Posted by anna78 on January 30, 2001, at 11:53:13
In reply to Re: The article, posted by name on January 26, 2001, at 1:35:56
Thanks for the helpful followup reply, name..... I very much appreciate your input on this matter, since nobody else seems to see much wrong with what doc has done here.An issue not yet discussed is one about the power differential that exists between the doc/administrator and his subjects/posters/consumers/advice-receivers. in therapy, I know that therapists seek to try and limit having more than one relationship with the client at a time..in other words, the therapist is the therapist, she is not the client's "friend" or anything else. (although transference may make the therapist something else temporarily or symbolically..)
Here, doc is in the role of administrator, with the unique and unequalled power to kick anybody off of his little world he doesn't agree with or thinks is acting in a manner inconsistent with what he'd like. he is also in the role of psychiatrist, doling out tidbits of information on high, very much like a traditional doctor. and he is in the role of resource provider, giving everyone the actual technical resources to participate and be together. last, he is in the role of secret researcher and author, collecting our posts as 'data' for his studies, but not letting anyone know about it until after-the-fact.
Seems like a lot of roles to juggle and to juggle well. it's no wonder that so many people defend him so vigorously, because they owe him so much and after all, what is vesper's privacy worth? apparently not all that much.
poster:anna78
thread:326
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20001124/msgs/440.html