Ming the Mechanic:
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The NewsLog of Flemming Funch
 News Log Comments2002-06-15 03:45
9 comments
by Flemming Funch

Interesting. I woke up this morning having decided to disallow comments in my news log. But I changed my mind when I saw some of the nice and useful stuff people had posted. And I decided instead to exercise some editorial control on the comments in my log.

I'd prefer not to. I'd rather for things to work well all by themselves. But it can be a bit irritating when a couple of people decide to hang around in order to tell me, whenever I post something, that I suck, and that whatever I stand for sucks too.

And its not that I can't handle that, and that the ensuing exchange of words isn't potentially useful for something. Not either that it really is mean people. Just folks who are a little frustrated and who somehow think it serves a social purpose to heckle me. No, the thing is that I had in mind that my newslog would serve to keep my friends and colleagues connected with what I do and what I'm thinking about.

In other words, it is more directed at people who don't necessarily show up in the NCN member area every day, and at a wider audience, and it is a records of things I engage myself in. And it is about ME and my thoughts and ideas.

Some folks seem to have a hard time understanding that I'm not talking about them. I'm really not talking about the few dozen people who are regulars in the NCN member area. There are some fine folks amongst them, good people I'm proud to know and that I'd like to work with. But, no, I'm sorry, I don't spend half my day working just for you or writing just about you guys. I think the processes going on are interesting and valuable, but, no, I wouldn't spend that much effort only for that or only for you. I do have something a little bit more in mind.

Anyway, as to articles in my newslog, I welcome constructive comments as usual. Even comments that are somewhat off topic or presenting conflicting views and opinions. But I will edit out the comments that are mainly about criticizing or ridiculing my motives or my character.


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9 comments

15 Jun 2002 @ 08:16 by jazzolog : Surveying the Damage
Daily Inspiration for Saturday, June 15, 2002
Thought for Today

" Our perceptions of other people often become a battleground between the ego’s desire to judge and the Holy Spirit’s desire to accept people as they are. The ego is the great fault-finder. It seeks out the faults in ourselves and others. The Holy Spirit seeks out our innocence. He sees all of us as we really are, and since we are the perfect creations of God, He loves what He sees. The places in our personality where we tend to deviate from love are not our faults, but our wounds. God doesn’t want to punish us, but to heal us. And that is how He wishes us to view the wounds in other people. "

---Marianne Williamson  

15 Jun 2002 @ 14:26 by ming : Discernment
Yes, it can often be hard to know how to balance openness with judgment. I certainly have the problem of knowing where to put the line in many cases. It probably isn't really a line, but it seems like it. I'm for everybody doing what they're inspired to do, and I'm enjoying the many different ways people do it. But as far as my personal activities go, I'm discriminating as to what I'd like or not like. I might be interested in X and you might be interested in Y and Z, and that's perfectly great. But if I write about X in my news log and you come along and turn it into Z, I might or might not think it is a good thing.  

16 Jun 2002 @ 03:59 by tochtli : fragile
sometimes we, fragile egos, come crashing down when we think we’re doing ok and someone states that we’re not, or that what we say/do has no value, or that our work stinks. yeah, it’s tough. it makes us doubt our self worth (if we didn’t we wouldn’t feel hurt/upset/mad/angry). yes, these are opinions that differ from ours, but i don’t think they are less valuable or less valid, as “wrong” as they may be… even if they appear to be personal attacks (something i’ve seen quite often here).
to me, editing out comments smells like censorship. and that’s a word that DOES stink. it makes a space appear less than open, and for some, it might even feel constricting.

this space represents what’s “out there”. among other characters, wackos, lone rangers, hippies, capitalists, ecologists and the like are all represented here. it’s only logical that there will be differences of opinions, flames and even some hair pulling. after all, this is the real world, isn’t it?..

i just wonder if the energy and time spent fighting and criticizing other people and their ideas at ncn wouldn’t be better spent making a real, actual not theoretical, difference in our communities. after all, we always have choices: if we don’t like it here, nobody is forcing us to come back, time and time again, to let everybody know how this place sucks. we also have the choice to either disregard ignorance or to play its game and become ignorants in the process (let’s push that ignore button hidden somewhere in our heads, shall we?).

i rarely choose to speak or comment because most of the times i feel i have nothing to contribute and because i have no moral authority to judge anyone. furthermore, everybody else seems so knowledgeable, well informed and cultured that i’d rather just stop by and read and learn from you guys (besides, it’s hard for me to write in english, so pardon my bad grammar). this time i had to say what i just said.  

