Suppose we break the problem down into multiple parts.
1. Understand how the problem works, what currently happens.
2. Find a better way that things can work, that would not generate the same problems.
3. Find a way to get from here to there.
4. Do it.
Then part 1 might easily be aided by a guy on a blog. Maybe part 2. Possibly part 3.
A blog is better than a newsgroup because the threads don’t scroll off, they’re all sitting on the site’s computer if anybody cares. Also, as old posts are replaced by new posts people stop responding to old posts. So there isn’t as much topic drift, we don’t get threads that last for two years with the same title and discuss two dozen different topics.
I tend to think a wiki would be even better. Or a wiki that lets people revise their own posts at will but not other people’s posts. Then rather than have long arguments where you finally come to some agreement, the arguments could turn into revisions of the original posts, and people could see at a glance where the remaining disagreement is. If you want to see how they got to where they are, you can look at the history of revisions.
None of this will change the world unless somebody pays attention. But it’s much easier to pay attention when there’s a coherent train of thought to pay attention to. And people who have a vague idea they want to flesh out, can do worse than present it on a blog and get people who want to help develop it or poke holes in it. Either or both.
Suppose we break the problem down into multiple parts.
1. Understand how the problem works, what currently happens.
2. Find a better way that things can work, that would not generate the same problems.
3. Find a way to get from here to there.
4. Do it.
Then part 1 might easily be aided by a guy on a blog. Maybe part 2. Possibly part 3.
A blog is better than a newsgroup because the threads don’t scroll off, they’re all sitting on the site’s computer if anybody cares. Also, as old posts are replaced by new posts people stop responding to old posts. So there isn’t as much topic drift, we don’t get threads that last for two years with the same title and discuss two dozen different topics.
I tend to think a wiki would be even better. Or a wiki that lets people revise their own posts at will but not other people’s posts. Then rather than have long arguments where you finally come to some agreement, the arguments could turn into revisions of the original posts, and people could see at a glance where the remaining disagreement is. If you want to see how they got to where they are, you can look at the history of revisions.
None of this will change the world unless somebody pays attention. But it’s much easier to pay attention when there’s a coherent train of thought to pay attention to. And people who have a vague idea they want to flesh out, can do worse than present it on a blog and get people who want to help develop it or poke holes in it. Either or both.