compromise view [LWN.net]

compromise view

Posted May 30, 2007 10:06 UTC (Wed) by NigelK (guest, #42083)
In reply to: compromise view by amikins
Parent article: What Microsoft and Novell agreed to

Agreed. It's got so bad that, in far too many people's eyes, there are only the following categories of poster:

* those who agree with a site's viewpoint (be it Groklaw or whoever else)

* those who troll

* those who are paid to post various points of view

Rarely do you get someone with a different viewpoint respected in a forum unless they have a proven track record of helping out a community - we're talking Torvalds-level, here, and even then I'm seeing too many comments along the lines of him only having various viewpoints because some companies give him money.

Lots of people have problems with Groklaw's stance on the MS/Novell deal, Tivoization, binary blobs, GPL3, MS technology support, editorial style, etc, etc. It is wishful thinking to be able to dismiss them as trolls and shills - surely people can just disagree without one group trying to silence or smear the other?

As an exercise, chew on this: when was the last time Groklaw criticized anything that the FSF did? Considering how controversial the FSF's views and actions are, why is it so surprising that so many people disgree with them? And why is it so surprising that so many people disgree with Groklaw sometimes as a result?

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"trolls" and group-think

Posted May 30, 2007 16:13 UTC (Wed) by zlynx (subscriber, #2285) [Link]

I agree.

On far too many Internet discussion areas, whether they are email lists, web forums, or newsgroups, people who disagree with the group are excluded.

They are labeled as trolls or shills and forcibly ejected from the group, or they are shouted down or flamed until they leave.

Then the group congratulates themselves on how all right thinking people agree with them. After all, you don't see anyone disagreeing, do you?

What these groups need is a disinterested moderator who will point out the good and bad facts and arguments of any side and enforce politeness. Unfortunately moderators are human too with their own opinions.

Someone needs to design an open-source discussion moderator AI. :)