Cohousing-L Mailing List: FW: Talking stick for cohousing-L TEST 2

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

TEST MESSAGE
------ Forwarded Message
From: Fred H Olson <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
Reply-To: Fred H Olson <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 10:23:12 -0600 (CST)
To: ann zabaldo <zabaldo [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: Talking stick for cohousing-L

Fred H Olson <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
is the author of the message below.
It was posted FOR Fred ( the Cohousing-L list manager )
by Ann Zabaldo as a test of the new listserv.

As of this writing - 10:26 am CST Tue, Mar 2, 2004 - the only messages
distributed by the new list were from Fred.  And it is difficult to tell
if others just have not posted or there is a problem.

The list is available for normal use but you may want to consider the
thoughts below first.  Fred
--------------------  FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS --------------------

One of the features of "the circle process" as I know it is that
there is a physical object such as a feather or peace pipe that is passed
around the circle and held by the person whose turn it is to talk and only
they can talk (with few exceptions).  This has the effect of stopping the
dynamic of competing to "get the floor" and really makes for a much more
reflective (and time consuming :) interaction.  I really like it for some
groups/ topics / situations.  (I can't imagine it for some others.)

I was thinking that it might be nice to have a somewhat analagous system
to reduce the number of simultaneous topics being discussed on cohousing-L
and the sometimes numerous messages per day.  The list has a tendency
toward "feast or famine" which results, IMHO, from the phenomenon of
activity breeds activity.  That is, there is a tendency for either:

o  no posts for a day or so (like now in which case I wonder - is it
   working :) 

or

o a post on something which reminds others that Cohousing-L would be a
  good place to post what they'd been thinking about and soon there a
  a bunch of posts on several different topics.

Note that I am comitted to staying with the email based discussion since
it does not require a high level of motivation, participation to be
useful.  Therefore I reject switching to a web based solution at this
time.  I'm also not willing to consider a moderation approach - where I'd
only approve of messages on one topic at a time.

I'd like to see something more simple and elegant - like a talking stick.
Anyone have any ideas for a virtual talking stick (or something less
restrictive but still might guide us?  A Quaker-like mindfulness
approach seems conceivable and hence this message.

Note, I declare this to be "on topic" because I think developing better
ways to discuss things electronically would be useful to cohousing (and
other) groups.  I'm sort of writing this both as list manager and as
myself.

Fred  who has redefined his listserv efforts as a small
      organization,  Communications for Justice - Justcomm    See:
      http://www.mtn.org/~fholson/justcomm
      { note this is an example of a recommended  way of putting something
        "off-topic" on cohousing-L as a part of one's signature }

--
Fred H. Olson  Minneapolis,MN 55411        (near north Mpls)
fholson at cohousing.org   612-588-9532 (7am-10pm Cent time)
List manager of Cohousing-L & other lists   Ham radio:WB0YQM
Fred's Link Page:   http://www.cohousing.org/fholson





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