Posted by lucie lu on December 30, 2008, at 20:35:54
In reply to Re: trying to figger what works, posted by Dr. Bob on December 30, 2008, at 2:08:48
> " it may be time for me to try to empower them to be more autonomous."
>
> Is that what the deputies want?
> BayBob,
Your post is nice but in my opinion it does not go far enough. I am not trying to attack you reflexively; I have tried to keep an open mind, for months in fact. I have been posting on Babble less than a year (reading longer) but have tried to participate as fully and positively as possible, primarily on the psych board. I have believed strongly in its precepts and potential for healing and communion between people. IMO this is a good idea and at the same time, there are serious problems in implementation.
Look at it this way, if you don't want this job (overseeing Babble), and this is your brain-child, what makes you think the deputies would? I think as a social psych experiment, the take-home of Babble, which is a valuable idea basically, is that someone has to be minding the store at all times, and that someone has to be heavily invested and *present*. And I don't know what incentive there would be if being "the creator" is not incentive enough. The deputies are just that, deputies. There has to be a sheriff. You have seen, we have all seen, the enormous stress the deputies have been under. And it is not just from not having enough power -this is just not what they want to be doing. We cannot keep ignoring that.
As I see it, this poses a dilemma for you - how do you ethically abandon a brain-child? And if you are not abandoning it, then you have to remain accountable for it. With all due respect, I think you have not been holding yourself sufficiently accountable, even though there is nothing in place to replace you. I think that is really regrettable.
Sorry to be so blunt. Babble has been important to me. The people involved, especially the deputies, in keeping Babble running have inspired me greatly by trying their best to keep things going, with incredible grace under great duress. But this should not be their job, or ultimately their responsibility, and from what they keep posting, they do not want that job either.
I hope we can find a solution, but it needs to be a real one.
Best regards,
Lucie
poster:lucie lu
thread:870417
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20081228/msgs/871502.html