shut up?
Yo! Mr. Moderator! Anybody home?
posted by Lucinda at 9:09 AM
1 Comments:
The personal attacks on those willing to sign their names by those hiding behind anonymous masks are to me deplorable.
Recently, someone who has filed (or maybe just thinking about filing) for alderman responded to a thread about her - out came the screamers. Let me make it clear - I am totally in disagreement with her positions - but I don't consider her stupid or "rural" because she doesn't agree with me.
When she finally said she had better things to do than reply to the blog all day one of the major nasties commented that he had intimidated her - I don't think she was intimidated I think she just realized it was a waste of time trying to have a discussion with some of these individuals.
Also there were some posts regarding the collection of the Occupancy Tax - the Mayor responded and one individual kept coming back to the same thing - that the Mayor was doing this for his own personal gain and it was a conflict of interest - the fact that the Mayor does not vote on items such as this made no impact on the individual - there were three posts and three responces from the Mayor.
Then it dawned on me that the Mayor is up for reelection - let's smear the Mayor "Conflict of Interest!!!" the headlines and newspaper ads proclaim. I don't necessarily agree with the Mayor's political position but I am certainly against the type of character assignation that went on during last year's local election.
I'm not sure what the solution is - how at this point the moderator can make people play nice. But then again maybe he doesn't want people to play nice. Like you say it really is like a train wreck - unfortunately it is an internet train wreck - anyone can see it and we sure look bad.
Stephanie
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