16 Jun 2002 @ 04:29 by ming : Criticizing
Thanks for that, tochtli. Yes, I think it would be a good target for us to figure out how to channel energy towards constructive purposes that would otherwise be used for criticising.  

16 Jun 2002 @ 05:08 by istvan : Criticism
Criticism alone i agree seems like a negative experience. Is it really? If i am in the middle of a swamp and finding my way out heading toward qvicksand i would certainly appreciate if someone point it out to me that my direction may not be the appropriate path. At the same time i would appreciate if that person would suggest another path devoid of stuckness.
Ligthten up everyone .
Perhaps we could emphasize in occurences of criticismitus the practice of pointing out another way and give examles of: mywayofseingthingswillgetsyououtoftheswampfasterandforshureyounutbecauseihavebenherebeforeandgotout.
"life is a joke and if you take it too seriously the joke is on you". I dont know exactly who said this, but someone must have.  

16 Jun 2002 @ 06:59 by swan : Lighten up indeed!
There is a great deal about life that is humorous and we take in a lot more oxygen laughing than we do growling, clenching our fists and building walls. I feel like we are in a labyrinth... I hope so, because eventually we should find the center.  

16 Jun 2002 @ 15:21 by ming : Lightening up
I usually enjoy the hidden gifts available in conflicts and dissenting views. Which is why I generally don't think much about cutting any of that off. But, also, there seems to be a certain point beyond which it isn't really useful for anybody. And maybe that point is different for different people. I welcome dissenting views because I often will make my own decisions by sort of exploring the extremes and the boundaries. So if everybody just agrees from the start, that doesn't particularly stimulate any creative process for me. But sometimes it doesn't seem like an exchange of different views, but an attempt to put somebody else down. So, where as I'm happy with "I don't think so, you should do like this instead ...", I'm less happy with "You're wrong, and none of what you do is ever going to work".  

16 Jun 2002 @ 23:34 by magical_melody : Boundaries and Guidelines!
Ming, I don't feel lightening up is the issue. I am observing you defining what does not support you, and what does. I feel that the Universe presents us with circumstances so we can get clear about what we do and do not want in our lives. If we are vague about addressing our needs and desires verbally with people, and are not willing to act in congruence with those statements, then we often keep getting all the stuff we do not want. Interesting book: The Dark Side of the Light Chasers-by Debbie Ford, addresses how we must come to deal with all the characters "out there" who are reflecting, "in here." attitudes, feelings or behaviors that we have perhaps not come to resolution or acceptance of within ourselves.
RE: Censorship-There will always be critics and people who will put one's work down or put down the person. I do not feel it to be censorship to set guidelines and to create boundaries. However to give someone's negative input or behavior the power to edit yourself in ways that interrupts authentic presence from expressing, or you sharing your creative process, well that is another matter indeed. You are at choice. Opinions and agendas run rappant in this culture. I would hope that we are outgrowing both, and opening to engage in more conscious dialogues. Peace, Alana  

29 Apr 2016 @ 04:31 by Rosalinda @188.143.232.32 : wDmLVlPImtYuUpOHz
He's a capable goenetldar? Give him 20 games? Come on. He's a a descent back-up. If he plays 20 games the Rangers are in trouble. How many starts did he get in the NHL before coming to the Rangers? He's lucky to be in the NHL. What makes you think he'll stand tall? Unless the Rangers run away with it and have first overall clinched in early March Valiquette shouldn't sniff 20 games. Even if it's hard on Stephen.  

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2011-11-03 16:51: Seeing the world through the Internet
2009-06-11 18:53: Blogging/Microblogging and work
2008-02-23 17:19: Web 1, 2, 3 and 4
2008-02-22 11:07: Illusion
2008-01-09 22:45: A Communication Model
2007-12-02 20:41: Give One Get One
2007-10-25 21:47: Static or dynamic web metaphors
2007-09-18 22:54: Rethinking blogs
2007-07-04 23:59: Scrutiny of Information


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