From: ducky@yabbs
To: topi@yabbs
Subject: re: old topics..
Date: Thu Jul 21 07:47:44 1994

In message old topics.., topi said:
> Hey, I don't very much like the way a lot of you try and push some of
> the topics under the carpet.. You need to talk about things, people
> need to know other peoples opinions. Its a good thing. If you don't
> want to hear about them, then don't listen. I've quite enjoyed
> listening to a lot of the talk going on here. It makes you think more,
> and helps you to reevaluate your own opinions. You can't just ignore
> some of these issues.

I disagree totally.  Many of the topics that have been discussed on
here have been discussed to death.  It is very easy for rational
argument to disintegrate into name calling and hate mongering on a bbs
like this, and many times it does just that.  Also, it is very, very
hard to actually present truly new ideas or to sway others to your
opinion based entirely on an online discussion.

The other problem is that there are many thousand users on yabbs.  Many
of them have connected once, looked around and left, but there are
still several hundred regular users.  If every single person who had an
opinion on anything expressed it, we would all be spending 24 hours a
day on yabbs just trying to keep up.  After you reach a certain number
of peoples opinions on a topic, many of the following won't ever
present any new ideas.  So perhaps it is time to move on.

If there are issues being discussed on yabbs that you think need
further exploration, find others who agree with you and continue to
discuss it in the email base, normal internet email, or whatever else
suits your fancy.  I think most people while they might have a passing
interest in vegitarianism or abortion or anything else, don't want to
spend weeks talking about it.  And if they do, then they probably need
to find a place to do so with other like-minded individuals.

> I like listening to other people.

So do I, and I think so do we all.  It is interesting to hear the
opinions of other people, some who might be similar to us, and others
who might be of wildly differing background and opinion.  Those people
who I find especially interesting or entertaining or stimulating to
talk to, I follow up on with private conversations.

> I don't like people trying to shut others up.  This is aimed at all the
> people who kept going on and on about changing the topics all the time.
> It has been good, in that it has moved things along, and therefore a
> whole lot more has been discussed as well, but you are also limiting
> the input of more people, because they haven't had the chance to have
> their opinion heard, and everyone deserves that chance.

Everyone does deserve a chance to be heard, but the fact of the matter
is that there are just too many people.  No one is censoring anyone.  I
doubt one could find as many listeners and people willing to speak if
one started discussing these things on a street corner or another
public place.

> Hope I've made SOME sense :)

Yes, quite a bit actually.


-k