LoneGunman
Expert Member
I'm writing this, as a 'discussion document' - for Forumites and those who actually care, to consider.
Given the - to me - ludicrous mess of MyAdsl's actions over the last few months, in reaction to the imminent Telkom change.
BTW: If the most you can do is whine about the length of this document, as opposed to considering and commenting on its Content, then you really should keep your comments to yourself and let the thinking adult Humans communicate.
------------------------------------
You know who is to be blamed for what's about to happen on November 1st?
Us.
Thousands of pages have been written by forumites (including me) - with perhaps 1 -8% of those writers taking it to the realworld, in any tangible way.
In an online Forum of 5000+ humans - to have kept what is a Mob mentality where - although there's individuals here and there doing what they can in the realworld, to change/alter/alert the authorities to the coming coming - but the majority of those on Forum, have stayed content to simply 'post' their comments and 'fightin words', without doing anything tangible in reality, means that the few individuals who have tried to make a difference, have been dragged back down into ineffectiveness by the practical apathy of the majority of Forumites.
This coming change stands as a very good lesson in civic action, and social activism - or rather, what happens when there IS NO central planning, tactical planning, or attempt to assemble the 5000+ humans into anything cohesive, that can actually make a difference in reality.
(I was part of various Leftist structures during the struggle against Apartheid, so I have direct hands-on experience of the BIG difference between 'sitting around and talking' (ie: posting) and 'working towards creating groups to fulfil tasks, to both get everyone on the same page, and then make an impact in the real world in various projects'.)
It truly doesn't matter that there are a small handful of enlightened and proactive individuals on the Forum, willing to try to do 'realworld' tasks - if the majority of Forumites are not organised, and think that posting some 'fightin words' on a webpage has any meaning whatsoever in reality.
Indeed, the majority of Forumites would seem to be content to do nothing and wait for someone else to do something, and THEN they'll agree, or make that phone call, or send that email or fax..
Basically, its a Mob mentality - as opposed to a tightly organised social activist group, with clearly defined subgroups, to use the various individuals talents and skills in a variety of productive ways.
I understand that RPM created this forum as a platform for sharing and conveying information - and reasonably, he can't be expected to become the central authority in charge of an online/offline social activist organisation - but I'm hoping that the unfolding, chaotic and frankly non-productive attempts to rectify the looming problem, over the last few months, as the countdown towards Nov 1st began, can demonstrate some useful lessons for the more serious Forumites.
As I've posted elsewhere along the way - we are an Army in cyberspace.
But an Army without leaders, without direction, purpose, order, or any overall tactical focus or central organised goals.
Each individual who's made the laudable effort to extend the 'fightin words' from here, to the realworld, by phoning/faxing/mailing Authorities - must have noticed the complete drag on their activities, from having 4999+ other people in effect, sitting on their legs and slowing them down.
Every action, by individuals, thus turns into just that - a phone call or a fax, from ONE person, who's clearly operating without the weight and power of 4999 other people in their organisation.
This is what happens when there's a disorganised Mob, deluding themselves that they're actually Organised, surrounding the minority of folks who ARE willing to be pro-active in a meaningful way. It makes the attempts by individuals to do anything, essentially futile - and non productive in any meaningful way.
If one looks at the numbers of posts relating to Nov 1st, and works out the energy and hours that Forumites have devoted to creating these - easily into the hundreds or thousands of total hours - versus the perhaps 10 or 20 hours in total, of 'realworld' interaction with Authorities, one sees again the delusion at work, of an Army without structure (or a social activist group without a 'Projects and PR' sub-group) , that thinks messages on a webpage can alter the larger social reality.
And after an absence from here for a while, I see that one of the big issues is.... little coloured symbols to detail the 'reputation' of Forumites - so that (presumably) visiting Media can work out if the poster is considered a 'quality' Forumite.
This would be funny, if it wasn't so sad.
An organised activist group, would have a Media and PR section, (of however many skilled and interested folks) who specifically liase with the Press, continually send them info, and whose job it is, to raise the public realworld profile of MyADSL, and act as the 'propaganda and information' wing of the Forum.
And that group is entirely separate from the other 'Legal Actions' sub-group, with the skills (usually the legally trained folks) who agitate and alert Authorities via legal submissions on a variety of fronts..
