I have rallied against the bullying and groupthink that happens on Chief Delphi, both
publicly and in private messages. The free expression of ideas without fear is important to having a healthy community. It's something I will continue to push for and an issue where I will continue to
privately challenge those who stand in it's way.
However, holders of the minority opinion are not the only ones who can be bullied. It was not the "FIRST Royalty" who were bullying yesterday. When you strip away the context of their remarks, you lose what really happened. Openly questioning the accomplishments of teams and the integrity of mentors is bullying. The flagrant disrespect exhibited on a public forum is what led to their emotionally charged responses. The "threats" (which are being completely overblown) and "tactics" were not the result of a civil debate, but rather a response to attacks on their teams' (and students') achievements and their own character. Nobody is proud of what transpired. Everyone should have the ability to share their opinion, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to bully others without fear of confrontation. And that's exactly what happened. It was the "FIRST Royalty" (and their students) that was bullied, and they pushed back.
I'm glad that individuals expressed what their fears where, because I was honestly at a loss for what reprisals they were expecting. The individual who fears physical retribution is shocking to me. In the excess of a decade I have been in this program, I have never experienced or witnessed a physical confrontation at a FIRST event. Not even once. To "ScaredSilly," you have nothing to fear. The post you made yesterday would not have earned you any "blacklisting," nor would any of those you have made sense. I'm not so naïve that I don't think "blacklists" don't exist, but I also know there's no shadowy cabal of mentors who are going to get you banned from pick lists everywhere. I know that there are inter-team politics that can cause harsh relationships between teams, but that usually extends far beyond what is said on Chief Delphi. There are offenses far greater than what has been conducted on CD this week that have blown over quickly. Teams and individuals move on, and frequently mend fences later on.
If you conduct your business respectfully and tactfully, you have nothing to fear. If you're going to challenge an individual or team, then you should not be permitted to hide behind an anonymous account.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung
P.S. There was no valid reason for the thread to be removed. It was fine.
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It violated the anonymity rules of the forum. That is a valid reason.