Let’s all take a step back.
Deep breath. A golden ball of light. A pony riding a unicorn holding a kitten in it’s wings. Another deep breath.
PUT THE MEAN WORDS DOWN AND BACK AWAY FROM THE INTERNETS ANGRY PEOPLE.
Ahem.
Okay, I think we can agree two things happened here:
1. I wrote a post about the New Communicators’ poorly written, over thought website. This was not a secret. I said the same thing at the event – maybe a bit nicer, but honestly, it was the same thing. I think it’s on video. Enjoy.
2. Justin Spohn and Dave Allen reacted something something something personal personal blah blah blah NOT ABOUT THE NEW COMMUNICATORS.
I’m kind of at a loss here. I don’t want what is clearly a personal issue to color my opinion of Portland’s ability or inability to take criticism.
I want Portland to succeed. I FUCKING MOVED BACK HERE. I want my friends to succeed. I don’t want them to worry about how they’re going to pay the mortgage or afford health insurance. I don’t want my friends to work shitty jobs they hate just because some dipshits are too ego driven or too afraid to do something differently because it *might* fail. And don’t think I don’t see the implied contradiction in that statement because I do. The New Comm is trying to do something, I know this… but they CANNOT DO IT HALF ASSED. They can’t just sort of dick around and talk and talk and have meetings about change but then stand back with their hands in the air and say,”Well that part – the change part - is for you to decide how to do because we don’t know what we are yet have a beer!”
You have to have a plan of action. You have to guide that plan. You have to see a clear path before you can stray from it.
I had a really good meeting today with a New Comm member who is not in any way afraid of criticism. This person wants to plan and act. This person is not trying to disguise this thing as a “movement” or some other bullshit altruistic endeavor. This person wants the same things we all want: security, a reason to get up every morning, success, a house made out of gold. Or whatever. This person did not get mad when I said the copy on the website was shitty- they could have, but they didn’t. Instead, they took what I said as an opportunity to fix the problem in a way they hadn’t thought of before which – if I finally understand this thing correctly – is what the New Comm is trying to do.
And finally – Boners. Boners, people.
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19 comments
that whole pony riding a unicorn with a kitten in its wings thing- which animal of those has the wings, again? Now I’m scared.
I have an opinion. Well, I will eventually. Maybe. I need to do a little research first. I do agree with the boners bit, though. That’s for sure.
I am so glad to hear that someone was willing to listen and discuss. The beauty of blogs, online communities and social media is that these conversations get to happen immediately. Though this opens us all up for uncomfortable, hurtful or uncalled for messages, it’s worth it.
That is all. Also – boners.
I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU WROTE BONERS.
FRIENDSHIP.
OVER.
Wait, what?
Oh right.
Chairs.
New Communicators — get some damn chairs.
I’ll give you boners.
I’m so late to this party, but thank you for posting this, cuz I laughed so hard at that website. It reminded me my band in college. It was called Coal Miners Unite! We came from the coal mines of Latrobe, PA and we had a message and it was all about the dialectical materialism. We didn’t even play music because we were so authentic. Man, if we had the internet back then, our website would have been so rad, we would have just KILLED the new communicators. They need to go back and take Liberal Arts College 101 and brush up on their Hegel and Marx and Kant before pull out this hilarious shit…frame a discussion about the current nature of conversation..wtf? ha!!! thanks a million
I want a unicorn. Can the New Comm help with that?
Let’s just take a step back.
No, I was wrong, I’m sorry, take a step forward.
Now, take a step back.
Step forward.
Step back.
And then we’re cha-cha-ing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HuHkPlbh6c
NO LINK NECESSARY. I know Real Genius when I hear it!
“In the immortal words of Socrates, I drank what?”
Well, I’m absolutely down with boners. That’s for damned sure.
Now I’m certainly not the first to say this Kiala, but you’re right. Your comments — and resulting exchange — helped to spur a collection of conversations (questions and responses) that was wholly unanticipated. That sort of outcome was precisely what was intended by the initial meeting: to discuss what the New Communicators might become. Not to highlight the people behind “it” mind you, but rather to consider all the little events that might stitch together to form a bigger series over three evenings.
At our core, we’re all in the same boat in terms of simply wanting to succeed. To see our friends succeed, and to see Portland succeed. One of the core questions when our little collective initially sat down was to ask how we ourselves could become involved in a community that all-too-often looks beyond what is happening right here. And how others could have an equal opportunity to be involved without establishing a strict code of conduct. To a degree, that is beginning to happen. At least I think it is.
What came out of that first meeting (minus chairs, plus tacky beer) at Substance has been overwhelmingly positive. What you had to say at that meeting was constructive criticism. It too was positive and helped anyone who wanted to be involved to understand that (1) we all crave structure and (2) that we (all) can (always) do a better job (at everything). Each of us as writers, designers, developers, filmmakers, animators, or God forbid, project managers or whatever, all have different areas of expertise and often, we must rely on others to do a better job than we can imagine alone. We had to start somewhere. Anywhere.
So now it has started.
