Ohai. I'm just a caveman. Your virtual reality and self-organizing reality-based community frighten and amaze me.
But there's one thing I do know and that's how to get into arguments and walk away with vastly more mojo than hide ratings. I get in a lot of disputes. I keep more friends than I lose doing this.
I think I just might have some useful experience to share because I think this expertise is a trainable skill.
Interested? Some tips below the break.
Debunking Some Myths
Thou shalt refrain from arguing. Yeah, right. It's not just possible but expected to argue in politics. If you can't put forward an argument and invest some personal oomph into it, stick to writing in personal and academic journals. Politics is the allocation of right, power and wealth by non-violent, non-economic means. Not always by force of law, but sometimes. And some measure of coercion is always present - if nothing else, then peer pressure.
If you're not fighting, you're a resource being fought over
Thou shalt find middle ground with discussants. Nooooo. Thou shalt find a clear, sensible argument that is clear and sensible to yourself first, and then make that vision communicable to others.
People who are really good at this sort of thing don't even have to fight to be heard. They are sought out for insight.
People who are good enough at this have people mediating with them, not demanding otherwise.
Converse commandment:Thou shalt stand ground, always In my observation if you are standing still people can easily run circles around you. This will eventually get you rattled and annoyed and you'll say something laughable and that will be that.
That obstinate person thinking he is Reagan when he is Bush? Don't be that person.
People don't meet you halfway if you're like that. They just giggle and point at you lots. As well they should.
Okay.. on to positives.
Things you should be doing
Be Calm. This is a distribution channel for information. For messages. It is NOT personal, though being politics it requires an appreciation for the personal. You can't NOT be invested in your words in a place such as DKOS and be effective. This is going to expose you to emotional distress from time to time.
Don't let it take over your emotional state. Be nice. If you aren't keeping that, regroup, then get back to nice.
Don't Sweat the Diversions to Non-Nice Recall - you are in politics. You are arguing. Roll with it.
Pay attention to norms - That fine arsenal of f-bombs? Leave it back at armory, even when provoked. And you WILL be provoked.
Whipping out your godlike brain-hood Resist the urge to do so. Someone's always got a bigger brain - It's a community of 300,000 people. There are people smarter than all of us - the smartest of all lurk. :)
Attribution - if someone says it, be prepared to cite or link on demand. This seems obvious but it sets up the next one
Those lovely block quotes? Don't If you're in a dispute, it's on you, not the wallpaper, to carry the day. Astroturf is not your friend. It turns onlookers off.
Keep it short American military doctrine is base on the decision-making cycle - the faster you can keep the rounds going the more likely good things will go your way in an otherwise even match.
Get back to calm Just seeing if you're paying attention. Because when you are calm you can...
extend olive branches - be magnaminous, be generous, take chances with kindness. People are always looking. This is valuable too - more so, if the counterparty in a dispute is plagued by ill temper or poor judgment.. or simply not in control of their emotional state. Such a person is already yours.
Resist urge to shoot fish in a barrel, once you recognize that is what's taking place No one likes a bully. If you detect you greatly outmatch your adversary, wrap it up.
Don't be afraid to concede the board if you are losing There's always another battle, another day. It's not a lethal sport we play here. If you're cornered, or your information is bad, or you just slip up and say the perfectly wrong thing, back off. Even if your discussant is high-handed or has friends about to point out what an ass you just were, roll with it - you can rebound. After all, it's just blogging.
be nice to yourself this is hard emotionally-stressful entertainment we choose to do here. Don't take it as a measure of your character or talent if the exchange goes badly. Still... DO take hard-earned lessons to heart. We all have things to learn from each other, even our favorite worthy opponent in teh blogz.
Most of all - respect your adversaries Some of them will turn out to be real friends when you need them.
A lesson I learned last year.
A lesson I will always cherish.
Wrap - I'm just a caveman
I slip on a lot of these fronts. But I slip far less often than a lot of you.
And I was feeling generous tonight. :)