Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
I happen to know--because I have inside information--that Ricochet has many members who have never left a comment. That's fine, of course. The beauty of the Internet is that it's not like Thanksgiving dinner with your in-laws. No one will get mad at you on the drive home because you just sat in front of the television the whole time and you didn't say a single word to Uncle Herbert, even though he drove all the way from Branson, Mo., and can't you make an effort with my family even once, just once a year?
But is there anyone out there who actually wants to join the conversation, but is just feeling a bit shy? If so, let me jump in with my superb hostess skills. Let's imagine this is a party, and you're the shy guest who's standing on the edge of the group, looking like you'd actually like to join in the conversation, but aren't quite sure how to begin. At this point I'll notice that, and because I have superb hostess skills, I'll say something that tactfully draws you in without focusing too much attention on you or embarrassing you. Something really graceful and socially-skilled.
So, we're imagining that I've just said that really socially-skilled thing, the thing that just puts you at ease and makes you feel completely at home. (No idea what that actually is, but other members are welcome to volunteer their ideas.)
You take it from here. To make it easier, let's pretend that we're all already on the third bowl of cranberry punch.
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Jul '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Andrea Ryan
Oh, I burst out laughing through my nose. I've never done that before. · Oct 26 at 9:51pm
You think I'm funny? Do I amuse you in some way? Funny how?
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Pseudodionysius
At the risk of exposing my secret identity (Larry Bud Melman from the David Letterman show), I assume that Peter has worked in environments where his writer's temperament was put in service as a staff person working with large egos, competing interests, high stakes decisions and a pressure cooker environment that acted like war in Thucidydes -- it compressed everyone's soul until the essence of them emerges. He had no direct line authority to force anyone to do anything, so he had to cultivate the diplomat and statesman's skill of careful listening and non directive questioning. · Oct 27 at 5:20am
Oh, I guessed it was you, Larry!
May '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
OK. Cabinet officers ruled out. Back to drawing board...
May '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Kennedy Smith:
Peter Robinson is, actually, the most socially-skilled host in the world. I would nominate him for the title. · Oct 26 at 9:56pm
One of Peter's great strengths as an interviewer is that he takes the opinions and expertise of the interviewee seriously. He so frequently gives an extended quote (in context) from the interviewee's writing that piqued his curiosity, and simply asks them to elaborate, further contextualize, or defend the ideas expressed. It gets right to the heart of the matter without any need of badgering or ill temper (of which, I suspect, he would not be capable!).
Another thought - Ricochet makes one a little like Luna Lovegood - one listens to so many interesting conversations, very occasionally chipping in a thought that disappears from the stream because of time-zone differences. "It's almost like having friends". As you were asking a few days ago, what changes this sort of process into real social engagement? Is it the ability to actually turn up physically to an event?
Sep '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Trace Urdan
Pseudodionysius: Boymoose: Good Morning Claire,
I love the Ricochet Podcast but the blog intimidates me. · Oct 26 at 6:36am
We all had to start somewhere. I've been doing seedy night club acts around the internet since 1994 under a variety of cheezy pseudonyms. Just have at it, you've got nothing to lose but your US citizenship, your house, your livelihood, everyone you've ever known and loved. · Oct 26 at 8:04pm
OK Pseudo. It's pretty clear by now that you're not Steyn. So now I'm thinking... Tim Geithner? I just know you have a secret identity. And Geithner definitely seems like someone with some serious internal conflicts about the direction his life has taken. (And he seems like a cat person...) · Oct 26 at 9:14pm
Edited on Oct 26 at 09:17 pm
I'm the Geico Gecko, slumming it here in flyover land.
Sep '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Trace Urdan
I see your game now Berlinski. This is all an elaborate plot to ensure that on your next trip to the States you won't have to buy any of your own meals. Lavish a little Internet love on the shy ones and they will be forever in your thrall. But we're on to you now... · Oct 26 at 9:19pm
Its worse than that. This entire site is an elaborate plot of George Soros, run by your humble catservant as Catbert style social science experiment. Now that we've duped Long and Robinson, we can hatch our plan to short the Thai Bhat and resurrect the ancient kingdom of Anatolia. We have your credit card numbers, your identities and now, with the help of Double Agent Berlinski we're ready to co-opt the rest of the world. The only one who can stop us now is renegade MI6 agent, Steyn, last sighted in some type of maple shack out in the woods of New Hampshire.
I've enjoyed toying with you all. Say goodbye to your beloved Fox News and Ricochet and say hello to GeckoVision.
Jun '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Beth: Claire,
Thank you for your kind invitation. Because I am rarely at the computer, I generally find myself late to the party as now. Greetings from beautiful North Alabama. · Oct 26 at 8:59am
Yeah, that was fun, wasn't it. Nice to know there's a budding North Alabama contingent, Sally and Beth!
Oct '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Hi Claire,
Mission accomplished! I have to agree with at least one of the other members who wrote of the intimidation factor. I mean, I read through the comments and everyone seems so damned smart and informed and well-spoken (as it were) on virtually every thread. Then Cas says to just spit it out, and I realize y'all aren't there to judge, you're there to engage (need I admit that for these same reasons I never went to school dances?!). So anyway, the hell with intimidation!