My sense of the New Communicators at this point is that it is merely a tool, much like Twitter or a dinner party are merely tools for getting together or facilitating conversation. You could say that the New Communicators lacks vision and again, you’d likely be correct. But I might argue that the vision is in taking the gamble to see what anyone might bring to the discussion. And to create their own ideas of how that discussion might best be facilitated. There may be only one, tiny concept that is truly interesting in any of this. I just hope that I’m in the room and smart enough to pick up on it.
For risk of sounding too new-agey (I think Walling called it douchebaggery and I liked that very much!) I’d contend that the New Communicators isn’t any one group behind an event (the tools behind the tool, thank you) but rather any one of us who attempt to hear and be heard. I’d maintain that anyone who took the time to comment on your post probably also fits that description. Sure, it’s lofty but we had to start somewhere.
The fact remains that there is a significant difference between talking and doing. And “doing” anything that helps to spur conversation will be seen as a success by at least some of us. At the end of the day however, it’s not about unrealized ideas or tap-tap-tapping from the security of our clever screen names and avatars. Fuck Twitter. Fuck Facebook. Fuck group hugs and circle jerks. It’s about action.
And with that, I’ll wonder, after having hit “Submit” whether I have said anything at all of value. Whether I contributed a God-damned thing to this conversation. A few will say I did. Most will brush it off. So be it. As with you, I said it in my own way and that’s about all I’m equipped to do.
I did something. I did quite a few things. And by speaking my mind, I was very publicly vilified by members of the New Comm and then personally attacked and un-friended by those members.
And yet, I still did something. I took a meeting. I got you help with your website.
I’d like a pony or an award or a hug or something now please.
Not to mention a HEIGHTENED SENSE OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS ABOUT YOUR VENTURE.
Free press. You’re welcome.
I’m kind of awesome. Someone buy me a drink.
I’d be happy to do either one, Kiala. And if it’s thanks you wish, it’s thanks you’ll get. Or a pony, an award, or a hug. Hell, all four are fine with me. Okay, maybe not a pony. I can’t afford one for my own kin and no offense intended, but until today, by way of comment, I hadn’t made your acquaintance. As far as I know, you’re awesome.
But yes, heightened awareness among the community is what comes of these things. You know it and I know it. I hate to see anything get personal, and I refuse to be part of that conversation. Frankly, I don’t know anything about what led to being “very publicly vilified”, but to be honest, I don’t really need to know. I also suppose that conflict played a part in heightening that public awareness, as well. I’m going to chalk part of it up to people just loving a fistfight. And in this case, for better or for worse, you provided the tool to allow that to happen. Given my own personal interest in these somewhat “new” channels we’re using to “talk” I find that rather fascinating.
I’m an ardent supporter of dissent. In certain ways, that’s what fueled the discussion to initiate this series of open events that we called the New Communicators. Sure, there are similar models, but like the NC, they too have their limitations. Dissent is also what made this series of unfortunate events play out as it did. We all are accountable for our words, and this one just bubbled over. It happens. I was pleased to see your post suggesting that it was time to move on. I believe it is, and unfortunately, I’d also guess there are bruises on both sides of the aisle that will remain for some time to come. We’re human, and I’m no better than you. I don’t have all of the answers and certainly don’t pretend to. I would reckon (I certainly don’t speak for anyone else) that nobody at the “organizing” table feels they do, either. That fueled the urge to ask others — you included — to become involved in the first place. You might disagree with that. Fair enough. It’s these conversations that can often lead to better things. Sometimes not. At this point, I can only keep my fingers crossed.
Now, about those boners.
BONERS FOR ALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
nice damage control, hillerns
I think Kiala has earned both a drink AND a pony. Perhaps even a unicorn and a kitten too.
1.Kiala- your opinion and words are accurate, in terms of the New Comm site needing some clarity and maybe that pointing to the New Comm people needing some clarity to their vision.
2. People are not responding to your words. They are responding to your energy.
3. You do this thing where you say something blunt or shocking and then when people say, “That’s shocking! I’m hurt.” You defend yourself without acknowledging their feelings. And that makes you seem unfeeling.
4. So you can be kind and supportive and honest. Or you can be blunt and honest and maybe hurt some feelings in the process. But you can’t do the second one and then claim that your feelings were the first one (unless they are, and then you need to work on your delivery and the energy that comes with it).
5. I’m like this sometimes too. A lot. I have made people cry. That’s why I’m not part of corporate America anymore.
6. Nothing wrong with being a catalyst. Just pick bigger targets that can take it.
7. and then there’s that whole thing about how a man could say this and be told he’s smart and a woman could say it and be told she’s a bitch (another reason why I now do intuitive counseling with people and don’t market IT software).
8. I’m not vilifying you by saying this. And I’m probably not saying anything new.
9. I’d rather hear criticism that made me do better than soporifics that made me feel better, but what’s best is when someone tells me shit I don’t want to hear and I still want to take them home to mom when they’re done.
Wait! I just figured out what I want to say.
When you say the truth, sometimes you are resonating the person’s worst fears. And they are responding to that.
You have some powerful energy in you, so what you say resonates big.
So when you say, “Your writing sucks.” They are hearing, “Your writing sucks, asshole, and you will never succeed.” When you what you mean is , “Gee, I’d like to support you but I’m confused and your writing could be better.”
So you have to emanate more compassion because whatever you’re sending out, energetically, is LOUD.
fuck compassion.
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