This started as a comment but....
As someone who as been a part of some ugly controversy within this community and openly accused of unfounded and damaging actions, I would like to offer the following suggestions/ make the following comments:
- AR is primarily a social community that happens to be full of real estate professionals. The dynamic is what it is.
- Since AR is a community, it should be governed by it's members for it's members in a 100% open fashion.
If members cannot, or will not privately work their issues out, a (members only) private Group area should be created.
Within this Group, whoever is openly accused of unacceptable behavior, frequent complaints, etc and the accuser should let it all out and work it out here...or not work it out and agree to disagree...
Let the greater community members be judge and jury...issues will flesh themselves out in a much more practical and efficient fashion...in a much more private setting, away from consumer eyeballs.
This should also curb any undesirable behaviors since they are more likely to be addressed publicly in early stages, before the flames can get fanned in the back boiler rooms.
- Handling problems in the current cryptic fashion is going to drive out (purposely or not) some of the best contributors and professionals from AR for the wrong reasons, a side effect that benefits no one, especially AR.
AR is a reflection of society as a whole, it's a melting pot with all types of personality. Not all personalities mesh well. Trying to objectively balance harmony amongst all 13,000+ members from the top down is essentially an exercise in futility... and dangerous.
Some type of forum with open and direct discussion between the adversarial parties, governed in great part by the community, is needed...
Growing Pains....*Ouch*
Because of the never ending nature of posts on the internet, would you have this group truly post to the blog network or would they have access to a chat or conference room that has more online security than the blog posts do.
Delayed mediation, as in a posting group for final decisions, even if exchanges took place in a conference room setting. Take the impulsive decision out of it, which is what is connected to much of the problem as it is.
Would you have a panel of mediators, membership of which could rotate? Volunteers drawn by chance from a pool for specific panel/incident situations? Or would you have everyone who wanted to particpate?
I like your suggestions, and am asking for more details
private Group area should be created
The old "back room"
Handling problems in the current cryptic fashion is going to drive out (purposely or not) some of the best contributors and professionals from AR for the wrong reason
Agreed. This has already happened.
The "back room" area would allow a lot of the accusations to fly. I can't suggest anymore how important it is to create: (1) phone relationships (3) personal relationships. I think it helps if you have a phone conversation with someone if there is an issue with them.
Pick up the phone everybody! There are a lot of really cool people on the other end of it!
Captain transparency to the rescue!
Yes, this saga probably should have played out more publicly. As it is right now, it is still a mess. Accusations and allegations were never substantiated, and people were slandered. Sides were drawn and nobody is backing down because everybody "knows" they are right even though no PROOF was ever brought forward after repeated requests. Sure there is more to the story. We had a judge and jury without evidence and they all made their minds up.
Things like this need to be nipped much earlier in the bud. Brian Brady has the idea when he picks up the phone. Most of us are human, at least I think so.
There has to be a better way because we failed miserably this time.
IMHO The AR Gods select an objective panel based on individual circumstance and relative expertise...Members could volunteer to make themselves available for potential selection (without prior knowledge of the matter or conflicting parties)....creating a pool to choose from. Random contributors to the issue should be avoided for obvious reasons.
Any scenario that removes emotion and deals with the succinct problem at hand using blind justice has to be better than the current strategy of 'problem delegation'.....
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"AR is primarily a social community that happens to be full of real estate professionals. The dynamic is what it is."
I must admit, you are all very nice, but I really want a work community where real estate professionals can exchange ideas and put our best foot forward for the consumer. Can't we do that and leave the social stuff to My Space and Facebook? Sherry
Here's my blog on "Why I Love Active Rain"
Sherry
X...Y Here...
Some of what you say may work. But, it would very difficult to make it work. I can easily see something like this turning into a bogus B.O.D for the AR Community. It has the ongoing possibility of having someone who doesn't like you sitting in judgement of you. That can't be good :)
Having sat on many many B.O.D's in my hay day I know for a fact that B.O.D's are easily spiked. I have seen this happen more times than I can count.
Not everyone is always going to agree and here on AR we have the ongoing problem with a few members wanting to call all the shots and dominate this site. These members will be the most likely candidates for a position on a bogus B.O.D.
So...I have said quite enough and will now just sit back and read the ideas and thoughts of my peers on this Blog Post. ROAR :)
X...Y Here :)
This was my suggestion to The Active Rain Corporation:
"Caleb and Matt....
I believe there should be more guidelines as to what we are supposed to do when we come under fire from other members of AR.
We have no where to go and no one to report it to. We are left on our own "to deal with it"....
When we are left "to deal with it" ourselves...Well...You've seen the results of that.
I have been very patient with the personal attacks. The result of my patience is for other members to get carried away and go off the deep end with me.
Members should be held accountable for attacking other members via contact messages, emails and phone calls. I would like for the Active Rain Corporation to tell us how you want us to handle this crap.
My suggestion is for The Active Rain Corporation to post explicit guidelines that will let everyone know that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated by the Active Rain Corporation. I would like the guidelines to incorporate the steps you guys would like us to take in the event we find ourselves being attacked or harassed by other members.
This would solve a lot of these problems and keep people from taking matters into their own hands. It would also serve as a heads up "We have guidelines" in this community.
TLW...ROAR! "
This Is Caleb's response to me:
"TLW, Thank you. The policy has always been if you see something let us know. We have been working on some of those things that were made known to us. ufortunately this hasn't meant all things have been brought to me. A more explicit policy will have to be created from this.
Thank you."
This communication took place on Caleb's post entitled "Input Requested"
It is my belief that when Members join AR they should know right away that this community has guidelines. This is an unusual idea. I feel that there is nothing wrong with having a community that has guidelines in place. It's way out of the proverbial box. I know you of all people understand sometimes stepping away from what is considered to be the norm has it's own rewards :)
I do like the idea of "random jury summons". This will keep things fair to all parties concerned :)
Have a Blessed Good God Day. I'll talk with you soon :)
TLW...ROAR!
The erased comment on this blog was quite relevant and to the point.
The writer, who for some reason felt they had to delete it, said among other things that:
"without evidence the accuser should be told to back down." I cannot imagine anyone disagreeing with that.
The writer may think that nobody here could get a fair jury, but I don't agree with that. There are certainly alliances, like there are in any group of people, but I can not imagine most of us being blind to the injustice of things like vigilantism, deceipt and such.
In the end, I do think that it is best handled by ActiveRain. But next time, I hope it is handled more swiftly.