From: Phrogz <gavin@...>
Date: 2006-12-22T09:15:13+09:00
Subject: Re: where have all the experienced users gone?

Geoff wrote:
> I've been reading quite a bit about these properties of online
> communities lately.  There's a lot of material worth looking into if you
> happen to have a bit of a deeper interest, like:
>
> Clay Shirky's "A Group is it's Own Worst Enemy"
> http://shirky.com/writings/group_enemy.html
>
> Clay Shirky's "Group as User: Flaming and the Design of Social Software"
> http://www.shirky.com/writings/group_user.html
>
> Kathy Sierra's "How to Build a User Community: Part 1"
> http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/12/
> how_to_build_a_.html

Having read those, I'd like to put that a little stronger:
1) I would request that all participants of this community read (or at
least skim) that last one in particular. To make it easier, here's an
short unbroken link:
http://rubyurl.com/YeY

2) I'd like to find a common spot that we could put something based on
the above (after we get some semblance of agreement on what it says)
that we could point new users and violators. Not really a charter, not
a mission statement, but some sort of creed of behavior. Something that
says "Be nice, be helpful, be respectful", but in more words and with
concrete do's and don't's and helpful examples.

There are very few experienced, long-time posters who I can think of
who would violate this creed.  I feel that I've seen more than a few
semi-new-comers posting with serious attitude, and (in my opinion) it's
reasonably important that we don't just lead by example, but (as the
article says) take a zero-tolerance policy towards
abusive/high-and-might/asshole posts.

For the good of the community and national security. To fight the
terrorists. Won't somebody please think of the children?