There's a Funding group, who focus on raising funds, distributing funds, to the various subgroups, and ensuring that accounts are kept in accordance with the law and that these figures are open to all to evaluate and observe..
Multiple sub-groups, that the various 5000+ members can migrate into, as they choose - or simply donate funds into - for those more pro-active members who ARE participating..
Each group has tasks, ongoing projects, and no 'central authority' to be reported to which will slowdown their actions.
You can't judge the effectiveness of Propaganda (or Marketing, or Legal Actions) - unless you're a skilled professional in those fields - so you leave it up to those groups to do their work as they see fit.
In this way the overall problem-solving abilities of the Forum is improved 100%
and a broad front of REALWORLD actions, projects and campaigns begins to evolve - and be continually funded.
Instead - there's a Mob.
Yes, with bright and skilled individuals doing their best, amidst it - but ultimately being dragged down by the complete lack of overall tactics and planning, which could turn this Forum into a social activist group that can change laws, society and face up to challenges in a productive and genuinely meaningful way.
Lawyers AREN'T marketing people, journalists AREN'T lawyers, we've all seen the blurring of lines here, as folks without the training or skills, attempt (laudably) to do jobs/tasks that they aren't equipped for.
(It's just wrong to expect a regular businessperson forumite to be able to communicate effectively with the Media - leave it to that sub-group..
Ditto the lawyers on forum, asking unqualified laymen to comment on actions they COULD take..)
Setting up sub groups, doesn't mean any one individual has to devote time and energy to doing it - merely initially getting the group together, (of suitably focused/skilled folks) and they take it over and begin their process..
There's much talk about 'democracy' here - but in truth, for democracy to flourish, you HAVE to set up support structures for it.
Democracy isn't the static and noise of the Mob posting messages online, and telling each other simplistically that they're able to achieve something by the occasional phone call, email or fax.
A democratic social activist organisation requires STRUCTURE. And thereafter, a hands-off policy. The Mob can join the groups they want, or donate, or comment on the end results, or shut up.
The Mob posting back and forth mindlessly, is not 'democracy', much as they'd like to think they are.
So come November 1st - MyAdsl members will see what happens, when the realworld end results of a complete lack of organised Activism, becomes reality.
---------------------------------------------end
Given the - to me - ludicrous mess of MyAdsl's actions over the last few months, in reaction to the imminent Telkom change.
BTW: If the most you can do is whine about the length of this document, as opposed to considering and commenting on its Content, then you really should keep your comments to yourself and let the thinking adult Humans communicate.
------------------------------------
You know who is to be blamed for what's about to happen on November 1st?
Us.
Thousands of pages have been written by forumites (including me) - with perhaps 1 -8% of those writers taking it to the realworld, in any tangible way.
In an online Forum of 5000+ humans - to have kept what is a Mob mentality where - although there's individuals here and there doing what they can in the realworld, to change/alter/alert the authorities to the coming coming - but the majority of those on Forum, have stayed content to simply 'post' their comments and 'fightin words', without doing anything tangible in reality, means that the few individuals who have tried to make a difference, have been dragged back down into ineffectiveness by the practical apathy of the majority of Forumites.
This coming change stands as a very good lesson in civic action, and social activism - or rather, what happens when there IS NO central planning, tactical planning, or attempt to assemble the 5000+ humans into anything cohesive, that can actually make a difference in reality.
(I was part of various Leftist structures during the struggle against Apartheid, so I have direct hands-on experience of the BIG difference between 'sitting around and talking' (ie: posting) and 'working towards creating groups to fulfil tasks, to both get everyone on the same page, and then make an impact in the real world in various projects'.)
It truly doesn't matter that there are a small handful of enlightened and proactive individuals on the Forum, willing to try to do 'realworld' tasks - if the majority of Forumites are not organised, and think that posting some 'fightin words' on a webpage has any meaning whatsoever in reality.
Indeed, the majority of Forumites would seem to be content to do nothing and wait for someone else to do something, and THEN they'll agree, or make that phone call, or send that email or fax..
Basically, its a Mob mentality - as opposed to a tightly organised social activist group, with clearly defined subgroups, to use the various individuals talents and skills in a variety of productive ways.
I understand that RPM created this forum as a platform for sharing and conveying information - and reasonably, he can't be expected to become the central authority in charge of an online/offline social activist organisation - but I'm hoping that the unfolding, chaotic and frankly non-productive attempts to rectify the looming problem, over the last few months, as the countdown towards Nov 1st began, can demonstrate some useful lessons for the more serious Forumites.
