Re: [tlug] Organize a one-off technical meeting?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull.stephen.fw@example.com>]

SCHWARTZ, Fernando G. writes:

 > Please allow me to touch once again about what I perceive as a way 
 > forward not only with the meetings but specifically with a web-based 
 > bulleting board / forum.

That's not a way forward for me; if I have to go to a forum, I won't
-- I just don't have time and desire to be going to multiple forums
(for some reason, issue trackers are different, dunno why).  And
forums do an absymal job of handling email notifications so far; I
won't enable those.  The group can (and should) do what it wants, but
web-based forums it will do without me.

<rant relationship="almost none">
This actually matters.  Modern forums are a form of SNS, and a lot of
analysts I respect link SNS (especially Facebook and Twitter, but more
generally) to the Brexit, Corbyn, and Trump phenomena.  And especially
to the failure of the responsible Establishments to recognize what was
going on (even after it happened :-/ ).  The basic problem is lack of
diversity of opinion, creating positive feedback for pretty much
baseless ideas.  Forums and the more virulent kinds of SNS have
this effect partly because of "birds of a feather", and in the more
virulent forms, because Twitter and Facebook deliberately feed you
with content from people who subscribe to your form of
bigotry^W^W^W^Wopinions similar to yours.  Why email has it much less
so, I'm not sure.  I think it's because if you sign up for a ML and
people disagree with you, those opinions keep coming until you take
the time to unsubscribe.  While if I know Josh (to pick a random name
because I know he will think it's funny!) is posting to a forum, I
just don't go there today ... or tomorrow ... or ever.  Problem
solved.  But if I behave that way, there are things I can (and should)
learn from Josh -- but won't get the chance. :-(
</rant>