FROM THE PUBLISHER
Connie Blumhardt
BLOGS, FORUMS AND BULLETIN BOARDS: a complete waste
of bits and bytes or a social leap forward akin to
the invention of the printing press? If you happen
upon a couple of good posts or sites, you might be
inclined to side with the latter opinion, but if
you look too deep or read too long, you might be
tempted to recall the teacher’s response to
Adam Sandler’s character in the not-so-classic
Hollywood movie Billy Madison:
“Mr. Madison, what you have just said, is the
most insanely idiotic thing I have ever heard. At no
point, in your rambling incoherent response were you
even close to anything that could be considered a rational
thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having
listened to it. I award you no points and may God have
mercy on your soul.”
Don’t let this be your Internet legacy!
In general, coffee-related Internet blogs, forums and
boards are among the best I have read. Most people
do not post anonymously, are well-informed and do not
fall into the “community of the miserable” that
plagues the web forums of most other topics. Try, for
example, reading political or sports boards without
concluding that Armageddon is near.
At their best, our industry forums create a sense of
community for people separated by geography, a means
to provide peer support and an invaluable resource
for the inexperienced and greybeards alike. People
new to these communities benefit from the wisdom of
the experienced and the experienced benefit from the
ideas and energy of the newbies.
However, at their worst, our industry forums reflect
the same nauseating pettiness and negativity that plague
every Internet forum. Too often people create posts
like they are gossiping with a small group of friends,
rather than considering that an Internet post is more
like writing a letter to the editor, a letter that
will be widely distributed. Many misinformed and misinterpreted
statements have been blown out of proportion by Mr.
Gore’s “invention”.
To have effective industry forums, we need to encourage
people to hit the forums for education and entertainment,
not for damage control for their business or reputation.
Here’s what I try to consider before I hit the
post button:
• Is this post factually accurate?
• Should this topic be discussed in a private e-mail or conversation?
• Sarcasm and emotion are famously difficult to transmit in Internet
forums, blogs and e-mails. How will my message sound from the point
of view of someone who doesn’t know me?
• If criticizing, can I focus on crafting a positive, logical argument,
rather than a personal attack?
In the end, I constantly remind myself that having the right to free
speech, the right to say anything, does not alleviate responsibility
for what is or has been said.
Warmest Regards,
Warmest Regards,
Connie
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