Re: Delinquent quarterly reports

[Corun MacAnndra <corun@access.digex.net>]

Poster: Corun MacAnndra <corun@access.digex.net>

Miri wrote:
>
>I believe he knows there is much more to it than 'hanging around', Corun.
[snip]

Miri,

I do appreciate that you wish to defend Landi and not start any flame wars
and thank you for the gentle way in which you are trying to keep this
thread from turning into one. Personally I don't care for flame wars
either, and thus will make the following statement and hope to be finished
with this thread.

I never questioned Landi's years of hard work and for the simple fact that
I don't know what he's done or not done. I can't call into question
something for which I have no evidence. I didn't even know how long he'd
been in the SCA until he said something about being in for twenty-odd
years, and quite frankly that datum is irrelevant to the topic. I've only
his own admission that he has discovered that he has no talent for
leadership and no patience for paperwork, by which I can assume he has at
least tried to do them, which, if true, is to his credit since there are
many who don't even *try* to do a thing before deciding they can't.

However, Landi's choice of words, both in his original post and some
subsequent replies, were rather offensive in the way they were worded.
First he chose to be sarcastic about the system of rules by which we agree
to play. Then, after being told that the rules are in place for good
reasons, proceeded to accuse the officers of the Society of being on power
trips. Granted, he apologized at one point for having given offense, but
had he taken time to think things through, he might not have made his
original comments at all and thus saved us all a great deal of angst. And
this, dear Miri, is the crux of the matter. The medium with which we are
communicating. It has been said before, and will likely be said a thousand
times more in a thousand different situations, but the internet does not
lend itself well to hastily written comments. When people write in email or
on Usenet, they often do not take the time to formulate what it is they
want to say. This could be because of time constraints (writing from work
and trying to get a post out before the boss catches you for example <g>).
But usually it's because this medium allows us to say a great deal very
quickly, and because of this speed we become careless and forget that there
are going to be hundreds of people all with differing attitudes, who will
read our words and take what we say differently and often wrongly. Catch
someone on a good day and they'll laugh off a given post. Another, having
had a terrible day, may get angry. Still others may simply be confused.
There are few nuances available to us with the written word and we must
take care that this number does not drop to zero. We immediately lose all
eye contact, facial expression and vocal inflection, cues that, were we
speaking, would be readily apparent. We have only our own ability to form
cogent sentences, using good grammar and syntax. We try not to let emotion
rule what we write, because it most certainly will be taken badly. We
sometimes fail miserably.

In truth, I read Landi's original post and saw someone whining about
something and laying blame on those who were blameless. I took on my Aspect
as Don Quixote and, wielding my Attribute and the Golden Helmet of
Mambrino, I took arms against this mighty windmill and attempted to educate
him. Had I only chosen to get angry, you're right, this would have devolved
quickly into just another internet flame war, doing no one any good at all
and succeeding only in raising temperatures to a much higher degree than
they were. All in all I think folks all 'round were rather more subdued
than they could have been had this gotten truly out of hand.

In the end we've all learned something. One, that the paperwork we do,
though noisesome, is for a good reason. Two, that Landi needs to think
before he posts (or at least use some smilies now and then ;-) and consider
his words more carefully. And three, that no one wants to hear another
blessed thing about the TI editor's brats.

Thank you, Miri, for stepping into the fray in order to defuse it. There is
always a smile apparent in your writings. Btw, I have an opening for a good
Sancho Panza....;-)

In service,
Corun


     Corun MacAnndra   |   Dark Horde by birth   |   Moritu by choice
     ----------------------------------------------------------------
     I do not understand objections to 'cruel and unusual' punishment.
     While a judge should be benevolent in purpose, his awards should
        cause the criminal to suffer, else there is no punishment.
	  			  R. A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers
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