Comments on: Be Excellent To Each Other http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/ At home with Jono Bacon, Community Manager and Author Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: José Moreira http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116371 José Moreira Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:08:44 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116371 <p>Hi Jono, very interesting post indeed.</p> <p>Could I translate and post it in paper form in my college?</p> <p>It seems the community that is a high school center is not so different from a free software community. We all (teachers, students, administration, etc.) would do well if following your points and those made here by many commenters above.</p> <p>Being decent to each other (as in nice, honest, accesible and open to criticism) is one of the keys of staying in a community, otherwise no sense of belonging can be felt towards it. Upper management and important individuals should practice it, as well as all the other, mere mortal members, so to speak.</p> <p>Though directive types in my community aren't very welcoming, I understand niceness and friendship is the way to go.</p> Hi Jono, very interesting post indeed.

Could I translate and post it in paper form in my college?

It seems the community that is a high school center is not so different from a free software community. We all (teachers, students, administration, etc.) would do well if following your points and those made here by many commenters above.

Being decent to each other (as in nice, honest, accesible and open to criticism) is one of the keys of staying in a community, otherwise no sense of belonging can be felt towards it. Upper management and important individuals should practice it, as well as all the other, mere mortal members, so to speak.

Though directive types in my community aren’t very welcoming, I understand niceness and friendship is the way to go.

]]> By: emmajane http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116319 emmajane Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:28:03 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116319 <p>Growing friendships can be task based. Most of the time we don't actually notice the lessons we've learned and incorporated into subsequent interactions. A few years ago I worked with a student that has Asperger syndrome. We were constantly working out rules for social interaction. He was an absolute delight to work with and the experience did teach me that, for some, social interactions are a learned/memorized behaviour.</p> <p>Of course some of us are just plain awkward as opposed to having a labeled syndrome. The persistence of books such as, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" is a good reminder for me that there are always a few things left to learn about the art of being social (especially when you want to get your bug squashed). While these kinds of books are often thought of as smarmy sales books, I don't think it invalidates points such as, "Smile" or "Begin in a friendly manner." :)</p> Growing friendships can be task based. Most of the time we don’t actually notice the lessons we’ve learned and incorporated into subsequent interactions. A few years ago I worked with a student that has Asperger syndrome. We were constantly working out rules for social interaction. He was an absolute delight to work with and the experience did teach me that, for some, social interactions are a learned/memorized behaviour.

Of course some of us are just plain awkward as opposed to having a labeled syndrome. The persistence of books such as, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a good reminder for me that there are always a few things left to learn about the art of being social (especially when you want to get your bug squashed). While these kinds of books are often thought of as smarmy sales books, I don’t think it invalidates points such as, “Smile” or “Begin in a friendly manner.” :)

]]> By: jono http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116241 jono Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:01:35 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116241 <p>Odysseus Flappington - (is that your real name? what a cool name!) - I don't believe that growing friendships can be task based - it is like any social interaction, it requires general social awareness and understanding - I don't believe you can teach people how to make friends.</p> Odysseus Flappington – (is that your real name? what a cool name!) – I don’t believe that growing friendships can be task based – it is like any social interaction, it requires general social awareness and understanding – I don’t believe you can teach people how to make friends.

]]> By: Bacon Hater http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116042 Bacon Hater Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:01:48 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116042 <p>Community count = 6</p> <p>Couldn't resist.:twisted:</p> Community count = 6

Couldn’t resist.:twisted:

]]> By: Dirk Gently http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116024 Dirk Gently Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:22:16 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116024 <p>Very very well put. One encounter that doesn't help the community, even by accident. Great communities are fun to be around. Its an always evening the balance to allow need for people to talk and ability to keep healthy the community.</p> Very very well put. One encounter that doesn’t help the community, even by accident. Great communities are fun to be around. Its an always evening the balance to allow need for people to talk and ability to keep healthy the community.

]]> By: Name Withheld http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116020 Name Withheld Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:23:48 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116020 <p>Unfortunately, my local LUG is completely poisonous, with long-time members at war with each other. Worse than that, it's an internationally known LUG, and some of the most poisonous people are well-known in the larger community.</p> <p>To see just how bad it can be, try browsing through the maling lists, particularly</p> <p>http://lists.svlug.org/archives/volunteers/</p> <p>And it just seems to keep getting worse. Jono, since you're in the Bay Area, if you encounter any of these people maybe you could talk some sense into them, but I doubt it. They are crusty old sysadmins and they think they know more than young upstarts like you.</p> Unfortunately, my local LUG is completely poisonous, with long-time members at war with each other. Worse than that, it’s an internationally known LUG, and some of the most poisonous people are well-known in the larger community.

To see just how bad it can be, try browsing through the maling lists, particularly

http://lists.svlug.org/archives/volunteers/

And it just seems to keep getting worse. Jono, since you’re in the Bay Area, if you encounter any of these people maybe you could talk some sense into them, but I doubt it. They are crusty old sysadmins and they think they know more than young upstarts like you.

]]> By: Odysseus Flappington http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116017 Odysseus Flappington Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:55:24 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116017 <p>So, how about a task-based approach to feeling respected and socially connected to fellow community members. How do we go about developing these friendships?</p> <p>Will they mean that my bug-reports get addressed faster?</p> So, how about a task-based approach to feeling respected and socially connected to fellow community members. How do we go about developing these friendships?

Will they mean that my bug-reports get addressed faster?

]]> By: matthew http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116016 matthew Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:40:26 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116016 <p>I wholeheartedly agree. For our community (Ubuntu Forums) the basic foundation is, "don't be a jerk." :) In all seriousness, if people treat one another with kindness and respect, all our other differences can be overcome...even huge differences of opinion can be worked through to an equitable and acceptable end.</p> I wholeheartedly agree. For our community (Ubuntu Forums) the basic foundation is, “don’t be a jerk.” :) In all seriousness, if people treat one another with kindness and respect, all our other differences can be overcome…even huge differences of opinion can be worked through to an equitable and acceptable end.

]]> By: No' http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116015 No' Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:53:47 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116015 <p>I do perfectly agree with that. An efficient community is based on respect and friendship. But that's exactly because of these factors that it's so hard to get a community together in the same way.</p> <p>That's called "human nature". Smart people tend to have good relationships with each other, right, but even smart people can behave stupid. And you can't <em>force</em> people to be friends. It's something that comes (or doesn't come) naturally, by alchemy.</p> <p>Of course, being open-minded, careful with newbies, listening to feedback, giving fully-explained answers to questions rather than a whole page of ranting, welcoming new contributors with respect help. A lot.</p> I do perfectly agree with that. An efficient community is based on respect and friendship. But that’s exactly because of these factors that it’s so hard to get a community together in the same way.

That’s called “human nature”. Smart people tend to have good relationships with each other, right, but even smart people can behave stupid. And you can’t force people to be friends. It’s something that comes (or doesn’t come) naturally, by alchemy.

Of course, being open-minded, careful with newbies, listening to feedback, giving fully-explained answers to questions rather than a whole page of ranting, welcoming new contributors with respect help. A lot.

]]> By: Matt Philmon http://www.jonobacon.org/2008/02/14/be-excellent-to-each-other/comment-page-1/#comment-116014 Matt Philmon Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:53:17 +0000 http://www.jonobacon.org/?p=1127#comment-116014 <p>can't stop myself....</p> <p>"and party on dude!"</p> can’t stop myself….

“and party on dude!”

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