Hi all,
I've been reading this group new for a few weeks and it's quite
intriguing the way it's so dysfunctional as a "society". Actually I was
telling my brother about it - he's a sociology major and is now
interested in looking at this group for his project.
I've read several Usenet groups and lots of forums over the years, and
while of course some of them have trolls, feuds, etc., none seem to have
this endemic anger and hate that CLC does. Can anyone suggest other
newsgroups with similar characteristics for comparison purposes?
It's quite interesting, because standard theory suggests you need about
100 to 150 people in a group before it needs rules, hierarchy, authority
etc. to function effectively, whereas in CLC there only seem to be 20-30
regulars and yet it's suffering badly under the strain of people
virtually living together.
I don't dare ask people why they think this group is so acrimonious, for
fear of starting yet another bitter flame war!
Best.
Excellent post. Of course, all the regs are going to spend all their
time (as I see they've already done) trying to assure you that you are
wrong and that 2+2 does not, in fact, equal 4. I believe the following
quote is appropriate here:
Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving there is
no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.
- John Kenneth Galbraith -
You might want to read my recent post on True Democracy vs.
Representational Democracy - I make a point similar to yours, that it is
strange that such a small group would need and have implemented the
trappings of RD. This generally happens when authoritarians get into
power. (For further reading on the subject of authoritarians, see John
Dean's excellent book "Conservatives Without Conscience")
As far as the actual question raised in your post (And I noted and
applaud your statement that you are not asking them to explain why it is
so - though of course, everyone interpreted the post that way. Asking
them why would be like asking the Bush Admin why they screwed up in
Iraq...), I think that CLC *is* unique (at least in the "real Usenet" -
even moreso in specifically the comp.* hierarchy), but you won't have to
look far in, e.g. (and as has been mentioned by some of the other
posters who did respond to your actual query - instead of "getting busy
on the proof") the talk.* or alt.* hierarchies, to find people as nutty
or moreso than here.
But, I should point out, nutty yes, but downright hateful and smug, no.
I have not seen anything approaching the level of hateful and smug in
any other group, anywhere. They truly have it honed to a fine art here.[/QUOTE]
Kenny may have a point.
Please don't kill him.
If for nothing else, he's ripe fodder for Psych 101 students.
I like Kenny, however "nutty" he may seem.
utchar(a[i&15]);break;}}}