Posted by Dr. Bob on December 21, 2006, at 2:52:55
In reply to Re: anger **suicide and SI triggers** » Dr. Bob, posted by LlurpsieBlossom on December 17, 2006, at 13:59:35
> a feeling of disenfranchisement and disempowerment that I get when I spend too much time on the Admin board.
> I got frustrated, because I sensed a contradiction on your part- I sensed that you wish to get feedback from users, but that you also wish to limit decision making. It is equally frustrating that we are very rarely privy to your rationale for making changes. Even major, dramatic changes are often announced like: I'm trying out a new blocking system; or, what do the deputies think? or, let's try this out for now.
>
> If you could explain your reasoning a little bit better, it would help ME to understand whether you are more flexible in terms of some policy changes vs. others. It would help me understand what kind of data and feedback informs your decisions. It would help me understand that making suggestions on the Administration board is not an exercise in futile whining, but that our suggestions are considered seriously.I think it's easy to feel disempowered here, and that may be what makes this hard for some people. It may trigger them.
But it's not a contradiction to want input on a decision and also still to want to make that decision oneself. Better to ask for input than not. But asking for input, and considering it seriously, doesn't necessarily mean delegating authority.
In some situations, however, being asked what you want does mean being able to decide what you get, and people may assume that's the case here. It usually isn't, but OTOH sometimes it is, so I guess that could be confusing. We may be moving toward a more democratic structure, but we're not there yet.
If you'd like to know what my rationale is, or if I'm open to a change, please just ask.
Bob
poster:Dr. Bob
thread:715371
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20061202/msgs/715371.html