After looking back on the time that I first was posted, my own initial reactions, the people I have spoken to and the people I have read has given me an overall perspective on this debacle. I call it a debacle because it is a classic example of the power of blogs, the power of voices and the power of people and their own thoughts all coming together with disastrous results. On one hand we have the victim who has a deep feeling of fear and anxiety resultant from the actions of others. Others had a simple and one sided account of their mission and purpose. This mission and purpose was a different idea and had nothing to do with the other, until at some point–it did. Then the two met and it became something it was not intended.
In this instance we have a group of people that are brilliant and intelligent players all in a group. This group likes to provide a separate side of the story, another possible look at the way people use words and the way people write and explain their beliefs. This began in a not so insignificant post by Tara Hunt. Resulting from that post an idea was born, "why don’t we have some fun with this, and start a new website." This is where meankids group was derived, a group of people that may be outside the mainstream of thinking, a group of people that may not agree with the popular kids and their thoughts and attitudes. "Let’s give a different side of the coin of their thoughts and let’s make it satirical", they intended. Mean Kids was then launched.
At first, the site was written and published in the mission and manner it set out to accomplish their task. They were witty, satirical, brilliant and intelligent. As in any fraternity or other sophomoric group, there became a change in the focus and mission. Suddenly the game began to be a "who could be meanest", "who could one up the person with their next post?" Someone then crossed the line. They were not satirical but actually mean. They crossed the line in a way not intended by the site. Nobody laughed and nobody thought it was funny. You can almost picture the group laughing and cheering and carrying on and then this post went up, and they all stood like a deer in the headlights and all you could hear were crickets chirping. The site was immediately taken down and the post and data destroyed. Then Chris decided to make it work again but this time it got ugly fast and they decided to take that site down as well. I’m not sure of the reasons for the second round, and when Chris tried to explain it I wasn’t really sure again. I think he had a certain vision, but I’m not sure he had the right players.
I don’t condone the intent behind the posts that went bad, but I’m sure that there is call for the other side of the coin in most cases. It’s nice to know that there are people out there with differing opinions with the mainstream, and that they are not afraid to voice those opinions. What is not accepted is how that "other side" is published. Calling people out for their opinions is called for, the manner is how you do it in this case was not the proper forum. This was locker room talk that got out of hand. It was some men trying desperately to be the cool guy and it turned out bad. Unfortunately it also coincided with an email to Kathy Sierra, and also coincided with the comments made and then removed from her blog. I don’t believe that one had anything to do with the other and that they are totally separate events. Perhaps we will learn more of this when the investigation is complete. That is, if there is ever to be a full investigation.
What have we learned? O’Reilly has drafted his Code of Conduct. I have read many of the associated posts, and it does not appear to be popular with the mainstream opinion. Will O’Reilly be given death threats and will they post misogynistic things about him? Probably not. He is not the "Cute Kitty". The New York Times comes out today with their piece on A Call For Manners in the World of Nasty Blogs, written by Brad Stone. It also touches on this issue. I cannot sign on for enforcement of something that in itself will never be adopted by those that are trolls in the first place. Being nice and civil is not something we should have to write down for people to follow. A code of conduct is not a necessary step in my opinion.
Everyone has had an opportunity to sit back and reflect on what took place and how it was good bad or indifferent. I think the damage was apparent, and I feel that the players have all taken many lessons from this that won’t soon be forgotten. There are some players that have yet to surface, and yet may never surface. I do think that I have grown personally from the experience and I think I can pass that on to my, children, my clients, and bloggers that I mentor in the future.
Tags: Kathy Sierra, Tara Hunt, Meankids.org, Chris Locke, New York Times, Blogger Code of Conduct, Tim O’Reilly
Kathy Sierra moves on… Alec calls for civility and an apology… and some thoughts on the mob rush to judgement…
Per Alec Saunder’s great post this morning, I learned that Kathy Sierra wrote a “final post” on her blog and is now debating what to do next… but fairly certain it won’t involve blogging or public speaking, at least for…
[...] The New York Times paid the issue some lip service, and it was from there that I found my way to the best round up of the Kathy Sierra saga so far. [...]
Calling the site “meankids” brought people to act exactly like this: mean and like kids.
If the original intention and naming were positive, this would most probably not have happen.