Orthotown October 2022 - 10

a voice in the arena
I have also found a similar trait to these
groups: Although the participants have
different training and practices, for the
most part they are very like-minded when
it comes to the philosophy of the group.
You're not likely to spend significant time
or money to join a group you don't think
highly of, or just for the exercise of being
a thoughtful dissonant. In this way, while
educational, they can tend to be self-serving
to their own beliefs, sometimes becoming
insulated, critique-free echo chambers.
The open-source format and the allowance
of thoughtful criticism are the power
of online groups. Those willing to leave
the safety of anonymity to share their
thoughts and work, and those willing to
be professionals in their critique, will move
us out of our insulated and political echo
chambers and forward to the productive
discourse that our specialty needs to evolve.
The bad: Disingenuous or
unproductive criticism
There is, however, a type of criticism of
a completely different nature, and it is the
enemy of progressive and productive debate.
I've previously written about it in another
column, but I will summarize.
This type of criticism is not so much
interested in professionally debating the
actual word or work presented by the subject
of the critique. With the goal of winning an
argument with a caricature or " straw man "
of their opponent, these critics are more
interested in misrepresenting, conflating,
ignoring context or even assigning viewpoints
likely not even held by the person being
criticized. Some go further to villainize the
sharer's motives, to claim that the sharer is
taking an arrogant position of superiority by
sharing, or to shame the original poster as
not worthy of sharing in the first place. This
type of criticism seeks to " win " by shaming
and silencing the opposing viewpoint.
This type of criticism is why much of
the continuing education in our profession
is done in the aforementioned study clubs
or professional organizations that are often
nothing more than echo chambers of onesided
and unopposed biases and preferences.
10 OCTOBER 2022 // orthotown.com
In these safe places, learning advances at a
slower pace, free from all types of criticism,
including the invaluable constructive kind.
That is the practical tragedy of the bad side
of online forums.
The ugly: " Dollar Beer Night "
Because of the accessibility, anonymity
and open-source nature of online forums,
their ugly side is always poised to make
an appearance. The ugly side is when the
commentary devolves from unhealthy
criticism into personal insults and character
attacks. I liken this side of these forums
to " dollar beer night " at a sporting event.
If you've never been to one, dollar beer
night (or, back in the day, " quarter beer
night " or " 10-cent beer night " ) are nights
when the local sports team, in an effort to
boost attendance, sells a high volume of really
cheap beer. This is usually done by minor
league franchises or major league franchises
that typically suffer poor attendance. These
events are more drunken spectacle than
sport. The athletes don't want to be there;
they'd rather not be subject to the nonstop
jeering of the crowd and the violence that's
likely to spill onto the field. Security sure
as heck doesn't want to be there to have to
police the fray.
The audience, though, is a bit diverse.
Some come with no interest in the sport;
they're looking to get boozed up and exorcise
their demons all over the rest of the audience
and the participants on the field. Some
come without much interest in drinking
or the sport-they're there to watch the
entertainment from the drunken spectacle.
Often, notably missing in the audience are
the regular attendees who are genuinely
interested in the team or sport itself. They
know what the evening will be about and
would rather not waste their time.
This ugly side is a turnoff for both
the athletes (the person posting) and the
true fan of the sport (the members of the
group with a true interest in learning and
thoughtful discourse). On these occasions,
the event in the arena has little to do with
sport at all. Despite the fantastic attendance,
it is a sideshow. Dollar beer night is a lewd
bacchanal that delivers cheap entertainment
but is a shell of the sport's potential.
I'll end by reiterating that when it
comes to the good, the bad and the ugly of
the online orthodontic forums, the good
far outweighs the bad and the ugly. Those
who share their voices and work in these
open-source formats do more than risk some
mud on their face or a bruised ego. Their
submission of content open for dissection and
debate advances the necessary discussions
within our specialty. They are the men and
women in the arena, as Teddy Roosevelt
described, whether cheap beer flows onto
the pitch from the stands or not. n
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Orthotown October 2022

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