Free Speech: Why I chose to edit some comments
This post is in response to one of our reader’s comments that asked the following:
Wow...you've started editing posts and removing the names. Did you get a C&D [Cease & Desist] letter?????
Free speech | 03.01.07 - 6:26 pm | #
Free speech | 03.01.07 - 6:26 pm | #
See rest of history on side panels:
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Now here is my response:
Dear Free Speech:
You flatter me by being a reader of these posts for the last few months. I Thank you. And I am perplexed. I know I am not a good writer but did you really not get “it” after reading my indicated posts (see side panel)?
I know I often confuse my Faux Pax and my Foibles and have more than once used unintended risque double entendre. (I have been slapped at bars)
Misinterpreted innuendoes? (That's how I got married)
Or my persistent and ignorant uses of non sequiturs? (Did I tell you about my adventures with India?)
I am at a complete loss for your question but I will answer it in all seriousness because I said I would.
The answer is quite simple... I do not know how much longer I have left to live.
I am being very serious.
I do not have any illness, nor are there any contracts on my life (that I know of) but I am very clear that my ticket could be punched at any moment. I have seen young and old come and go quickly. I have faced death 5 times in my adult life and once in childhood and I can tell you in all honesty that when you do, it creates a crystal clear clarity about who you are and what is most important to you.
You see my purpose in life is to inspire others to discover and live their life purpose but...
my gifts and talents are building organizations.
It took me a while to reconcile the two (touchy feely vs. pragmatic) but I did. So my current mission in life is to help build organizations that make a difference.
I also have the challenge gene. I never see obstacles as problems but challenges. Yet I focus less on them and more on the solutions. It is who I am. It is how I am wired. I was not always that way but since I was a young kid I was a student of efficiency. Yeah I was the nerd. For pleasure I would read Demming and Juran. I know more about GE 6 Sigma than most of their black belts. Lean Manufacturing? I tried to implement it at home but my wife burned the project plans and gannt charts.
Look in the beginning Citigroup became a case study on what not to do when building a company that is aiming to be “the most respected financial services company in the world.” Yes we spoke about the management issues but always approached things with the lens of...”What can we do to fix it?” I repeatedly said over and over and over that this blog is not the National Enquirer. It is about building companies that make a difference. But I got disgusted by many of the comments out there. Yes I tolerated them in the beginning because I hoped the conversation would turn for the better.
All of you were so ready to condemn Citigroup’s management but only one of you had the courage to step up to the plate and offer actual solutions. I am telling you that I was going to fold up this blog if it wasn’t for that post (Citigroup: What Would You Do? ) that came in at a nick of time.
So finally after that post I felt there was hope in the world. I was no longer alone in the mission to build organizations that make a difference. So I rewarded myself by going off into the wilderness for the long weekend. I did not feel that good in years. After the well deserved rest I get back and all of a sudden I see people once again focusing on the gossip instead of offering our readers solutions. I felt frustrated once again. I even clearly stated:
I can't believe it. I go away for the weekend and I come back and find you guys/gals getting naughty. Yes some of you have posted valuable ideas but this blog is focused on building, not destroying and especially not about placing blame. I have not done any editing of comments because I truly believe in freedom of speech but you guys are violating the principles and values that we hold dear. You have put me in an awkward position.
Cheers,
Rick | Homepage | 02.20.07 - 8:00 am |
Cheers,
Rick | Homepage | 02.20.07 - 8:00 am |
This blog is not pulitzer prize winning journalism but it is a conversation and I do not tolerate gossip for long.
So here is a question for you: “If you knew that you had a year left to live, would you spend it gossiping or trying to leave something behind that is lasting?”
My Dear Free Speech: With the deepest sincerity, I thank you for asking the question and creating the opportunity for me to share these thoughts. And I invite you to get deeper into the conversation with us.
Cheers!
Rick
Thursday, March 8, 2007
