That effort was ignored

Some people seem to dislike any form of conflict and (to my mind) do Rosetta Stone not understand the necessity of passion in these environments for any idea or knowledge to develop.The inability to turn off the noise in a list serve. I will engage with anyone, but there comes a point where no exchange is taking place. In one case I put about half an hour into writing a “this is how the blogosphere works” to counter nonsensical comparisons of blogs with SPAM. That effort was ignored and after a few exchanges it was evident that the person would say that black was white if it supported their ideological position. Now in the blogosphere I could just turn off the link, in the list serve the material pours in every day.The inability of people to take robust criticism of their ideas without them taking said criticism personally. Now I was trained in formal debating, where you argue for positions with which you may not agree, and to which you may be violently opposed. Some people without that background seem to link a particular statement or belief with their own personal identity, and therefore see all challenge as personal.The danger of all of this (at one extreme) is that avoidance of criticism means that all one is left with is a Rosetta Stone Language breathless extrusion of self serving platitudes (it was too good a phrase not to use). Of course many people enjoy the debate. I have lost count of the times when I have attempted to withdraw from one on the grounds that no one else is joining in, only to received back chat emails saying carry on we are enjoying it. My increasing response to this is then join in, don’t leave it to me. So the lurkers seem to have varying views. The type I actively dislike are the fence sitters for whom, as I said a few days ago impalement is too goodSo back to the title of this blog, and the two quotes. Any community (and a list serve is a form of community) has to decide what its norms are. If it wants to be a comfortable place that supports its members then it should state as such and moderate its interactions. If it wants to be a place of learning and invention then it should embrace debate and welcome the curmudgeon, who refuses to go with the flow and is more than prepared to challenge the dress style of the Emperor. Now my observation is that knowledge management list serves seem to moving towards the former not the latter. This may reflect the increasing decline of KM as a strategic focus for organisations. In effect people are now looking for support for their programmes, rather than exploring a new and dynamic subject. Interestingly the Values and Prediction Markets list serves in which I participate are unmoderated, at times violent, always messy and Rosetta Stone Italian fascinating in consequence. Innovation never came from being nice to people, or confirming with the majority, inventors are cantankerous, passionate and committed. The blogosphere seems to welcome such people, for list serves, the jury is out.