Thread:Fossiliferous/@comment-25989346-20160707214138/@comment-24668482-20160707224424

Dean, when long standing and highly respected members of our community speak up, then you can be sure that I will immediately listen. And if there is a community consensus that there is a problem or that the safe space that has developed here has been compromised, then action clearly should be taken. If people are being upset, then the situation should be resolved as quickly as possible.

However, there has to be a fair way to negotiate such difficult situations, where cool heads prevail. What can be clearly interpreted as a family coming together to defend their home by some, could also be interpreted as ganging up by others. A ferocious defense can look a lot like an attack. The line is a thin one, and I must admit feeling disappointment reading some posts here today. And although I want to take action, I need to be sure that in doing so we are not setting a precedent that witch hunts are okay here, as that in and of itself would erode the safe space here.

We are blessed with a community full of kind hearted, witty and generous people, who are capable of great empathy and thoughtful discourse. And yes, that is something truely special that should be protected and preserved. It is a unicorn after all. But it is also something to be proud of and fall back on.

I would suggest that throwing a blanket on a fire is far more effective than throwing gasoline on it. Record and report everything that is problematic, but try to avoid engaging directly.

If it continues, or if people still do not feel safe, then yes this will have to be dealt with with a strong hand and a simple block. But I, for one, would feel better knowing that all other options had been exhausted, a second chance had been given, and we were sure that the situtation simply could not be otherwise resolved.