As I've posted elsewhere along the way - we are an Army in cyberspace.
But an Army without leaders, without direction, purpose, order, or any overall tactical focus or central organised goals.
Each individual who's made the laudable effort to extend the 'fightin words' from here, to the realworld, by phoning/faxing/mailing Authorities - must have noticed the complete drag on their activities, from having 4999+ other people in effect, sitting on their legs and slowing them down.
Every action, by individuals, thus turns into just that - a phone call or a fax, from ONE person, who's clearly operating without the weight and power of 4999 other people in their organisation.
This is what happens when there's a disorganised Mob, deluding themselves that they're actually Organised, surrounding the minority of folks who ARE willing to be pro-active in a meaningful way. It makes the attempts by individuals to do anything, essentially futile - and non productive in any meaningful way.
If one looks at the numbers of posts relating to Nov 1st, and works out the energy and hours that Forumites have devoted to creating these - easily into the hundreds or thousands of total hours - versus the perhaps 10 or 20 hours in total, of 'realworld' interaction with Authorities, one sees again the delusion at work, of an Army without structure (or a social activist group without a 'Projects and PR' sub-group) , that thinks messages on a webpage can alter the larger social reality.
And after an absence from here for a while, I see that one of the big issues is.... little coloured symbols to detail the 'reputation' of Forumites - so that (presumably) visiting Media can work out if the poster is considered a 'quality' Forumite.
This would be funny, if it wasn't so sad.
An organised activist group, would have a Media and PR section, (of however many skilled and interested folks) who specifically liase with the Press, continually send them info, and whose job it is, to raise the public realworld profile of MyADSL, and act as the 'propaganda and information' wing of the Forum.
And that group is entirely separate from the other 'Legal Actions' sub-group, with the skills (usually the legally trained folks) who agitate and alert Authorities via legal submissions on a variety of fronts..
There's a Funding group, who focus on raising funds, distributing funds, to the various subgroups, and ensuring that accounts are kept in accordance with the law and that these figures are open to all to evaluate and observe..
Multiple sub-groups, that the various 5000+ members can migrate into, as they choose - or simply donate funds into - for those more pro-active members who ARE participating..
Each group has tasks, ongoing projects, and no 'central authority' to be reported to which will slowdown their actions.
You can't judge the effectiveness of Propaganda (or Marketing, or Legal Actions) - unless you're a skilled professional in those fields - so you leave it up to those groups to do their work as they see fit.
In this way the overall problem-solving abilities of the Forum is improved 100%
and a broad front of REALWORLD actions, projects and campaigns begins to evolve - and be continually funded.
Instead - there's a Mob.
Yes, with bright and skilled individuals doing their best, amidst it - but ultimately being dragged down by the complete lack of overall tactics and planning, which could turn this Forum into a social activist group that can change laws, society and face up to challenges in a productive and genuinely meaningful way.
Lawyers AREN'T marketing people, journalists AREN'T lawyers, we've all seen the blurring of lines here, as folks without the training or skills, attempt (laudably) to do jobs/tasks that they aren't equipped for.
(It's just wrong to expect a regular businessperson forumite to be able to communicate effectively with the Media - leave it to that sub-group..
Ditto the lawyers on forum, asking unqualified laymen to comment on actions they COULD take..)
Setting up sub groups, doesn't mean any one individual has to devote time and energy to doing it - merely initially getting the group together, (of suitably focused/skilled folks) and they take it over and begin their process..
There's much talk about 'democracy' here - but in truth, for democracy to flourish, you HAVE to set up support structures for it.
Democracy isn't the static and noise of the Mob posting messages online, and telling each other simplistically that they're able to achieve something by the occasional phone call, email or fax.
A democratic social activist organisation requires STRUCTURE. And thereafter, a hands-off policy. The Mob can join the groups they want, or donate, or comment on the end results, or shut up.
The Mob posting back and forth mindlessly, is not 'democracy', much as they'd like to think they are.
So come November 1st - MyAdsl members will see what happens, when the realworld end results of a complete lack of organised Activism, becomes reality.
---------------------------------------------end
). ICASA was informed about this mess and they asked for comment. The media was informed and a few articles addressed this issue… 
