Making it Better: The future of WP

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Another one.

Woman urgently: Is there a doctor in the house is there a doctor in the house ???

Yes madam I am a doctor!

Woman: Oy doctor!! Have I got a daughter for you!

If everyone would please take a deep breath. I am going to post my observations and it will probably alienate everyone. These are just my humble opinions. The use of the word "you" in this post is the editorial you, not any specific you.

So much of what is taking place on this thread, while interesting and probably productive in its own way, is not applicable to developing the preferable tone that we want for WP.

In the beginning, so many threads were about Fnord. Some of us, including myself, tried to remind people that were Fnord to be banned or disappeared, the group would have to find someone or something else to argue about.

This is in fact, what happened. It went from zealous fnord bashing to zealous sly supporting. And this included criticism of anyone who saw it differently. Does anyone else see the pattern here?

Those of you engaged in the emotional repartee, do you really think that others could express their own opinion, nuance, consideration in light of your posts?

As in most of life, especially aspie life, there are opinions and mind sets that are different from yours. How many people can you think of who contribute regularly and productively to the fora and are NOT participating here. I don't know why, but it could be they don't want to be jumped on for having a different opinion or experience.

I observe that funeral has not had his concerns heard. I respect that. Regardless of how clear it may be to others, he needs to have his concerns heard and addressed and not just be blown off. Countless people are running to protect one member and ignoring the concerns of another. (and we are protecting the white member and dismissing the nonwhite member????? Just an observation) Everyone has said they want the rules to be understood and respected by all. This means the people you disagree with also. All this talk about respecting others and their points of view just goes out the window when we get upset about something.

The problem is that no one can understand another's point of view entirely. That is why we have to listen carefully and think hard about what someone is saying.

I also see some emotional dumping on Alex. I understand why. In many ways, he has failed this community he started, but no longer tends to. That said, he is also an aspie. As someone else pointed out, he is now living in a community where the discussions on many topics are liberal and understood. Has he posted some things he should have thought about more? Yes. But why are we not showing him how to make it different?

Here is where people are really going to get upset. I don't know what actions Alex took against Sly and the actions may have been entirely wrong...but...Alex is correct in the way we white people use language, (he posted why,) thinking it is not a tribal problem (thank you, Pepe), when it is institutionalized. Institutionalized means, by definition, that we can't see it. We on WP don't need to understand why sly's post was extremely offensive, if we don't understand the new levels of understanding that are going on in America regarding race. The post was offensive to black people in America and in an ideal world, someone would explain to him why it was offensive.

And while Alex may have "ruined" the discussion here, what his actions (unintentionally) did was expose once again, the problems we as autists have relating to each other.

That said, Amity and Tem are correct that we need to move forward. Some "wrongs" will not be righted at this point. But we still need to set them aside and try to put in place something that will be of assistance.

Alex, you have had several suggestions made toward improving the site and I suggest that you acknowledge them and implement them.

Everyone else, please stop the histrionics. Going on the warpath about issues does not help if we are working on having a community. Having a community means you don't always get what you want.

It means, for all of us, accepting and loving each of us as the individual we are. No one is perfect. People make mistakes. I personally make a lot of mistakes. I really do love every person in this thread and I appreciate so much of what each of you has to offer. Even when you disagree with me.

A Jewish man decides his son isn't religious enough, so he pays for him to go visit Israel.  When his son comes back, however, he says he's now a Christian.

Exasperated, the man goes to his friend for advice, but his friend says, "That's funny, I sent my son to Israel last year and when he came back, he also said he was Christian."

The two men decide to speak to their rabbi about this, but when they explain the situation the rabbi says, "That's funny, two years ago I sent my son to Israel, and he also came back a Christian."

The three men decide only G^D can have the answer, so they pray.  The rabbi says aloud "Adonai, all three of us sent our sons to Israel, and all of them came back Christian."

A voice of doom and thunder booms down from the heavens, "That's funny…"

I'm thinking I should start a religion about that Jewish guy who went around trying to help poor people but was killed because he was betrayed by one of his former close allies.