 
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 5779
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 3:53 pm: |    |
Things have gotten very rough around here lately, for various reasons. Not least of which, of course, is the Kilpatrick issue. It has once again brought to light many of the underlying pains of our region. So call this naive, or cheesy, or what you will, but I would like to make a call for reason.
The people who frequent this forum, by and large, care about the city of Detroit. That's why they visit, read, and participate. These are people who tend to be more civic minded than the average person on the street. These are people that you would most likely be lucky to have as a neighbor in your community, regardless of race, age, or political viewpoint.
We are enriched by the variety of people who participate here. So many viewpoints, from the 16 year old who is so full of enthusiasm for the city that he comes to get help for his school paper on Detroit, to the older and experienced folks who share their knowledge of history and life's adventures in our community.
When we read each other's postings, we see only the thoughts and feelings that can be conveyed by written words. We do not see skin color, and often not even gender, if a screen name is not telling. Yet we come here and share our ideas together, outside of the social chains of the real world.
I ask, and hope, that we can tone down the rancor. Move away from the city vs. suburbs, black vs. white battles that have been going on for far too long, and has brought ONLY negative results to our region. It may be a pipe dream in the real world, but it does not have to be here. Do not disillusion those 16 year olds who come to visit, and learn, and have dreams of making things better, with our same old tired bickering. There are plenty of places around where they can learn those divisions, and not nearly enough where they can learn to heal them.
/endrant |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 2903
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 4:18 pm: | |
Good rant, Johnlodge. However, if you eliminate the Kilpatrick threads, I would say that three out of four posts about Detroit are upbeat, or at worst, neutral. Considering the problems the old town has, that's a pretty good indication that hope springs eternal.
The thing that impresses me most about DetroitYes is that the vast majority of posters write well, offer interesting topics, and display a good degree of education in their thoughts. As you note, I have no idea who is white, black, or whatever; no idea who is straight or gay, little idea of gender, etc., and I don't really care.
I think the rancor has really been minimal considering the times we face. But your thought to make it even less is not without merit.
I yield my soapbox to the next poster.  |
Ndavies
Member
Username: Ndavies
Post Number: 2964
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 5:25 pm: | |
Is it the board that's changed, or is it you?
In the past 8 years I've watched many people go through the same curve.
When they first come on board they love the place. Everything is new. Soon they become active questioners. The more senior people giving up the answers to questions already asked.
Soon the newbies begin to answer the questions they have learned about earlier. The previous people with the answers tire of repeating the same stuff over and over. They then begin to whine about the quality of the posts.
They begin skipping over the stuff they already know. Soon this leaves them with just the insults being new. they stop posting and drift into lukerdom. Only jumping in to address gross mistatements. Eventually they just never post again and eventually don't even bother to stop by.
There are many people with very high post counts who seldom or never post anymore. |
Tponetom
Member
Username: Tponetom
Post Number: 283
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 5:28 pm: | |
John and Ray:
Both excellent posts!
Quote:
"We do not see skin color, and often not even gender, if a screen name is not telling."
Also:
"As you note, I have no idea who is white, black, or whatever; no idea who is straight or gay, little idea of gender, etc., and I don't really care."
And therein lies the crux of the matter. |
Ndavies
Member
Username: Ndavies
Post Number: 2965
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 5:29 pm: | |
Also this is quite a common phenomena on internet boards and other places in real life.
You always hear about how it was better before you got here.
(Message edited by ndavies on March 25, 2008) |
Cub
Member
Username: Cub
Post Number: 205
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 12:30 am: | |
I will take the pledge. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 5785
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 8:19 am: | |
Ndavies, I'm only referring to a recent phenomenon. Though I do know what you're talking about. There's still enough to discuss and share going on to keep my interest on that level, though. I wasn't trying to be one of those "this place is no good anymore" people. I guess I read one too many divisive posts yesterday in the Kwame thread. Perhaps I'll stay out of there for a bit. |
Aiw
Member
Username: Aiw
Post Number: 6596
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 8:22 am: | |
quote:There are many people with very high post counts who seldom or never post anymore.
Yeah, what NDavies said. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 5786
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 8:23 am: | |
I miss the mystery photo thread. |
Ndavies
Member
Username: Ndavies
Post Number: 2966
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 8:56 am: | |
quote:Ndavies, I'm only referring to a recent phenomenon.
If you've been around here as long as I have, you would see that this is a recurring problem that happens every 12 to 18 months. Nothing new about it. Just another cycle of life on the internet.
Ask the moderators how often they have to go through a massive message purge when the conversation runs off into the weeds. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 5789
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 9:31 am: | |
It appears I have been around exactly as long as you have! |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2110
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 8:08 pm: | |
Johnlodge, that was a fine & admirable post.
With great sincerity, I applaud you for that one. Absolutely terrific, and 100% solid.
DY Poster Of The Month for March 2008:
Johnlodge |
Kathinozarks
Member
Username: Kathinozarks
Post Number: 1119
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 8:54 pm: | |
I agree with Ravine. Bravo Johnlodge. |
Jimaz
Member
Username: Jimaz
Post Number: 4899
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 9:39 pm: | |
quote:Move away from the city vs. suburbs, black vs. white battles that have been going on for far too long ... And battles in general, for that matter.
I was dismayed to read someone suggest that the only purpose of forums is to win debates. I always thought the purpose was to teach, learn and help each other. That way, everyone wins.
