September 05, 2003

After some martini-assisted discussion with my biggest fan (who happens to live with me), I'd like to present something to the nascent Astonished Head community, if I may be so bold as to call it that.

The Miserable Ovoid cartoon has attracted many new readers--as best as I can figure, daily readership is now double what it was.

I've always wanted Astonished Head to be the kind of place where people felt free to disagree, or to comment without being stomped on because they hadn't sat down and worked out every possible permutation of what they had to say or consulted the proper Philosophical Muses before posting.

I've also wanted Astonished Head to be the kind of place where people interested in a more formal, serious kind of inquiry could get down to it and roll around on the floor wrestling with premises and logic and Serious Things and so forth.

However, I've come to realize that these two goals of mine are somewhat exclusive: the folks who just want to say their bit in the Commentarium are generally not the folks who want to hop around and argue.

I don't want to give up on either goal. But I don't think that both goals can be satisfied with just one forum. I won't name names, but I'm sure you're all aware of the websites that are famous for the length of their discussion threads and the ferocity with which the dissenting or casual commenters are squashed. I don't want that to happen here. There are varying levels of commitment to the many different issues that are raised on this site. Some of those issues inspire more intensity than others, and some of those issues are so ethereal that they are, quite simply, not intended for raucous formal debate. I don't think it's productive to mix all of that together and hope that something good will come out of it.

So: I've got an idea. The Commentarium will operate as a lower-stress forum, where folks can say whatever, and not worry too much about getting involved in a knock-down drag-out debate. In addition, I will create a second forum for civil, but much more rigorous debate.

That way, those who just want to quip, say hi, express their feelings about a post or make a point or two can do so. Those who want to get into it further and engage in higher-energy debate can do so. And never the twain shall meet. Or something.

Sound good?

Please let me know your thoughts in the Commentarium.