Subject: Moderation on the Ferghana-Valley list
From: John Schoeberlein (FVDP@elcat1.osh.su)
Date: Wed Apr 21 1999 - 04:13:43 EDT
Dear List Members,
I am writing to follow up on an earlier note that we distributed on the
"parameters of discussion" on the Ferghana-Valley list. We had set a
guideline, which I agree was altogether too vague, and likely to have a
negative effect on useful discussion. We received some very useful feedback
from three list members, who were concerned about the slippery slope toward
censorship. I would like therefore to clarify, and hopefully come closer to
defining a useful guideline.
First, though, I would note that we are not talking about censorship. When
a publication has an editorial policy about what it will or will not
publish, this is not censorship (unless that policy is determined by law or
the government). When someone calls a meeting and declines to include
extraneous matters from the agenda, this is also not censorship. Setting
and keeping an agenda of discussion can be useful -- indeed, essential --
for meaningful discussion.
In establishing this discussion forum, we had some specific goals in mind
and stated this clearly. Among these goals was not to provide an
all-purpose antidote to the restrictions on the freedom of the press which
exist in various countries of this region. There are many things that
people might want to say in whatever medium is available to them that they
cannot say in the local press, but which are not consistent with the goals
of this discussion forum.
Discussion lists, as a particular kind of public forum, have their problems.
Some people don't care about useful discussion and simply want to pursue
their own agenda (such as distributing advertisements or political
manifestos). The medium is often plagued with rudeness and with people who
state extreme positions because they enjoy getting a response and even try
to upset others. People who would not behave in this way in face-to-face
conversation do so at the remove and in the anonymity of the e-mail medium.
Some people make provocative statements because they have heart-felt
beliefs, but they get into fruitless and sometimes beligerent debates. All
of these problems kill good discussion lists. Some say that you can always
delete what you find offensive, but the fact is that when a discussion list
is dominated by polemic or junk mail, what happens is that the people who
are interested in and willing to participate in good discussion simply
leave. Most discussion lists do not have real discussion because of these
problems.
I do not believe that a moderator can solve all of these problems. It is
very important that discussion not be subject to arbitrary interventions
from a moderator -- that also would inhibit good discussion. We have to
trust the membership to keep the interests of the list in mind, and this has
to be the main solution to problems of offensiveness or fruitless polemics.
I would ideally like to see the list management (i.e., myself and the other
people in the FVDP staff) participate in this list on just the same terms as
everyone else, except in rare instances where some leadership and
intervention is required.
As to that rather poorly stated guideline regarding avoiding "political
critique of one or another government," let me try to be more clear:
There are many issues that have political dimensions which are precisely the
issues that this list is meant to address. Many such issues have already
been raised in the discussion and introductions. It is not our intention to
avoid such issues -- on the contrary, if this forum can generate good ideas
about how to address them, then it will be serving its purpose.
The guideline that we have sought to come up with, rather, is meant to draw
a line between discussion of concrete issues, on the one hand, and
denunciations and attacks, on the other. If this list becomes a forum for
denouncing governments or ethnic groups or individuals or cultural
traditions (things that I have seen a lot of on other lists), then it will
going counter to the purposes for which it was created. It is not an easy
matter to figure out how to avoid this, and I hope that the membership of
the list will understand this.
I hope this helps to clarify, and that everyone understands that the purpose
of setting parameters is not to be arbitrary or to avoid important,
difficult issues -- rather to maintain an environment where we can maintain
useful discussion.
Shortly, I will also introduce myself -- I'm sorry I haven't done so yet ...
it has just been so busy and I have been traveling a lot around the Valley
and the region.
We'll also soon send out a short description of the list membership -- a
summary of who is represented. The membership continues to grow quite
rapidly, and I think it actually larger than that of almost any other
discussion list related to Central Asia, much to my surprise. Still we
would like to see more representation from the region itself, and we'll be
grateful for any names and addresses you can suggest.
Best Regards,
John Schoeberlein
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