Re: ADMIN: FYI
"Renee LaPlume" wrote
> Andrew et al,
> I think Eric's basic point, if I may be so bold as to interpret,
> was that it's possible to disagree without being disagreeable.
That is a subjective concept. As long as their are listmembers who consistently
and constantly fail to see the difference between lively debate and
unprofessionalism, there will always be yelps of "rudeness!"
If it's a subjective concept, then what makes you the
authority on this difference? ;)
Where is it written in the annals of American Professionalism that you are
never to disagree and debate ideas? Where is it written that dissenting ideas
must be 100000% respectful to the majority opinion?
Now Andrew, you know darn well that I never said it's
not okay to disagree. I also specifically mentioned
that some people are hypersensitive to feeling dis-
respected, and that goes too far the other direction.
I say it is unprofessional to be a wallflower. I say it is the people who avoid
conflict and debate who are doing themselves and their company a disservice.
Who's being a wallflower? Not me, or I wouldn't have posted. :D
There are innumerable business cases where companies failed or had failed
initiatives because nobody would engage the decision-makers in lively and
honest debate on a topic. Larry Ellison push the stupid notion of the NetPC on
his company and cost it millions, when his own management did not agree with
him. Oracle survives of course, but the damage to their firm was done. Had a
just a few managers made the bold effort to engage Mr. Ellison in a realistic
debate about the NetPC, Oracle may have never wasted its time with that
initiative. (Or Ellison would have just fired them.)
Yabbut I never said it's not okay to debate; dysfunctional
pig-headed management is not terribly relevant to what I
was saying.
At some point, as Howard Beales reminds us, you have to lean out of your window
and say "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
> I don't think it's necessary to get nasty, castigating, etc. to
> effectively illuminate a dissenting viewpoint, and I do see that
> sort of behavior from time to time on this list. (For that matter,
> I also occasionally see hypersensitivity when no disrespect was
> intended.)
Yes, but the line between nasty and forceful is very thin.
Could be, but in my non-wallflower opinion, that line has been
crossed a couple times of late--that was my major point.
I don't consider
using the word "moron" in the third person offensive. But there are some on
here who would like to wipe my DNA from the planet for such linguistic
atrocities. So who is right? How do we decide which form of expression is
"more appropriate" than another? Eric lays down basic guidelines and we all
try to live inside those guidelines.
Well, for this particular forum, my take is that we use our
best judgment and common sense (which isn't always that common)
as we operate within Eric's guidelines.
Lastly, keep in mind that some of the most fantastic institutions of human
history, like democracy, have at their heart the discourse and debate of
learned men and women. Debate keeps our minds and our passions alive.
For the last time, ;) I am not opposed to debates. I simply said we
could do so a *little bit more politely*. I actually find a respectfully
worded dissenting view to be *much* more persuasive than one that stoops
to name-calling, personal attacks or general sniping. So in the end it's
not really a matter of saying which mode(s) of expression are appropriate
or not, but which one(s) effectively communicate to the intended audience
(how's that for a tech comm tie-in? :).
Now, get back to work, you!
Yeah, you too buddy. ;)
- Renee
--
¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸
Renée L. LaPlume
FLEXSTOR.net, Inc.
rlaplume at flexstornet dot com
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