[humanmarkup-comment] Re: HumanMarkup: Paved With Good Intentions

["Sean B. Palmer" <sean@mysterylights.com>]

> I've written an article which I suggest all HumanMarkup
> members and contributors read:-

Before I go on to address some of the comments sent publically on the list,
I thought I should first try to clear up some of the comments that have
been sent to me in private first.

Firstly, it has come to my attention that the article could be
all-too-easily misconstrued as being a personal attack against various
members of the group. If read in this light, one of the main people on the
receiving end of this barrage would appear to be Rob Nixon. In the article,
I use a quote of his as a representitive sample of pernicious waffle
directed at the group. That is *not* to say that we haven't all waffled on
at some point, on this list, or anywhere. Indeed, I am one of the greatest
culprits of that particular behaviour... Therefore, I apologize if these
comments could be mispercieved in any way shape or form as being derogotory
towards any member of HumanMarkup. That was not my intention, and I was
wrong to not state that explicitly [full stop]. I will append a note to the
article in due course pointing out that I am using his comment as a
representitive sample.

I apologize unreservedly to any people who have felt singled out by the
article; including Rob.

I do feel as if the HumanMarkup project is impeding itself. Whilst this is
paradoxical, my "barrage" was directed at the thing which I believe to be
holding HumanMarkup back, which is the process of itself. Thus, my article
was an impersonal critique directed at the process behind HumanMarkup, and
*not* HumanMarkup itself, or its member (who nevertheless contribute to the
process... ah, well).

The tone that article takes on is a serious one, and aims to be as barbed
as possible, to install a paradigm shift in the inner echelons of the TC.
The point of this article was that I've said these types of things about
the HumanMarkup project before, and no one has listened. HumanMarkup has
continued on it's merry way without even saying "uh". Now, I still want
HumanMarkup to continue on its merry way (I want to *help* Ranjeeth, not
hinder him!), but I at least want it to say "uh". I've only had a trickle
of replies so far, but they seem to imply that a paradigm shift may be in
order. Well, perhaps so, but once again, I could be wrong, they could be
wrong. But it would certainly be wrong to ignore it.

I *am* ashamed to have spent so much time waffling to the group with no
effect (*because* I waffled), I am to a lesser extent ashamed to have been
associated with such a "happening" group and then see it going nowhere.
Shame is a proxy to sadness. I *do* hope that the TC will give me "uh"
factor, but remember, I've already said these things a couple of times
before, and there was no "uh".

I find it interesting, on rereading the article in the light of day, that
one of the main criticims levelled at HumanMarkup by the article (lack of
objectivity) is something that could be easily levelled at the article
itself. I point this out briefly:-

[[[
I am not even sure what could have been done to correct the situation, or
what can be done to correct the situation, which is unusual for me, and
hence I am a little ashamed. However, I do think that the first step is
this missive, and I have an underlying faith in that the HumanMarkup
members may rethink everything that they are doing.
]]]

However, one of the points raised is that HumanMarkup continues to develop
tags such as "<happy>". Let's call it the "HappyTag syndrome", shall we?
Perhaps we can single people out that use HappyTags by calling them
happytagists, and put them on a happytagist blacklist :-) O.K., perhaps
not, but I think that the problem does need to be addressed.

The next step towards objectivity can easily be achieved by reading throguh
the mailing list archives for a couple of hours. I suggest that each and
every HumanMarkup member do it for a couple of hours a day at least. The
same ideas come up time and time again.

Homer: Don't keep blaming yourself Marge; blame yourself once and move on!

Ranjeeth is doing a great deal of work to ensure that HumanMarkup is split
up into various domains, and that these domains are rpersented well on the
lists. However, that's very difficult to achieve: the way in which such a
thing is traditionally achieved is by splitting a big list up into smaller
more highly scoped lists However, I don't feel that the main list is large
enough to be split up yet, and that doing to would be too divisive.
However, it's something for the remaining TC members to consider.

The next step would be to listen to Len! His "ten years" comment is
something that the entire group need to collectively approach. It is the
most painful aspect of the group to date, and if you can't discuss it, then
you'll be worse off for it. It certainly deserves more of a mention than
five ignored lines on the mailing list.

> It contains my note of resignation from the HumanMarkup
> TC.

That's the HumanMarkup *TC*.

--
Kindest Regards,
Sean B. Palmer
@prefix : <http://webns.net/roughterms/> .
:Sean :hasHomepage <http://purl.org/net/sbp/> .