[nukkad] On the Decay of a Forum

[tcmceus <>]

[At a coffee shop perched on a white washed terrace overlooking the
Aegean, in Greece]

Socrates: A forum is estimated by the degree of freedom to speak,
the most vulgar and noisy participant in it enjoys.

The Other: Allow the 'vulgar and noisy' to exist on your terms on a
forum, for instance such a one as Nukkad, and they will soon have it
all to themselves, all the sane voices calling it a day in disgust.

Socrates: But you have to safeguard free speech at all costs!

The Other: Should one? Free speech requires a large universe to be
enacted. An online forum is just a few hundred souls, plus the Owner who
has to spend money to buy bandwidth, and expend hours on end to maintain
the place.

Socrates: [settling down more comfortably in his chair] In the end, only
the principle of the thing matters.

The One: Should it? The principle will soon empty out the forum, and while
the concept will have been vindicated, the sanctuary will have been lost 
to the many
wondrous souls who came here for respite, good company, intelligent
discussion, and plain old togetherness.

Socrates: [curious] What is it like anyway, this Nukkad?

The Other: It is a fine place where many gather in a virtual cafe, much 
like this, and
exchange ideas, learn from each other, occasionally fall in love, and as 
frequently fall
out of it, let off steam, find kinship, send virtual kisses, and simply 
hang out.

Socrates: And the 'vulgar and noisy'?

The Other: They are drawn to the place, but to posture, pretend, 
contend, argue to
the exclusion of common sense, to bully, and despoil the atmosphere in 
general, so
that every time a topic comes up for discussion, it degenerates into 
carp and cavil,
leaving people at odds with each other, with a sour taste in their mouths.

Socrates: Odds bod! [Almost as a second thought] Are their fair maidens 
on the forum?

The Other: Very much so, but they are a particular irritant the the 
Vulgars. The one
soul guaranteed to send them off in a frenzy is a woman with a mind of 
her own.

Socrates: Goodness! Have many left in disgust?

The Other: Over the years at least a half score. Bullied, shouted at, 
verbally over
powered, cowed by brute stupidity, by deluges of senseless words, 
sometimes by
direct insults, sexist comments, and plain vulgarity.

Socrates: Really! Well throw the wastrels out!

The Other: [smiling] And what of your principles?

Socrates: Damn the principles when a damsel is concerned. Out with the 
scoundrels!

The Other: You know, this approach of yours can very easily be 
considered sexist and biased.

Socrates: Listen. I have biases, and set views, especially when damsels 
are concerned,
and hey, I am proud of these.

The Other: OK, OK. So how do we externalize these?

Socrates: No problem. I am going to have a word with mighty Thor, and 
have him make
some arrangements in lower level Valhalla.

[Some girls out jogging come to the cafe, settle down at the next table 
to unlace their
shoes and relax in the cool breeze coming off the blue waters]

[Which is where this dialog ends for us, we having no further interest 
in what happened
next, but Boy! Are you missing a story]

-- 
Arya-Holmes
Acufree.Com Inc
http://www.acu-free.com


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you
with experience! 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To join/leave, use the form at: http://www.mumbai-central.com/nukkad/#options
This list is archived at: http://www.mumbai-central.com/nukkad/archive.html