Posted by Peter H on April 25, 2007 at 12:57:49 from 86.130.130.15 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Mr. Ransome's drawings -- posted by Prue Eckett on April 25, 2007 at 23:40:21:
’subversive posts’
What do you think?
Prue – I suspect that your interesting post was not really intended to draw a response from me. However, as I have, alas, been at the ‘eye of the storm’ recently, could I respectfully suggest some new 'Conventions' for TarBoard (I can’t call them rules, because the rules are already set out). I do hope you will at least consider them.
1) In my experience, none of those who regularly or occasionally post on this board are motivated by a desire to be malicious or unpleasant. Therefore, if a posting could be construed as malicious or unpleasant in some way, but if looked at in another way could be construed as perfectly OK, one should always try to give the benefit of the doubt to the poster, and interpret the posting positively. The English language is a very flexible tool, but for that very reason it can create unfortunate ambiguity, especially in web postings where brevity is essential and time may be short.
2) If the posting unambiguously contains text which is offensive or very irritating to another TarBoarder, that person should either post a follow-up politely asking whether the poster really intended to give offence (he/she probably did not), or, better still in my view, privately email the poster and ask the same question. I am a great believer in emailing privately where there is a chance of personal conflict. I have had a number of email exchanges with TarBoarders recently, and in every single case the exchanges have been of a very friendly nature and we have come to a better understanding of the particular issue. If I am ever emailed about a problematic post, I will always explain and apologise if necessary. When you go 1 to 1, all the heat is taken out of things. It also avoids a 'shouting match' - these irritate other TarBoarders and may put off newcomers.
(The above has been carefully reviewed before posting. It is not intended to arouse needless controversy or annoyance, and I do hope it does not. I exclude from the above the activities of visiting ‘trolls’, who are a different sort of problem altogether.)