Meaningful Conversation on the Web

Regarding on-line incivility: is there a cure ...

I also spend a lot of time dwelling on the question of just how much meaningful conversation is possible on the Web. But, I don't frame the question in terms of political content. I frame it in terms of sparking imagination that can evolve into creative solutions to one's work and life passions.

The most meaningful conversations I have had on the Web have been asynchronous communications that help me frame problems and envision solutions so that I can determine where to put my energy efficiently. Useful static documents on the Web are conversational if I choose to follow up with the author. If I have put the time in to understand the document, organize my thoughts, script some creative interaction that appears relevant to the author, and approach the author thoughtfully, I find that the conversation that ensues is as meaningful as I could imagine in a non Web-mediated process. I'm appreciative that the Web has assisted me in finding the conversation.

I agree with the sentiment that

It may very well be that aggressive forum moderation is the only way to create public spaces in which constructive discussion can thrive regularly.

is important if there is a larger group participating in the dicussion. I see how we all need to learn how to best understand documents, organize our thoughts, script some creative interaction that appears relevant to the author, and approach the author thoughtfully. We should support and push for moderation by those who seem the most gifted at those skills. Those skills should be a valued and rewarded (financially if desired) by those who try to build successful CMC examples.

Meaningful conversations in the synchronous mode are leveraged by immediacy. If I need to know something with urgency and I can get a satisfactory answer from a discussion that is established by CMC services, I am likely to be supportive of CMC in general.

There is a gradient of depth of meaning in the word meaningful. Each of us has to develop our consciousness of meaning and use CMC flexibly to match depth with use.