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Originally Posted by Halx
I'm glad you noted this. The people do find it liberating. Taking from the wikipedia article Daniel posted, you'll notice how the experiment started off with an ad in the paper. 70 responses, out of how many who actually read the ad? Really, you don't have to participate, but there does need to be some people to form the beginning core.
Here's how I envision this forum to go:
-Users get on the forum and start posting. They fill the board up with stuff excitedly. None of it is any more quality than the idle thoughts that come to us during the day. Much of it is quite contrived and dumb. We've seen this part. I think it's less "frat boy" and more "enthusiasm."
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And encouraging the trade of spiteful insults is 'enthusiasm', how
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Originally Posted by Halx
You talked about lack of structure and predictability, but I would argue that the open space for a forum topic is rife with invitation to just simply OPEN a topic. "Who cares what it's about, we just need to fill this space up!"
That's my take on that part.
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Filling it up with hate is not a good thing.
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Originally Posted by Halx
-The next step is users settle down. After the nest is built, users have to nestle in and start to decorate it. Nobody moves into a new home without arranging their furniture and hanging pictures. This is when the content starts to take shape. Those who feel a responsibility to the forum will feel the need to clean up the trash and promote better posts.
The initial excitement will die down and the trouble posters will see that they've made a mess. A few people will leave, but some will stay and try to actually make it work. This is a critical time for the forum because if there isn't enough people left, then it'll just die.
-The light clicks on. People start participating in a more civil and respectable manner, but shit will still erupt... thats just the nature of the internet. In fact, I came across a rather large (maybe20 times the size of TFP) general topic message board today and they actually framed their flame posts in their "Best of" section. At this point, the administrators start to pop up (Admin is given based on general population sample.. if there aren't enough people participating, there is no need for an admin.)
-As time goes on, things get smoother and smoother. There's always the possibility of abortion-by-administration, but if people give rep points to the right people. It could work out.
Or it could die a horrible death in its first 2 weeks.
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It could work out but its beginnings are horrid. I love you, Hal and I wanted to help you out as always. Even in Anarchy, instinctiveness in most includes self-censuring at some point. Not everyone is going to run like a wild animal, wreaking havoc, even if the proclivity to do so strikes for a second.
Some don't have it in them. Hopefully, as you wish, things will calm down and it will filter itself. But you've got some mighty fine people here who want nothing to do with it now.