I hope you plan to stick around, Johnlodge. |
Gannon
Member
Username: Gannon
Post Number: 12005
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 7:58 am: | |
Ditto.
We need more who are able to rise above the fray and work towards true and unique solutions, instead of complaining about the same divisive problems.
I get the feeling that some unseen force would rather have us fighting over ANYTHING than realizing we are all in this together.
When we agree, we are dangerous to the ugly status quo.
Let us agree to bring some beauty into the equation, bend this momentum towards good.
Cheers, sincerely.
We must be diligent, we are the minority. |
Gannon
Member
Username: Gannon
Post Number: 12006
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 8:08 am: | |
A good portion of the frustration NDavies and some of the other old-timers have is actually easily blamed on the lack of a truly functioning search tool.
The old one worked wonders, this Google one is for shit. Now, even the linked old search page bogs down with a simple term...
...so newbies are WAY hindered from being able to know the myriad topics we've already covered before their advent. |
Lowell
Board Administrator
Username: Lowell
Post Number: 4686
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:20 am: | |
There is an ecology / sociologoy of forums that Ndavies and others encapsulate quite well above.
Here are some oft told tales.
Newbies will always be arriving and innocently and earnestly asking questions that have been asked, often many times.
[Welcome them, give them the answer and then gently offer them some instructions. Afterall we were all newbies at one time.]
All threads turn to [fill in the blank - race, silliness...].
[Reality: Take a poll of every current thread and you will find this only true in a very small minority of them. Lesson: squeaking wheels make far more noise than 100 smoothly running ones.]
Members come and go, sometimes disappearing after accumulating high post counts. Many of them reappear over time, some don't.
[As the saying goes on this forum, "Don't let the door hit ya, where the good lawd splitya." Also, "Welcome to join, welcome to leave, welcome to come back."]
Grumblers will repeatedly whine that forum is always going downhill and is never "as good as it used to be."
[Then they will proceed to continue posting.]
Thread jackers will always plague forums, attempting to change thread directions to their pet agendas. Ditto for their cousins the wisecrackers.
[Veteran posters ignore them, skip their posts and find the substance. Persistent thread jackers and wisecrackers are advised to mend their ways.]
Meanwhile this forum has logged 130,000 visitor sessions and 430,000 page [thread] views in the past six days with Tuesday being the second highest day in forum history with 26015 sessions.
Go figure. |
Rax
Member
Username: Rax
Post Number: 195
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:42 am: | |
quote:Meanwhile this forum has logged 130,000 visitor sessions and 430,000 page [thread] views in the past six days with Tuesday being the second highest day in forum history with 26015 sessions.
You can thank the mayor for that. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 5798
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:49 am: | |
My little rant was not meant as a critique of the forum in any way. Just a voice for unity in what everybody realizes is a trying time. I didn't mean for it to be interpreted as one of those posts like "This place isn't as good as it was" or "Goodbye, I'm leaving because you all stink" that we see once in awhile from a forumer suffering a meltdown. |
Gannon
Member
Username: Gannon
Post Number: 12016
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 12:05 pm: | |
It is common (natural and normal) to see things only from one's own perspective, JL.
UNcommon to step beyond it and see a larger picture.
Anyone calling for unity and togetherness by definition is going beyond themselves to the larger picture, since the ego would NOT say such things for itself. |
Rax
Member
Username: Rax
Post Number: 196
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 2:03 pm: | |
quote:Anyone calling for unity and togetherness by definition is going beyond themselves to the larger picture, since the ego would NOT say such things for itself.
Unless calling for unity and togetherness results in getting said ego stroked by other people. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 5807
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 2:05 pm: | |
Please do not stroke anything of mine, I am taken. |
Carolcb
Member
Username: Carolcb
Post Number: 4069
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 2:10 pm: | |
Remind said person how lucky they are. And visa versa I am sure. |
Rax
Member
Username: Rax
Post Number: 197
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 2:13 pm: | |
quote:Please do not stroke anything of mine, I am taken.
HELLO! |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2113
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 5:17 pm: | |
Johnlodge, I suspect that Lowell did not hear all that in your post/entreaty. Probably, he was making a general statement.
I also strongly suspect that he found the spirit of your post to be refreshing and encouraging.
I certainly did. |
Bulletmagnet
Member
Username: Bulletmagnet
Post Number: 1112
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 7:52 pm: | |
? |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2115
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 7:55 pm: | |
The Mega Kwame Thread Cluster has taken on a certain air that has led to my staying further away from it.
"Frenzy" is the word which comes to me first. |
Thames
Member
Username: Thames
Post Number: 116
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 2:29 pm: | |
"I miss the mystery photo thread."
Me too. |
East_detroit
Member
Username: East_detroit
Post Number: 1622
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 4:03 pm: | |
It seems that often people will not visit or discuss their own local gems, I guess because they take them for granted.
When people come here from out of town they always ask about places like Greenfield Village, but how often do we otherwise discuss or visit?
Perhaps it is human nature to try to "discuss away" the bad and take the good for granted in casual discourse, so a forum becomes a written history of this and can suffer under the weight of the constant reminder of things that would just as casually fade from one day to the next in face-to-face communications. |
Ravine
Member
Username: Ravine
Post Number: 2126
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 7:26 pm: | |
Well, I think that's a pretty good point. |