Comments on: A provocative post, and unintended consequences. https://habitablezone.com/2012/02/10/a-provocative-post-and-unintended-consequences/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2012/02/10/a-provocative-post-and-unintended-consequences/#comment-11878 bowser Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:41:04 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=9872#comment-11878 The only purposes of my post were to clarify that particular issue for me, and to point out what I regarded as unfortunate and unintended consequences of your lecture to ER. I think that's a valid point for me to make. As for "Flame" v "Community", I've always regarded Flame as the safe place for anything which can be considered even potentially controversial. While I used Flame, I don't think I flamed anyone. I certainly didn't intend to. However, I know that sometimes when I don't like the message I will complain about how it's delivered. The net result is that ER hasn't been heard from today and TB hasn't been heard from today. I think that's a consequence of the unintended consequences. The HZ is like a river, flowing smoothly in the middle, quiet, peaceful and amusing. There are optional rapids on the sides, always there, with some people paddling through them over and over. They bounce around, scream, splash water on others who have opted to be there, which provokes water being splashed back. And then generally everyone swirls out to the middle again for a while. No one ever died from having water splashed on them, and generally they give as good as they get. The order to ship oars and float may be wise, may not. Reminds me of Ma Bowser. She'd yell that if we kids didn't slow down someone was going to get hurt. And we knew SHE was what was going to hurt us. There's no need to switch boards, I'm done. And I suspect if this did go on longer it would rapidly become appropriate for Flame anyway. The only purposes of my post were to clarify that particular issue for me, and to point out what I regarded as unfortunate and unintended consequences of your lecture to ER.

I think that’s a valid point for me to make.

As for “Flame” v “Community”, I’ve always regarded Flame as the safe place for anything which can be considered even potentially controversial. While I used Flame, I don’t think I flamed anyone. I certainly didn’t intend to. However, I know that sometimes when I don’t like the message I will complain about how it’s delivered.

The net result is that ER hasn’t been heard from today and TB hasn’t been heard from today. I think that’s a consequence of the unintended consequences.

The HZ is like a river, flowing smoothly in the middle, quiet, peaceful and amusing. There are optional rapids on the sides, always there, with some people paddling through them over and over. They bounce around, scream, splash water on others who have opted to be there, which provokes water being splashed back. And then generally everyone swirls out to the middle again for a while.

No one ever died from having water splashed on them, and generally they give as good as they get. The order to ship oars and float may be wise, may not.

Reminds me of Ma Bowser. She’d yell that if we kids didn’t slow down someone was going to get hurt. And we knew SHE was what was going to hurt us.

There’s no need to switch boards, I’m done. And I suspect if this did go on longer it would rapidly become appropriate for Flame anyway.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2012/02/10/a-provocative-post-and-unintended-consequences/#comment-11876 Robert Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:35:14 +0000 http://www.habitablezone.com/?p=9872#comment-11876 <p>A discussion in Community would be the more civilized way to handle the problem.</p> Your complaints about Tom aren't unreasonable, Bowser. And you're expressing ER's point of view pretty accurately too, I'd judge. But unilateral action isn't the way to deal with your complaints. <blockquote>“You see government ineptness in everything and change the focus of all topics</blockquote>So far so good, we can talk about that... <blockquote>and I’m going to point that out whenever you do that”</blockquote>...not so good. That's where it turns into "vendetta" and "stalking", the behaviors I was bothered over. I wonder, Bowser, if ER is interested in continuing this conversation? I sort of got the feeling from his "Fair enough" post that he was finished with it and wanted to move on. And Tom...we're mostly talking about him in the third person, and that's not right. I don't think that you alone can champion ER's cause, Bowser. But if you can get ER and Tom together on a thread on Community, I'll talk about it with the three of you until the cows come home. And that's a threat to give anyone pause. A discussion in Community would be the more civilized way to handle the problem.

Your complaints about Tom aren’t unreasonable, Bowser. And you’re expressing ER’s point of view pretty accurately too, I’d judge.

But unilateral action isn’t the way to deal with your complaints.

“You see government ineptness in everything and change the focus of all topics

So far so good, we can talk about that…

and I’m going to point that out whenever you do that”

…not so good. That’s where it turns into “vendetta” and “stalking”, the behaviors I was bothered over.

I wonder, Bowser, if ER is interested in continuing this conversation? I sort of got the feeling from his “Fair enough” post that he was finished with it and wanted to move on. And Tom…we’re mostly talking about him in the third person, and that’s not right.

I don’t think that you alone can champion ER’s cause, Bowser. But if you can get ER and Tom together on a thread on Community, I’ll talk about it with the three of you until the cows come home.

And that’s a threat to give anyone pause.

]]>