[Bêthberry]

I would like to take a slightly different approach to the question of duplicate threads. Bandwidth issues are important, as Susan says, and so is the information in older threads, as Tigerlily Gamgee says. But more is at stake, IMHO. The question involves recognizing what an internet discussion board is about: discussion and community interaction.

The purpose of a discussion board is just that--discussion. We come here to seek out what is known about the topic, the topic here being the works of JRR Tolkien. Our way of learning that is through debate, evidence, reasons, inference, reflection. We do not simply state our opinion in the hopes that some will notice it and say, right on, but we strive to find those reasons which support our ideas or hypotheses. That means listening to everyone, those who have come before as well as those who are here now. (In light of this, I would point out Eldar14 that you made a claim in your post--that sometimes it is good to start a new thread rather than continue an old--but you did not give reasons in support of this claim.)

So, searching for previous threads is a function of this simple curiosity, of wondering if others have thought about a topic and what they have thought. Do I really have a new idea? How are my ideas different from what others have already said? What more can I bring to the discussion? What can I learn from what has been discussed previously? Questions like these can be answered by searching for previous threads. An analogy would be the difference between a primary school "What I think about" writing exercise and those reasoned, researched essays which are required at high school and beyond. The best threads here, whether old or new, have a "thesis" to them, a hypothesis, which is being defended or refuted or clarified.

Second, think for a moment about social interactions. When we meet people for the first time, do we immediately start talking about our own ideas and ourselves or do we politely ask people about themselves? This is a matter of courtesy and respect; it is not a hardfast rule of law or protocol, but a way in which human beings naturally interact. The same holds true for a discussion board. It is discourteous not to consider what others have said before speaking up oneself. Except the Barrow Downs is about writing rather than talking.

Come to think of it, historical models of cultural interaction can provide an analogy. When the Europeans came to North America, there were several different kinds of interactions between them and the first nations tribes who were the original inhabitants. In some cases, there were attempts to create multicultural communities which respected both the indigenous and the newly arrived culture. (I am thinking of Saint Marie Among the Hurons in what is now Ontario, Canada.) Then there were the cases, all too common, where the indigenous cultures were ignored, denigrated, wiped out. Another model saw the indigenous peoples given limited autonomy in tracks of land called reservations. Which of these models is now regarded as the most laudable, the most representative of the best forms of human interaction? The one which shows the greatest respect for all peoples.

I am not setting up a model of cultural genocide and insulting new members here. I myself am one of the new ones. I am trying to argue for a particular kind of vision about this internet community. That vision prioritizes thoughtful, reasoned argument in writing rather than impulsive, spontaneous conversation. Such a vision naturally means that "old" threads are an essential part of the community. They are not gone and forgotten, but provide the framework for current and future discussion.

Bethberry

[ October 25, 2002: Message edited by: Bethberry ]