Observations on the List - "Be More Kind"

[Rhodri James]

On 05/10/18 11:22, Bruce Coram wrote:
> The level of vitriol and personal attacks on the moderators was 
> profoundly disappointing, but not totally out of character for those who 
> made the attacks.  There is no doubt that these people know software and 
> Python and this certainly earns my respect,  but perhaps they need to 
> retain a sense of perspective.  There are 7 billion people in the 
> world.  There are plenty more people at least as good as you and many 
> better, but they don't have the compelling urge to demonstrate their 
> genius.  They get on with their work in a quiet professional manner.

Speaking as one of the people who have been vocally unimpressed with the 
moderators of late, I'd personally appreciate something a little more 
specific than "not totally out of character".  Because actually it *is* 
out of character for me to be confrontational.

I appreciate that the moderators are volunteers, but they have official 
power on this list.  Being volunteers doesn't mean that they can't get 
it wrong, or that we shouldn't call them on it when they do.  They have 
got things wrong, and I have called them on it.  The response has 
been... I'm trying not to say "patronising" because I'm fairly sure it 
wasn't meant that way, but "I'm sorry you feel that way" made me feel 
patronised.  It certainly didn't (and doesn't) make me feel that my 
outright anger at their actions has been considered with any degree of 
seriousness.  Unsurprisingly that doesn't lead to me taking them 
seriously any more.  The formal language only makes me take them less 
seriously.

I don't know what else to say to you.  With one or maybe two exceptions, 
I haven't seen anything that is even close to qualifying as vitriol. 
Much of what has been said could be cast as personal attacks, but that 
is true of almost any confrontation, especially where abuse of power is 
or may be involved.  (Oh, and posting a thumbnail character 
assassination of someone who isn't allowed to post in their defense is 
hardly blameless behaviour, by the way.)  Flatly, I do not see what you 
see.  I'm open to persuasion, but I'll say up front I don't expect you 
to succeed.

-- 
Rhodri James *-* Kynesim Ltd