on 3/24/07 6:05 PM, Seth Finkelstein at sethf@sethf.com wrote:
Well, I didn't join this list to be a troll, and I suspect if I go into detail, many members won't take it kindly. I also don't want to deal with The Attack Of The Strawmen, where every statement has to be guarded against being made a strawman because someone will feel they've scored a big victory by knocking that down.
As for being a troll: I believe it all has to to with your intent. If your intent is to harm, then you could be rightfully defined as a troll, and should stay the hell away. But, if your intent is to state what you believe to be truth, then do it - openly and honestly. It may not always be well received, and you may even be called many things in the process (hell, over the years I've been called things I had to look up!) - but a name doesn't define you - unless it agrees with your own definition - or, you haven't, as yet, defined yourself.
Look at it this way: Why *does* someone join a cult? And more importantly, why do they *stay*, doing free labor? Stark coercion, of the sort if-you-leave-we'll-hunt-you-down-and-kill-you, is extraordinarily rare. Much of the process is about manipulating a psychological need. Transcendent purpose, internal status, external dangers - these are all deep human triggers.
First of all, does anyone really "join" a cult (which, in fact, is a pejorative term)? Do they consciously say, "That looks like a cult I want to be a part of?" Or, do they choose to become a part of a group of people with similar beliefs? Yes, history is replete with instances of harm and exploitation of persons persuaded (mostly out of fear) to join groups or movements. In fact, my belief is the only reason most organized religions are not called cults is centuries of well-schooled, well-financed public relations. The one word that seems to be subliminal in your statement is "exploitation". Do you really believe the WP Community members are being exploited? Personally, that's a real stretch for me.
As for characterizing something as a "cult"; my thinking is that if someone agrees with the beliefs of a group, and are welcomed in as a part of it, they refer to it as a group - if not, they call it a cult.
Marc Riddell