The OS Environment  -Members are Uncomfortable

Padraig in his comment here (http://open.salon.com/blog/nabina_nag/2011/03/27/two_years_on_os_-_stock_taking): "I remember that you chastised me when I gave up on OS a while back, just drained by it. I know it’s not easy to ignore the nastiness, especially when one is painted as the nasty one and lots of people pile in. Try to rise above it and keep posting your little personal pieces and great photographs. OS has great potential to teach Americans about the rest of the world."

Attacks are common. Look:

which made me sad and wonder, why did he even bother to respect that impetuous, puerille comment with a response??? But dangerous things are going on on OS as is evident from this comment by another long timer:

I despair you have already lost too many key writers through issues like this and the failure of management to address a more serious problem : people who use OS to destroy others' lives.

Recently, there was this post that featured some unique pointers to put the Libyan engagement in perspective. Noticing very few readers or rates, I took it that people might have missed it, so, as is the custom here, I had written in to some OS ers that I knew were interested in serious writing. I had written:

"Since we are always discussing standards falling over here, I would like it if we all got together to read and rate a well researched post when it comes up."

In response, I got half a dozen letters, one writer I used to respect once, wrote this to me:

"... their editorial decisions can't be based on what what you or me or Padraig might think is high quality."

Huh???? 

Are Editors kings and we, the readers and writers, slaves of their whims? 

Editors are just people - like you and me!!! Editors are paid staff. They do not OS make! Their job is to HLEP manage the place so the writers can write in peace and readers get quality content. It is not THIER job to TELL US what is good. We decide what is good and we as consumers ASK for it. If they refuse to listen we CLAMOUR for what we want. For, It is us that supplies free content. Us that read and keep this place alive. And it is our being here that in the long run generate revenue!!!

Revenue not only depends on quality of content, but on the number of subscribers (which is why Kerry posted that update about how many we are here now). Revenue also depends on how many advertisers decide to advertise here. They decide on the basis of what kind of people read the blogs here and how many use the site. If they find it is predominantly local American, they might not want to advertise. Large corporates want INTERNATIONAL views, cross country broad base clientele! 

So, naturally what OS posts on Cover is of crucial importance!!! And WE, as users of this place, must not shirk our responsibility to help the management with appropriate content and suggestions!!!

Any democracy works on that principle - Salon is Media in a democracy - it is imperative that members participate!!! And ENGAGE. And come together in times of CRISIS. If OS is in financial crisis - we engage, in discussing ways to bring in money or improve standards to make it viable ineternationally. Remember competitors are blogging giants like Word Press! 

Anyway, I just cannot fathom why something like a repost of an YouTube song without a word in the post gets a rating of 16 and a well written post does not even make 7 here.

Which advertiser would even want to look at a You Tube repost? So, why would stocks of OS not go down? If OS prices are falling, we the writers and managers of content ARE responsible.Can you deny that?

No matter where or in what capacity you are on the world wide web, CONTENT is KING! Good content comes out of an engaging readership. Readers community that take the trouble to write REAL critique, adding to the value of a post through ASSENT OR DISSENT!  Fighting like school kids or trying to be nice like old grannies.Or being lazy and leave a non committal "Good, rated" does not improve standards or make for a creative or robust writing environment.

I remember how once Mishima (a truly robust voice on OS) had written a post about gay marriage  and I was new then and had engaged in a long and passionate debate countering his view about gay marriage, even taking on a couple of other commenters on that blog, in the end, writing a whole separate blog on the issue of gay marriage and yet Mishima never held a grudge against me personally and heated debate was possible at that time without getting personal or nasty.

Debate, passionate debate is the life blood of the writer's community. It shows someone is reading us closely and that inspires writers to do better!

When I think, I have questions, when I have questions, I want answers, when they do not satisfy me, I contend, and that makes ideating possible and makes it worth the while to be WITH intelligent people. Debate not only enriches the community but it adds layers to the content itself. Otherwise why would one bother?

But here, now, there seems to be an air of fear, everyone is always so boringly conventional and politically correct or naive or banal or quiet....or worse still, DEFENSIVE.

I could not understand WHAT Forsythe's grouse was about various people doing Spam Control on OS - or why Stella had to leave even when she had such fierce supporters and friends here.

When you left, Stella, you empowered the very person that did not deserve to be empowered in that way. Do you realize that?

Preserving the sanctity of the writer's community is the writers' responsibility.

If you quit, give up and leave, you commit the crime of not respecting your own work or your readers' sentiments.

To Stella I would like to ask, was this person you were angry with, your ONLY reader? Was this person your friend? Well, then why did you give this person so much importance over people that genuinely liked your work, read you patiently, took the trouble to comment or give you feedback? They did not matter to you, when you decided to leave this space right? You do not care - do you - about your craft or your readers - or why would you not stay back and fight - you were not alone!

To Mishima this is what I have to say, it is sad that you actually had to write another whole post to clarify your position- you had not done anything wrong - you could have used that time and energy to have done a whole new original post. That you had to write this post reflects badly upon us readers. It shows we are bad readers. Catherine, I respect you and like a lot of people here, am grateful and appreciative of the long hours you put in working for free, but if you had not closed comments when you posted your upset post, the matter could have been clarified right then and there.Mishima is not your enemy and you both have been here for ages and know each other! What kind of example are you setting to the new comers?

Readers are not only careless and indifferent and patronising while reading foreigner's posts, they are also careless with posts  generally. Often a reader will just browse through the last few or the first few lines and dash off a patronising or damaging comment depending on whether they like or dislike the PERSON with no discernible concern for the content. Not everyone blogging here even understand the medium.

Which makes me think that if  the serious writers left, all the robust voices would be gone and there would be nothing left on OS - and a unique, very special blogging site would die an untimely death (e.g. VOX etc). For OS is special.

Open Salon combines blogging with the prowess of community building - in some ways, it is WP and FB combined.

Who wants to be with a wall? Or a mop or a sponge?

Stella, I am NOT attacking you, in case you have that idea (why would I?)  all am saying is that this is a community and as such it is our responsibility to see that members remain safe and they do not leave because they feel vulnerable. It is our loss that you are gone. It would be great if you returned to write and fight and be fair to those that did admire you, is what am saying.

Reading or writing is interactive and rewarding when minds can engage in meaningful exchange - otherwise it becomes a dull exercise, passive act and lazy act, like watching TV.

"We the people are fired-up. The air is filled with toxic and hateful speech. Some seem to believe they have an absolute right to say whatever, whenever and wherever they please. They are wrong. "

""Call out the instigators because the revolution's here""

Tom Cordle, had written that, albeit in a different context, but they apply here, nonetheless. Tom, am sad that you no longer listen that well these days....and you used to be the one that had once advocated we all study History!

PS: For those that are interested, I have added Gail Williams' blog for you to go check out her post on the influencers, and how they had a Salon within a Salon kind of a place called The Well. I had discovered this when I had come here and was exploring this place. Then it simply meant that the writers or the coterie needed a private place, so The Well, now, in the light of all that is going on, thought I would remind you of it. So, yes it is possible to have portals leading in but separated from the main OSC.