Although it is kind of sad that something like this may actually be needed.

As for #3–Interesting that Andrews feels that way. I think I will comment there about it, though. Thank you for the link.

RfP wrote:

Might I, in a spirit of utmost collegiality, suggest that Romancelandia may be somewhat larger and rather less defined than a few penetrating voices that tend toward the kerfufflesome?

Yes. you are so right.

there a phenomenon, and some psych major reading this will know its name, that we focus on the negative in groups. So if I am teaching a class, and there is one student with whom I have a bad experience one day, I may come away and think, “it was a terrible class, so much conflict” even though the other 20 students enjoyed it and got on well. This phenomenon explains why one dissenter can tank a proposal even though 99% of the others wanted it passed.

ROFLMAO!!!

Might I, in a spirit of utmost collegiality, suggest that Romancelandia may be somewhat larger and rather less defined than a few penetrating voices that tend toward the kerfufflesome?

Snort. Yeah, I was kinda thinking of this yesterday. Although I wouldn’t have put it quite so, cough, eloquently. (I especially liked the chicken and the egg comparison. )

Honestly, it’s not so much about needing an alert system for avoiding these things completely as it is for knowing when and where they are or were happening in the first place. Sort of like a news alert. Because what RfP is saying about the community being large, wide-spread, but overlapping is extremely true. We are many and have many different and varied interests. And you know what? It’s amazing how calm and tranquil it can be when one decides to not visit AAR, Dear Author and Smart Bitches on a regular basis–mainly just when someone points out a great or pertinent post on some topic or other.

That said, there are times when I only hear about a major brouhaha weeks after it’s happened and I honestly wonder if I want to know about it, too. So, a warning system that keeps track of uproars might actually be of benefit, too.

Or not. ;p

Just depends on how one looks at it, I suppose.

And toward a related end, I should like to propose an augmentation to your most excellent system. ‘Tis the merest soupçon, but would that I had implemented it some years previous! I speak, as you may apprehend, of the UPROAR:DULL ROAR quotient. By this measure I hope to distinguish between those of our sistren blogs who are sucked, protesting, into the churn while striving tirelessly to contribute their daily mote of romance readership; and those who charge repeatedly into the fray for the love of Mike and drama.

Though I grant it will make absolutely no difference. Once the kerfuffling is flung, the chicken cannot be put back into the egg, nor, alas, the egg into the chicken.