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"I view America like this; 70 to 80 percent pretty reasonable people that truthfully, if they sat down on contentious issues could get along, and the other 20 percent of the country run it." ~ Jon Stewart
"I 'Unite and Concur' with Jon Stewart's assessment - and help you figure out how to make that happen." ~ Meryl Runion
February 6, 2008

Blog guidelines: How to start a reasonable dialogue about reasonable dialogue

Filed under: Blog Guidelines by Meryl Runion |

This blog exists to start a reasonable dialogue about reasonable dialogue. How do we do that? I tell a story about a failed attempt I made here. Here are some questions I have for you.

 Most political discussion, including the ones on Amazon, seem more about proving others wrong and “winning” rather than good faith efforts at true communication.

 1. How can we encourage rational dialog on discussions such as this?

 2. What kind of responses to logical fallacies, misinformation and personal attacks are likely to really move a dialog forward rather than start a fight?

 3. How could a discussion group leader (blog owner) set up and manage discussion threads in ways that encourage useful debate, insights and productive commentary?

 4. Are there any political discussion groups where people with different opinions exchange ideas rather than attack each other? Where?

 Here are some guidelines I start with:

 1. Honor the intent of the blog itself.

Since this blog is about reasonable political dialogue, all posts must contribute to that end. Comments that have a different agenda will not be approved.

 2. Comments are based on the principle of: “Say what you mean, and mean what you say, without being mean when you say it.”

This is my ultimate communication formula that strikes a balance of directness and civility.

 3. Before responding, reflect on comments by asking yourself the question; “Why would a reasonable person say this?” and, “What can I learn from what they’re saying?”

 4. Acknowledge points of agreement before highlighting differences.

 5. Question substance and logic, not the person making the point.

 6. Clarify meaning and intent before taking issue if someone’s comment seems ill-considered.

 7. Focus on solutions more than problems.

 8. Report violations.

 9. When you use political examples, make them as neutral as possible to avoid distracting from your communication point. (For example, whenever possible, refer to political parties as “The Stars” and “The Stripes” parties, and refer to Politician A and Politician B rather than identifying them specifically.)

 10. Focus on solutions rather than problems.

Keep your comments positive and moving forward.

 What recommendations do you have? Thanks!

 Meryl

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1 Comment »

  1. [...] What have people said to you that shut down dialogue for you? Please keep the focus of your comments on communication. You’ll find some exploratory blog guidelines in this post. [...]

    Pingback by Unite and Concur » Blog Archive » A Political First Date - What not to say — February 6, 2008 @ 8:05 am

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By posting comments on Unite and Concur you are acknowledging and agreeing to the following general comments policy:

(1) If your comment doesn't appear immediately, please be patient. This is a moderated blog. If you’ve ever read posts on unmoderated sites that touch on political issues, you know why this one is moderated one.

(2) I reserve the right to edit posted comments for content, clarity, and length.

(3) I also reserve the right to delete posts that do not follow UC guidelines. (If you call me an “ass,” I’m likely to delete your comment. If you correct or reinterpret a remark I made, I’m likely to approve your comment.) Be clear, be direct and have an opinion, but be nice. I will not approve abusive, offensive, profane, or racist posts – unless I do so to point out the inappropriateness of the remark. This is a reasonable dialogue about reasonable dialogue.

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(5) Be willing to allow others to influence your opinion.

(6) Avoid loaded language like: “Wing nut” and “fascist” unless they are the necessary to the content of your post.

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