That's a very narrow and cliche mainstream point of view but you're fully entitled to it.
I'm not here to defend "Mastercoin", by the contrary. I've been highly critical in many areas that have been neglected or handled poorly. I'm just someone with a stake in the project that wants to make his voice heard.
Foundation doesn't have a full time PR person but some guy involved in several other projects at the same time. Mastercoin doesn't have much of an established image and I really hope for the sake of this project Mastercoin Foundation won't let someone like you handle PR or community interaction of any kind. An "official" should never interact with a community member in such a vulgar, abrasive, direct fashion as you did, expressing his own point of view. You should have just said I'm not affiliated and don't represent the MSC Foundation and leave it at that.
I apologize Herp, this is definitely a very personal topic and I should have made it clear as such.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=265488.msg5756327#msg5756327I tend to remember the things that stick out to me and at least these messages and onward were fresh on my mind and the last recent messages bothered me to the point that I felt compelled to say something about it not just to you, but all the other unnecessary mudslinging that takes place on these types of threads. I do acknowledge your probably hundreds of other helpful writings.
To me, hostility is not behavior typical of mature adults, but considering your dog-eat-dog view on this world, I understand that it will exist but it is something we can utilize better than most do.
We're all working together here.
You're quite naive if you believe that and this kind of cheap hypocrisy you display doesn't fly. Many people, myself included, find it pretty repulsive. Competition isn't working "together" with you but against you to enrich themselves. This "we're all working together" might work at presentations and public events, but it's common knowledge there's plenty of backstabbing and mudslinging going around, done in various ways (like troll fake accounts posting disinformation among other things).
Conflict is good and a highly creative force, motivates and shakes people out of lethargy. Complacent "peaceful" consent for the sake of keeping up with appearances, going out of your way trying not to hurt someone's feelings is not. You can't be in peace and harmony with everyone. Show me someone who has no enemies and I'll show you someone who has no friends but acquaintances.
Very much agreed on the second paragraph. To me, there's reason to be the bigger man by not condoning such lower conduct. Yeah, there will always be some nefariousness at play, but most often times that comes from the result of the hostile back-and-forth natures of some entrenched players without getting us anywhere very constructive. You write that conflict is good and a highly creative force. Is it not something that is better applied to us rather than being dismissive with the "enemy" and wasting that force? For instance, the back and forth on page 164 was entirely unconstructive. There was good criticism and conflict and it was more or less dismissed by you when it is apparent that yes, we did need to be more focused on the end-user product and experience rather than rush a product out by a somewhat arbitrarily-set deadline (I say somewhat because deadlines do push progress), and that we should take that criticism to heart from our fellow masterminds. I'm sure the people you fought have just as good intentions as you do for our project, which is what I meant when I fear that your hostility can drive who might be our best supporters away. Ethos, pathos, logoslet's use them.
I welcome criticism more than anything and my best learning and help comes from it, so I try to integrate said criticism rather than adopt a holier-than-thou attitude towards it and dismissively attack it. For instance,
your criticism of the current PR in place is very valid to me and warrants more discussion and is among the topics we should be discussing, not just being hostile to trolls but creatively turning that troll energy into something positive for us. Just some thoughts.
"When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing."
Ch 5,
Art of WarYours,
Antony