I agree wholeheartedly with Bob's sentiments, except I wouldn't just single out Gary. IMO, this whole thread, which used to be great, has turned into a cesspool. Having said that, I doubt that there's much SI can do about it. I know much less about TOU than Bob, but it seems to me that this is more of a gray area than an outright violation, especially since this is a "Coffee Shop" thread.
From what I've seen in similar situations, attempts by SI to improve the dialogue will only result in further deterioration of the thread, as well as several posts misinterpreting the First Amendment. The only hope for this thread is for the participants to take it upon themselves to improve the content. This thread can be good (e.g. the recent commentary on the way Maria shouts when reporting from the floor - which coincidentally or not was followed by an improvement in her delivery). I have believed for a while that too much of it has degenerated into mean spirited attacks, or has gotten unnecessarily personal, but I continue to hope for improvement. |
