Killing an Online Conversation

"To Kill a Conversation"
Conversation Agent (July 8, 2010)

"Have you ever been pummeled into a corner at the beginning of a conversation?

"This could be a series on 'no buts', because I encounter so many who enter conversation as if it were a boxing ring. Rational arguments raised as fists in both a protective and aggressive stance.

"If you're talking just to say how something cannot be done, is not possible, others are idiots, wrong, or stupid, and so forth, save your breath -- or tweet.

"It may feel good to rant and commiserate publicly. You're just not having a conversation.

"I've noticed this behavior showing up in many forms, especially on Twitter. For example, say I share a post by someone else that triggers reaction, for whatever reason -- it challenges convention, it takes a different point of view, it exposes an issue...."

The rest of the article has some specific advice on how to converse online: communicate, not simply rant.

I've run into un-conversations online: you may have, too.

Here's an opportunity to review and fine-tune online communications skills. It's not 'just about being polite.' I think that learning to get beyond the sort of 'you're a doo-doo-head' exchange of ideas that sometimes happens online helps folks come across as being a tad more sensible.

But then, I was old-school when old-school was new.

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A tip of the hat to Steveology, on Twitter, for the heads-up on this articl.