Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: community communications: how to do it

[Moz (list]

Sharon Villines said:
> I am of the opinion that insisting on face-to-face is an approved
> method for ensuring that nothing ever gets said or done. It's an
> arm's length tactic, not the touchy-feely tactic that it is
> characterized as.

That has also been my experience. For many people the problem is that
email doesn't trigger the emotional barriers that they normally have,
so it's easy to be too open via email. Hence the facebook (etc)
problems that are "new" again (having existed on BBS's and usenet in
the past, if not also hand-written letters before that). With even a
little moderation of the list though, the problems can be largely
obviated and this starts to work *for* the group. Deeply emotional
problems can be addressed at a speed that each person feels
comfortable with and replies can be paused and re-read before being
sent (being able to mark individual people as "posts require approval"
is useful for this - it lets the moderator reply saying "perhaps you
should tone that down a little" or "did you mean to disclose that rape
conviction" etc).

Also, "face to face is a delaying tactic" is oh-so-familiar to me. At
least in cohousing we don't have the "most people have to commute at
least half an hour each way to the meeting" problem that bedevils some
community groups. Not that we lack other obstacles...

I really like the combination of a physical notice board, an online
wiki, and an email list. Important things go on all three, other stuff
goes to one (or more) and the wiki is the definitive record. Maybe I'm
too geeky, but I use the wiki as my primary interface to the
organisational side of the coho process, everything from todo lists
and mental notes to defining major projects.

Moz