From: Calvin O Ashmore (coa@andrew.cmu.edu)
Date: Mon Aug 04 2003 - 16:06:45 MDT
So, the COV basically needed a system to rate the influence of it's
members for it to expand and become something more than a mere discussion
group and forum. This is an action which I'm fully in support of.
Joe and Bill are frustrated with the system because Hermit seems to have
carried along with it and ammassed a great deal more power than they're
comfortable with, another point which I wholly agree with.
But, speaking as someone who doesn't ususally participate in COV
discussions, save to interject every so often and say something wierd,
I'd like to offer a few thoughts on the situation:
Yes, Hermit has a great deal of respect in the Virian community. I don't
think this is because of his flunkies, minions, or droogs so much as the
fact that a lot of people seem to go along with what he has to say. I'm
willing to bet that most of the people in Virus are very liberal in their
political outlook. I am rather liberal myself and find myself agreeing
with a lot of what Hermit has to say. I don't have the patience or desire
to sift through his sources (a situation I think is shared by most
readers here), so I place most of my judgement upon how he lays out his
arguments. He is *exceedingly* good at doing this, but that's my own
opinion.
On the other hand, he does other things that piss me off a great deal, and
that does lower my respect for him a significant ammount.
On the other side of the spectrum, I respect Joe and Bill because they do
offer a more conservative outlook which does help to balance out the
anti-government sentiment attitude which is very prevalent here. While I
may not have their political outlook, I have a great deal of respect for
their decision to stand up for this and challence a lot of remarks and
statments that need to be really ought to be thought through.
Joe in particular, though: you are a superb writer, you've got a lot of
brilliant posts out there, but you are far too easily driven into a rage.
Perhaps it's because Hermit just pisses you off that much, and though I am
wholly sympathetic and can see where you're coming from, it's no reason
to attempt to strike down every goddamn thing he does. (I'm sure this
isn't what you're doing, but it does seem like it sometimes). We *all*
would respect you a *lot* more if you didn't act like this. Largely you've
excused your behavior as being Hermit's fault, and a lot of it sounds
whiny and it's exhaughsting.
Nonetheless- a lot of the whole "respect" business tends to come from
agreement with personal politics, and despite the valididty of sources
and the clarity of the arugment, people generally like to read things they
agree with. Yay for cognitive dissonance...
Basically I just want to say that some people need to calm down about
this, and be more open to comprimise and learn how to cooperate. If COV is
going to be an organization instead of a group of squabblers, we need to
start cooperating and finding a way to fucking work *around* personal
politics. It's not a problem that's going to go away if we beat it over
the head. The COV won't stand ground if it's position is ultra-liberal,
and it won't ever function unless the members respect and listen to each
other.
On a side note- the one here who I think is most deserving of respect is
probably Lady Z, since she doesn't keep trying to argue their opinon on
everyone else, but does make excellent and *concise* posts when they
really do need to be made.
On a side side note- Athenonrex: please dear lord use correct
capitalization! Your arguments look so terrible when they don't have
correct grammar. You'd get a lot more respect that way ;]
Ok. I think that's it for now.
Take care, all.
-Calvin
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