X-Message-Number: 32483
From: David Stodolsky <>
Subject: Re: Collateral Damage or Misguided Malarkey?
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:18:27 +0100
References: <>

On 14 Mar 2010, at 10:00 AM, CryoNet wrote:

> The Best Answer To Bad Speech Is More Speech
>
> How to do that? Frankly, I am loath to tinker too deeply
> into the creaky edifice of customized CryoNet code.
> (It's just so 90's and way overdue for a reboot.) But to
> help foster a kinder, gentler CryoNet rating system,
> I just patched in a quick-and-dirty 50% Discount Special.
> The Reputation Calculation Algorithm described at:
>
> http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/reputation.cgi?help=y
>
> now will employ a "spaminess" weight of just half the
> previous amount. "Bad" now will be just "half-bad" and
> "good" will be "great".

This will not work, because it assumes the ratings are honest. A  
dishonest rater is free to choose "abuse", the most negative rating.  
And as long as most messages are not rated at all, that rating will  
dominate.

The current System is vulnerable to strategic manipulation, therefore,  
there must be prescreening of raters for honest responding or it will  
not work. There is no way to solve this fundamental problem by  
changing the weights.

If Kevin is not going to make the needed changes, then it is time for  
some independent and respected group to set up a list that is not  
subject to manipulation. It probably isn't necessary that a voting  
process is used at all. It is essential, however, that any censorship  
can be appealed in some way. Maybe this is a job for the Venturist  
organization. The output of this new List could be transmitted to  
CryoNet during the changeover.


A message can now be marked down for a poor subject line, but the  
digest format makes generating a good subject line extra work that  
many don't do. In an age of social sites and instant messaging, this  
digest-only format is an embarrassment to the whole Movement. It is  
also a lost revenue opportunity. To the degree that primarily cryonics  
discussion is posted to other lists or sites, the Movement looses the  
opportunity for any income that might be generated from the  
accumulating content. At the moment, there are at least three general  
lists for cryonics discussion and now we see an "anti-cult" site  
benefiting from inputs of cryonics messages. From a marketing  
standpoint, it is hard to imagine a worst situation for Movement  
communications. We need a list/site that attracts posts from all  
cryonicists and even from those critical of cryonics.

Communication within the Movement is breaking down, because of the  
multiple forums for exchange of information. Many of the most  
important persons in the Movement stopped reading CryoNet long ago,  
due to the high noise level. We are jeopardizing the future of the  
Movement and the lives of cryonicists by poor coordination, which  
would cost virtually nothing to correct.



dss


David Stodolsky
  Skype: davidstodolsky

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