For the record, I'm spending most of my Ricochet time catching up on the podcasts. Started with the newer ones and am now on the ones from July. Great stuff! Just listened to you from Istanbul...that is, you were there, not I. Rob, Peter, and James are spinning gems every week.
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Dave Lawson: Claire,
Like Erik I found Ricochet after watching your interview on Uncommon Knowledge. I too find the comment levels somewhat intimidating, but also very enjoyable. I frequently find myself late to the discussions as I don't have as much personal time on the computer as I would like.
Thanks for the invite. · Oct 26 at 3:05pm
Welcome Dave! (And everyone else, too....) Please don't hesitate to jump in, even if you think it's "late" -- whatever that means. It's never too late -- I use the "Recently Active" tab myself to keep track of threads that may have slipped off the front page but which are still active. And coming soon, we'll have a way to instantly see which threads have new comments on them.
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Claire, this was a great idea for a conversation. Let's do it every couple of weeks, don't you think? Just to get everybody feeling welcome?
Like we say: Join the Conversation. There's no reason to be intimidated. I mean, good Lord, we let McGurn post!
Jul '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Thanks for the welcomes everyone. Prepare your self for pourly worded, badly thought out comments from the likes of me. I got to take a nap.
Aug '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
This gives me the opportunity to remark that the idea of Ricochet get-togethers in NYC (I was unable to attend, unfortunately) reminds me of the legendary NRO party at Turtle Bay at the time of the 2004 convention. It was a very "Under The Rainbow" experience. That is, like the little people recruited for "The Wizard of Oz", we were all so astonished and delighted to be with "people like us" (I'm talking philosophically--it was a fairly diverse group demographically) in an world (or city) that is not very hospitable to our being our true selves and letting our freak flag fly. I hope that one day there will be a joint Ricochet/NRO event in NYC. Cash bar. Cross-pollination of subscribers. It's a no-lose proposition.
May '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Ditto Kevin (the quote function does not work on the iPad). At our Grand Hyatt meet-up I was all giggly about being with a bunch of conservatives in NEW YORK CITY! Bwahahahaha! I love a party and hope we'll make them a regular thing. When I was leaving g the house I said to my husband "I'm going to New York to meet my new internet friends." He didn't bat an eye. And everyone is really nice and friendly.
Oct '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
I've been reading the site off and on for a while, but listening to the podcasts religiously. I'm not a lifelong conservative, but ever since I started paying attention to politics, I have been.
This is an awesome thread to get somebody assimilated into the site, Claire! Thank you for starting it. I would have joined when I first read it, but didn't have my card handy. Then tonight, I happened upon the election prediction contest and I couldn't help myself.
I do volunteer to go get the beer (or any other beverage of choice) if we run out. That's one thing I'm good at!
May '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Hooked from the first podcast and honestly a bit sceptical about the site before I saw it, I must say that you proved me wrong - the site is really good too. Ricochet is simply the best place on Internet. Now, a question: Can members initiate threads or is is that reserved for contributors?
May '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Rob Long
....And coming soon, we'll have a way to instantly see which threads have new comments on them. · Oct 27 at 12:00pm
Can't wait for this new feature! It takes me forever to go to "conversations I follow", scroll to the end and see if anyone's said anything new. FeliciaB, Andrea Ryan commented this summer about often being the last person left in the room a few days after a thread has died. I've got lots of potential comments left unsaid (most probably drivel, but some that might have actually moved the conversation forward) because I'm on the run with kids going in 10 directions most of the time. So I sympathize with Ken, Matt and Beth (welcome!). Here's a question that new members might also have: as more contributers chime in each month I find it tough to keep track of all the conversations I'm interested in or have posted to. How do more frequent posters do it? Are you getting some kind of alerts on your iPhones/iPads/Blackberries? Sorry to ask this on the new member thread but figured this kind of info might pertain to newbies too!
Edited on October 30, 2010 at 1:12pmMay '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Sally,
I'd also love to see more southern voices. Tried to express that in several threads this summer (though I used the term "flyover" country) and sensed that I was offending the powers that be so I stopped.
I have a specific person in mind that I'd love to see on Ricochet. Linda Howington, who writes as Linda Howard, would be a fabulous addition to Ricochet though I don't even know if she's political or not. I sense from her books that she leans right, though, and she's got a uniquely southern sense of humor that leaves me laughing out loud. Saw her speak once and she's hilarious. Lives in Alabama and can tell a story as well as any stand up comedian.
Edited on October 29, 2010 at 3:18pmJun '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
The editors haven't picked this up so I'll say that members can't initiate threads but Diane Ellis has hinted about it and The Logo (Headlines) also intimates that this may be coming in a few weeks.
(BTW Is your avatar picture from the North Channel? Looks like the Benjamins to me)
Jun '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Rob Long: Claire, this was a great idea for a conversation. Let's do it every couple of weeks, don't you think? Just to get everybody feeling welcome?
Like we say: Join the Conversation. There's no reason to be intimidated. I mean, good Lord, we let McGurn post! · Oct 27 at 12:03pm
It was a great idea and no one does it better than Claire. Still, it would be great to have each of the editors and principals take a turn at greeting the new members in this fashion. I think that "veterans" are also enjoying this as a place to meet new members as they come aboard.
Oct '10
Re: Silent Members, Please Say Hello!
Oh, let's make it 100 comments...I joined 15 minutes ago, does that make me the extrovert?