[consulting] Meta Discussion: Managing "Bandwidth" - Defining "Meaningful"

[Alex Urevick-Ackelsberg]

Thanks for pulling this into it's own thread, Shai.

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Alex Urevick-Ackelsberg
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On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 11:05 AM, Victor Kane <victorkane at gmail.com> wrote:

> I think Laura was correct when she asked whether dissent wasn't also
> useful.
> However I think the best way to run any listserv is _quietly_. That means,
> let everyone vote with their feet, not their mouth:
>
> Anyone starts a thread. If anyone is interested, they follow that thread.
> If you are not interested you leave it alone.
>
> I think that saying that things I don't agree with or am not interested in
> are "wasting bandwith" is a bit harsh.
>
> I am not interested, as I have stated, in any discussion on certification
> schemes, especially, as in Dries post, they are assumed to have to be run by
> corporations. But it is not a waste of bandwidth, I have already expressed
> my opinion, so I shut up. On the other hand, folks who are thrilled by that
> perspective, like Alex, can follow it.
>
> Everyone is cool, everyone is happy. No special rules required.
>
> Victor Kane
> http://awebfactory.com.ar
>
> On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 11:57 AM, Shai Gluskin <shai at content2zero.com>wrote:
>
>> Consultants Group,
>> On the certification thread, Nancy wrote, "When I see the marketplace
>> clammoring for a certification, I might support it. But until that happens,
>> *stop wasting the bandwidth discussing it. It is simply meaningless (*emphasis
>> added*)*."
>>
>> Key to the culture of the Drupal community is the idea of "scratch your
>> own itch." Usually that is meant in reference to writing a module that
>> doesn't exist that you want or need. But I believe it can also be applied to
>> offering up conversation on an idea that is consuming you.
>>
>> Writing an e-mail to a listserve creates no burden on anyone to respond.
>> It's possible that someone's passion may not interest other people and that
>> person would get no response. The writer cannot expect a response if other
>> people are not interested. However, when other people are interested but you
>> are not, it is your responsibility not to respond and to filter it out of
>> youir workflow.
>>
>> Re: the "bandwidth" metaphor. Let's be clear that the complaint above is
>> about personal bandwidth, not the Internet's bandwidth. It is an enormous
>> challenge to manage one's personal bandwidth. But it isn't the
>> responsibility of other participants in the community to manage others
>> bandwidth. Each of us has to do that for ourselves.
>>
>> What is particularly destructive about claims that a particular topic is
>> "meaningless" is that the people engaging in that conversation are
>> contributing to the community by engaging in discussion that they care
>> about. So the "just stop talking about this" exhortation is asking people to
>> stop participating. It is the opposite of welcoming. It pushes people away.
>>
>> p.s. I know there is a significant group of people who hate it when a
>> listserve starts talking about listserve process as opposed to its more
>> general mission. That's why I put "Meta Discussion" in the subject title. I
>> thought it might those people filter this thread should they not be
>> interested.
>>
>> best,
>>
>> Shai
>>
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>>
>
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