Diversity and values
From: Adele94121 (Adele94121aol.com)
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 95 08:37 CDT
I'm actually Dan Robinson. I used to be subscribed here, but dropped it when
I changed my address to Dan1R [at] hooked.net, (temporarily itseems). I've been
reading Adele's downloads. I may have said some of the following here before,
but I still like it.

A members of a viable community must be similar enough to communicate well (in
 fact communication is the measure of community), and diverse enough to have
something new to say. "Enough"  is the salient, if somewhat variable, point.
Rob adds to this formula that a beginning community needs more similarity and
less diversity in order to survive. As he says, the core group should define
 its joint values and be selective about new members, in the beginning.
Hopefully, as survival needs lessen, and as you perhaps begin to feel a bit
bored with hearing the same thoughts repeated (such as the above), you may
want to be more flexible.

But as he suggests, there are many different dimensions around which to
differ.It's hard to find a core group that agrees on everything (unless, of
course, the "core group" is one person). It's even harder to identify the prio
rity areas, and to put them into writing that still makes sense to all the
next day.

A group that sticks to it's core values may survive, but will it be
meaningful, or will it vegetate? Will it perhaps become a cult that cuts
itself off from the maistream, thereby losing communication ability with the
mainstream, therby cutting itself off ever further? 

One problem is that with the great shortage of communities, people try to
accept many with too diverse views. It's partly a matter of each member's
balance between getting their own way, and making the community work. I think
we all spread our allegiance between many levels of community - self,
"family" neighborhood, region, world etc.

I look forward to the time when we can make selections among many
communities, and many searchers, in every area, and there'll be one right for
almost everyone. Also if we get away from commitment, dependence, addiction
to one house, one community, one locale, we can reconsider and be more mobile
if the first one doesn't work out. As we develop not just joint goals for
each community, but a "community catalog", we'll be better able to select, as
well as figure out what we're looking for, in our personal communities.


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