Final Draft of SOP for DU3 Forum, Will Post on Help/Meta Tuesday Morning

[Leopolds Ghost]

I'm terribly sorry for the delay.

SOP: A place for Occupy participants and supporters to promote the values of Occupy Wall Street, share information, promote interaction and dialogue among DUers on related forums, and form a broad-based collaborative community. This is a forum for supporters of the 99%. While dissent is allowed because there are many different groups that oppose rule by the 1%, anti-Occupy Wall Street rhetoric belongs in other forums.

If that's no good then I'll remove the second bit in italics -- BUT --
This is probably the last chance to insert language of that sort

So I think it's worth it to consider. Better to have to take it out than not being able to add it later, I think.

I'm actually thinking this new wording (italic) meets the two concerns missing from the current text of the SoP:

* specifies that it is not to take the place of Occupy discussion on related forums (which here means GD, Activism, and the regional groups, I guess.)

Admittedly this is a truism, but that simply makes it an uncontroversial remark

* provides a lifeboat clause (that is much less overt than that would be implied by calling it "safe haven")

Also note that the "safe haven" clause was very popular with some of the supporters of creating this forum and we have to listen to their concerns. If the Admin likes safe havens, then calling it something less than a safe haven is not going to raise any red flags.

I hope the above language does not provide any sort of hook that one could hang a complaint on... In fact I bet ellisonz and I are the only two people likely to care about the distinction

If folks complain on Help/Meta to say it should be a safe haven, i.e. an Occu-geon, that would be a complaint for strengthening, not removing the "lifeboat clause".

Hopefully we can make clear that we reached consensus between folks who wanted no lifeboat clause at all (because they were concerned about an overt appeal to persons who drifted away) and folks who wanted a safe haven (the Admin-approved term, which definitely sounds like an appeal).

Since we have until tomorrow morning, I'd love to hear final input from someone who hasn't spoken

I'm really sorry for all this bureaucratic debate over fiddly bits, the only reason is because -- for this one paragraph, we can't really change it later.

[Leopolds Ghost]

1. Here's ellisonz's reply. Anypony else who hasn't spoken, care to help reconcile this?

It really woule be nice to hear from other Occupy DU2ers, especially since Ohio Joe is likely to be critical of the way that ellison and I seem to have done most of the editing of this document.

ellisonz wrote:

SOP: A place for Occupy participants and supporters to promote the values of Occupy Wall Street, share information, and promote constructive interaction among members of the DU community This is a forum for supporters of the 99%. While dissent is allowed because there are many different groups that oppose rule by the 1%, anti-Occupy Wall Street rhetoric belongs in other forums.

Incorporates the lifeboat idea by working the positive life-boat angle without the supposedly damaging reference to "related forums" that will just tick off admin. I'm honestly not sure that many of those who have left would want to return under any circumstances. I think the second sentence is clunky enough that the first ought to be clear cut. I say go for it. Every day there are nasty threads in GD that just drive away good posters. If a group like this can be a life boat, it will provide an organized place from which DUers can organize themselves to Occupy and lobby online.

The thread (would) basically look like this:

"Group Proposal: Occupy Wall Street" - (Trust me this won't confuse or diminish any other Occupation)

I propose an Occupy Wall Street Group to be placed in the "Activism" topic forum with the following Statement of Purpose:

A place for Occupy participants and supporters to promote the values of Occupy Wall Street, share information, and promote constructive interaction among members of the DU community. This is a forum for supporters of the 99%. While dissent is allowed because there are many different groups that oppose rule by the 1%, anti-Occupy Wall Street rhetoric belongs in other forums.

This group would be self-governing and adhere to the principles of a General Assembly as close as possible while providing a place for Occupy supporters to organize for Occupation and other efforts in support of the Occupy Movement. This group would not preclude discussion of Occupy Wall Street in other forums. Upon recieving 10 posts in support of this proposal this thread will be submitted to the DU administration for approval.

Personally, I'd prefer simply calling it Occupy Underground, per Cronus' sig pic.



I agree Occupy Wall Street makes a good name. But I am hoping we can keep the scope of the forum broad, given that there are people who make the (uninformed) distinction. There's no danger that a broadly worded name takes the focus away from going after Wall Street. Also I'd suspect we want to stand in solidarity with Occupy's elsewhere (e.g. London). (Actually that's an excellent reason for making the distinction, and calling it simply Occupy Underground or Occupy DU.)

But it'd be nice to hear from others who have been tapping their watches and wondering when ellison, me and NYC would stop talking. :-)

[ellisonz]

2. Just one little proposed tweek...

"This is a General Assembly of supporters of the 99%" - makes clear what the driving idea behind the third sentence is going a third way between a free-for-all and a "safe haven." Also, "advocate" instead of "promote" so it's not used twice in the same sentence. :shrug:

SOP: A place for Occupy participants and supporters to promote the values of Occupy Wall Street, share information, and advocate constructive interaction among members of the DU community. This is a General Assembly of supporters of the 99%. While dissent is allowed because there are many different groups that oppose rule by the 1%, anti-Occupy Wall Street rhetoric belongs in other forums.

I think that hits a nice line-drive double into the gap.

And with that I'll refrain from further comment.

:shrug:

[Leopolds Ghost]

3. Heh, I love it!

[ellisonz]

4. Awwwwrite!

CHEEEE-HEEEE!



:woohoo:

[NYC_SKP]

5. I'm in concurrence with both of you, I have no concerns with the language...

...and I think it's a well-crafted proposal and statement of purpose.

:hi:

[snooper2]

6. Do I get to be the Mod!

As my daughter would say, peeeeeeese :)

[Leopolds Ghost]

7. >:3

[Leopolds Ghost]

8. Sorry for the delay, I got up late, Now let me go and start it, and let's start it -- right -- NOW!

"I AM YOUR HOST, THE MAN THEY CALL GHOST!"