Please consider this a blog entry ... and forgive the "hacker code" joke in the title. "1337" was sometimes used in internet geek circles to refer to an "Elite" group. Sort of like "FIC" in Second Life.
*The* single most difficult issue I have encountered in CDS -- by far --
Heh, it's not bad behavior in RA meetings :) Though that was a doozy.
There's something that's been a bigger obstacle to our growth. It's the continual difficulty that entrenched leaders often have, seeing how they may APPEAR exclusive or impervious to power sharing and new contributions. It's possible to lead, and even still to be strongly opinionated, while still actively and clearly welcoming different views and opposition ... but it's hard. More often, human nature being what it is, longstanding leaders tend to forget -- even when they have the best of intentions -- that their accretion of exclusive knowledge, networks, powers, positions, and influence can seem VERY daunting to a newcomer. Unfortunately, it's the rare leader who can consistently make it clear that she or he is there to share power, not hoard, cadge or use it.
No matter how officially open their rules and actions may be, people with great authority or great influence (even in a little virtual place) still accidentally may *look* impermeable or daunting to outsiders and newbies. And you know what? They almost NEVER believe it. If disagreements are met with a lot of fractious debating behavior, well, that's even worse.
Recently I've had several conversations with new and old CDS citizens, who related to me stories about trying to work with a CDS body .. or break into an allegedly open one ... to get heard. Without success, and walking away feeling disenfranchised. Different stories about different groups and different people .. in 2005, 2006, 2008.
My own very first impressions were good ones. When I came to CDS, and was interested in joining, it was a frustrating goal, because there was damn near no land available. But I was welcomed with friendly explanations by the couple of people I was lucky enough to run into -- Sudane and Gwyneth.
As it happens, this was roughly at the same time that the same time the RA was carrying out one of its annual nasty mudwrestling pogroms. I think that year it was a pit-bull fight over Ashcroft Burnham's elaborate judicial law ideas. Good thing for me that I ran into Gwyn on the Platz, not the RA in the Rathaus, hmn?
But soon AFTER I bought land, I started attending another body. Never mind which one. Suffice to say. there were entrenched leaders. They seemed a small circle of longtime friends. When challenged or questioned, on a matter they cared about, even nicely or objectively, some of them blew up, and became angry and stormed out, or turned personally mean. Another relative newbie and I were appalled, when we compared notes ... obviously the place wants absolutely no input at all, we concluded, if you don't agree with the Plantation Baas! Needless to say, I spent the next 6 months nowhere near CDS governance.
So. Leadership behavior matters. Deeply. We should be OBVIOUSLY fair and open ... ACTIVELY seek input ... ACTIVELY WELCOME ideas NOT our own ... ACCEPT disagreements ... and discuss policies and plans in objective terms without personal attacks. Our leaders should use a tone of leadership that makes it clear that we are servants and caretakers, here to empower our citizens ... not rule over them, self-aggrandize, or feed our own needs.
You want a mission statement for my term? That's it. You want to get my vote, as a CDS political faction? Bring me people who do that. Don't run the ones who don't. Regards JP