What is the opposite of dickish?
Given the vigor of the discussion of Kos's diary publishing the new Community Guidelines, this question seemed worth some thought. I couldn't get a direct answer from Google's vaunted new dictionary feature but it did lead to what looked like a pretty good definition of dickish:
offensively unpleasant and vexatious, either intentionally or obliviously so
Based upon his rules, I think Kos would accept that definition and embellish it with violently minded (Guideline No. 2), bigoted (Guideline No. 3), injurious (Guideline Nos. 4, 8, 9 & 15), insulting (Rule No. 6), predatory (Guideline Nos. 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 & 15), larcenous (Guideline Nos. 7, 10 & 11), dishonest (Guideline No. 12), credulous (Guideline No. 13), accusing (Guideline No. 15), disloyal (Guideline No. 14) and bad editorial attitude (Guideline No. 1).
The Community Guidelines are largely an expression of things not to do and ways not to act on the blog that Kos Media allows us to use. This gives us a kind of anti-Boy Scout Oath, a sort of "what not to be" as a Kossack:
an offensively unpleasant and vexatious, either intentionally or obliviously so, violently minded, bigoted , injurious , insulting , predatory, larcenous, dishonest, credulous, accusing, disloyal blogger with bad editorial attitude
Follow me out into the tall grass if you want to talk about how those ideas might translate into being a righteous Kossack.
There are ways to disagree without being disagreeable. They aren't always easy and are sometimes, it seems at least, impossible, That doesn't mean that there shouldn't be any ideal of how bloggers ought to behave on this site. I've done some preliminary speculation on what might be the traits of someone, a Righteous Kossack, who was very careful to never be the least bit dickish.
No. 1: A Righteous Kossack will try exercise thought and care to post nothing without first considering whether it might be unnecessarily provoking an argument for the sake of the fight rather than to make a new, constructive and informative or entertaining or humorous point relevant to the topic under discussion. Learn to argue without being argumentative.
No. 2: A Righteous Kossack will be loyal, which means loyal to the election of Democratic Party office seekers, not Green, or Libertarian, or, unthinkably, GOP office seekers. This hardly prevents the RK from viciously attacking the party, its leadership or individual members, so long it is done in reasonably pleasant terms and remains fact based, reportorial and honest.
No. 3: A Righteous Kossack will both avoid bigotry and condemn it wherever it may be found.
No. 4: A Righteous Kossack will refrain from all forms of personal attack and say nothing injurious nor seek the harm of anyone.
No. 5: A Righteous Kossack will act like an adult. Adults don't generally go through their day insulting other people, being rude, taking what isn't theirs. That's how kids act on playgrounds. No matter how much fun we have playing here, Daily Kos ain't no playground.
No. 6: A Righteous Kossack will use this blog honestly, seeking no undeserved gain, taking advantage of no other blogger, abiding here for the sense of community, the knowledge, the honest arguments, pooties, woozles and all the other things that justify the ridiculous amounts of time some of us spend reading one another's works.
No, 7: A Righteous Kossack will hoard and cautiously dispense donuts. The status of Trusted User might not mean much, but it is an important editorial tool for this site. The importance of this feature has only increased, as I view it, in the years that I have been here. Think of them as A-bombs. Drop one only out of absolute necessity.
Other than the banned, of course, all are welcome at DK, according to the rules. One need not be a Righteous Kossack to blog here. Given that we all have lapses in our behavior, perhaps none of us will ever truly be a totally Righteous Kossack, even if we try very hard.
It is useful to have a list of things not to do and I thank Kos for that.
It is also useful to have a list of things to do.