Hello:
If memory serves, I was very excited about the original formation of this
focused forum. I've just re-subscribed and I'd really hate to see it crash.
I agree with everyone who wants to converse about the MOQ in a calm, quiet
space. To focus everyone's attention on one specific issue for an entire
month can work some powerful magic.
It seems the trick is selecting an issue or asking a question that gets us
rolling on a topic that's both relevant and specific. For some reason,
voting on the suggestions doesn't seem to be working. It seems the only
solution is to give the moderator the authority to decide on topics or to
pass that responsability around, with each participant taking their turn. In
either case, the selection of topics is made by an individual instead of a
committee.
Even back when the MF was fresh and new there were some bad topics. A
question can be wrong, predicated on a misunderstanding, irrelevant, dull or
just plain boring. It seems the only solution is to ask no questions,
especially if the democratic selection process is replaced. I'd like to
suggest that the topic never include a question, a reference to current
events, other books or anything else. Instead, we should just select a quote
from Lila. Don't allow any one question or comment about the quote to
direct or control the conversation. Just put up some pure Pirsig, a
paragraph or less. Then all the participants can ask questions about it.
Anyone can make comments about it or connect it to current events. Everyone
can look it up and see the Pirsig quote in context. They can submit other
quotes that seem to support or contradict their interpetations of the quote.
But by putting up pure Pirsig, we can avoid bad starts. By using LILA
exclusively, we can focus on the MOQ in a way that leaves no one behind
because everyone has already read it and has a copy. We can be very specific
without getting boxed in or trapped by a ill-concieved question.
The one who selects the topic can certainly have questions and current
events in mind when choosing the quote. For example, if it were my turn to
pick the topic, I'd find one of Pirsig's statements about Islam's conflict
with the West. I'd put the quote on the table and just pray that the
resulting conversation would end up shedding some MOQ light on the 9-11
attack.
There's my two cents.
MOQ.org - http://www.moq.org
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:03:34 BST