[Noisebridge-discuss] Why the IRC trolls are still there [drama]

[Anselm Hook]

Most of the noisebridge emails are dramatic actually - a drama tag is
probably the opposite of what is needed - from watching the list for a
few months. I personally don't mind the drama and I think this is the
way the channel should be. But clearly discord causes stress to some;
possibly because it is seen as potentially breaking apart something
that itself is seen as fragile ( even though that is unlikely and of
no consequence regardless ). Another possibility is that it is a new
and unusual pattern; like a new yoga pose; that is hard to hold and
that one must build muscles to stay in.

The drama is raw authentic and a delicious insight into human
frailties. I prefer raw simian silverback transparency to plastic
language and the tedious passive aggressive seething resentment that
manifests itself in terse language and only plodding shuffling
support... since at least in my own upbringing I assume that everybody
has a glowing fierce core of will that they only hide at best.

At the same time the temperament here is unique. Normally groups of
people don't over-react or quibble so much - especially under a rubric
of practicing consensual support / mindfulness. In other forums folks
often bear each others issues gracefully, putting away dirty dishes,
or moving obstructing shoes or the like - there's a kind of grace and
humble quality of presence that some people have that is admirable...
but then again that is rather boring. Various online IXDA forums are a
good example of an opposition to noisebridge.

It is possible that there is a collective Vitamin D deficiency or some
other demographic occupational health concern that is difficult to
diagnose as a group. Since people often fly off the handle at some
imagined or real slight, the spectacular ignorance of others, or
what-not - this likely will never be examined. It's as if people think
everybody else is themselves and should have the same apprehension,
understanding and reaction-time. Maybe there is a lack of daily hard
physical labor to ease the mind? It is almost impossible to feel that
mental switch into being furious if you've played basketball for a few
hours; one is so luxuriously sensate in the ache of muscles and bones
that stirring the mind is tedious not joyful. Coffee or other
stimulants perhaps may be a factor as well; many seem to make people
forgetful, repetitive and intolerant... it has terrible effects on me
at least - I have blown off many friendships and projects after
getting strung out on coffee... Out of this often I assume that
other's tempers are a result of some personal duress due to radically
different even alien needs, situations, crisis that I can't possibly
understand and I wait a while to establish a cognitive parallax over
their disposition before deciding to flip the bozo bit or not and
filtering them from my life.

Being excellent to each other probably involves hmm, maybe %50
volunteer time or some kind of simple maxim? Perhaps even volunteering
in the community outside of the doors - helping the homeless and the
like? Somehow there needs to be an anchor that resets expectations of
personal goals.

In any case it's an interesting community to observe from more or less
the outside - hopefully satisfaction and a sense of meaning / purpose
/ value occurs or will emerge and a comfort and stability with the
pattern will emerge...  Good luck.

On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 11:09 AM, Sai Emrys <noisebridge at saizai.com> wrote:
> Preemptive tagging to aid David Fine's inbox sorting.
>
> Carry on,
> - Sai
> _______________________________________________
> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>



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