Taido/Blog

In Taido/Blog by andy

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First, I want to echo this site’s disclaimer and reiterate that Taido/Blog is a personal project - one person’s attempt at making real, usable information available for English-speaking Taido students. Sometimes, I am wrong, and I rely on comments and emails from better-informed Tadioka to help keep me on track.

Most of those comments and emails have been very positive and express support for this project. A few have expressed dissatisfaction. Regardless, I have never prevented even a marginally relevant comment from posting - even the ones that were deliberately insulting or mean-spirited. I plan to continue just this way.

My Biggest Fan

Earlier this week, someone attempted to post the following comment to one of the least important pages on Taido/Blog:

Just a disclaimer (I know there’s one on here, but it doesn’t properly convey the type of inaccuracies) to any one who reads this, there are MANY errors here, would not even know where to start…I guess that’s the world of Blogging though, right?…Write whatever, ask questions later?

I have talked to many people recently at the honbu regarding this type of info. Andy, I am sure you worked hard on this, really not trying to be rude…but just a heads up to anyone reading this. This is a VERY rough draft.

The sender declined to include a real name or email address. However, thanks to the miracles of technology, I can tell you that this person has commented on Taido/Blog on at least three other occasions. On each of these occasions, the person in question attempted to undermine my credibility by making comments of a negative and insulting manner. When I get a new comment from this person, my software sends me an email that says “You have a new comment from your biggest fan!”

Responding to Criticism

I appreciate people reading my site and trying to keep me honest. However, you don’t get to make assertions without evidence. That’s disingenuous.

I’ve highlighted a few portions of the original message below to help demonstrate what I feel makes a good, constructive comment.

doesn’t properly convey the type of inaccuracies

That’s funny, because this message doesn’t convey the type of inaccuracies either. Please describe the “type” of inaccuracy. There’s only three types of information on the page in question (names, dates, and levels); What specifically is the problem?

would not even know where to start

This is a cop-out. Plenty of other commenters knew exactly where to start. Anyone caring enough to say it’s wrong should care enough to explain what they think is better. How about this, start with the first inaccuracy you find and go from there.

I guess that’s the world of Blogging

Keep guessing. Blogs are about being able to spread ideas. Good blogs are about being accountable for our opinions. The “world of Blogging” agrees to invite criticism because it makes those ideas and opinions better.

I have talked to many people recently at the honbu

Who? What do they say that’s different from what I say? What makes them credible?

this type of info

Specifically what type is that? The type written by me?

really not trying to be rude

I appreciate that. Honestly. And I want to make it clear that I don’t find this comment rude at all. Rudeness doesn’t lend itself to smooth and purposeful communication. Now, since we’ve all done such a good job of not being rude, I have to ask:

What is the purpose of this communication?

I get the impression that the purpose is to cast doubts on my credibility. There is a claim that “many” people disagree with me. There is a claim that I have written numerous inaccuracies of various types. There is an implication that any website with the word “blog” in the title is spurious. All this from someone who hides behind several aliases and fake email addresses.

The author can’t be bothered to set me straight on any of these issues. Not a single one. There is zero data to provided support any of these claims.

As polite as it my be, the spirit of this comment is not in good faith. My Biggest Fan claims to have superior information but refuses to share that info. It’s like some kind of internet scam - “Learn the TRUTH about the Diet Secrets your doctor doesn’t want you to know! Click now to find out for the low price of $97.”

All this kind of talk does is trigger my bullshit alarm. It’s easy to act like you’re doing a good deed by warning people about unspecified “inaccuracies,” but it doesn’t mean anything unless those inaccuracies are corrected.

Credibility

Credibility is a big buzz word on the internet. It’s not too difficult for a person to write just about anything they feel like - totally anonymously. People often question the credibility of Wikipedia.org because every article is written and edited by somebody out there - somebody who may not know what they are talking about. Despite this, Wikipedia is right a lot of the time, and that’s why it’s become one of the most-consulted reference resources in the world.

Taido/Blog is no Wikipedia, but it’s the most complete English-language Taido resource in the world. Whether or not you trust what I write here is up to you.

Is Taido/Blog Credible?

When I began writing Taido/Blog, I had very little credibility outside the US. This is because almost all of the Taido students in America knew me (I had taught most of them at least a few times), and very few students in other countries had ever heard of me. It took a few months, but eventually, word got around, and now most English-speaking Taidoka read Taido/Blog at least occasionally.

With that higher profile comes a lot more credibility. More people read what I’ve written here, and they choose to either agree or disagree. Either way, readers learn something about me, about themselves, and about Taido. In the long run, this increases my credibility, even when people disagree with me. That’s because I’m committed to dealing with disagreement openly and honestly.

Here’s a few general thoughts about credibility on Taido/Blog:

• Taido/Blog is credible because anyone can disagree. The blog architecture features open comments - anyone can take a moment and post their own ideas to any post. This is something that isn’t going away. I want comments, even from people who disagree with me, because they lead to increased communication and exchange of ideas in the international Taido community.
• I am credible because I post explicit details about who I am and what I do. I’m not just some faceless, nameless person trying to sound like an expert - very many of my readers have trained with me in person or even had a few beers with me. The Taido universe is very, very small, and I wouldn’t be able to get away with writing this website anonymously.
• My writing is credible because the vast majority of it will ring true with the experiences of most Taidoka. I’m not the best Taidoka in the world, nor the most knowledgeable. However, I am pretty experienced, and I do a lot of study and practice. I think most experienced Taido students will find a lot of consonance with what I write.

Maybe you disagree with my logic. That’s cool - let me know. By communicating openly, everyone gets a chance to learn.

Please Contribute

It’s easy to complain, which is why everyone does it. I do it. The real challenge in life is to contribute to improving things. I try to do that too.

I started Taido/Blog because I found myself complaining about not having a resource for Taido theory in English. Problem solved. Sort of. I sometimes find myself complaining when I hadn’t intended to. My personal policy is that, if I complain, I have to at least include a suggestion for making improvements. Sometimes those suggestions are (I think) very feasible solutions. Sometimes, my suggestions are just the best I can do.

Still, it is my best. And it has to be, because my name and my face are right here with every word I write.

Help Me Out

If there are inaccuracies, I sincerely want to know about them. People have commented in the past about specific inaccuracies, and I’ve responded each time with updates. I’d like to continue with this practice. The more people chime in with specific information, the better-informed we’ll all be.

However, please don’t comment with vague implications that seek to subvert the spirit of honest and open communication I try to cultivate on Taido/Blog. It brings a feeling of negativity that only hurts Taido in the long run. If we Taido students aren’t allowed to express our ideas without fear of ridicule and ostracism, what kind of future does Taido have?

To the Original Commenter:

So yeah, Biggest Fan, I couldn’t post your comment as it stood without responding. However, if you reply with specific corrections, I’ll make the necessary updates (after confirming with other sources) and post your original comment along with a “thank you.”

How can you beat that? It sounds like win/win to me.

Content of this page created by Andy Fossett exclusively for Taido/Blog.

Tags: practice, study

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