I've thought of another analogy, less verbose than my previous post.
A. Think of a group of friends who come together to share enthusiasm for
birds, share what's coming to their feeders, what they saw on a walk in the
woods, or at the marsh, or on a trip across the state. Faces light up at
various reports. Folks say, "Oh, that's a good find!" "I always enjoy
seeing them." "They're so fun to watch." "Good for you."
B. Think of a high school or college biology field trip. There's a teacher
or lab assistant who's there to teach, make sure everyone gets through all
the exercises, correct mistakes, and ultimately grades students' papers.
Students have to fill out the worksheet. The object is learning and
correctness. This is science.
Now suppose you're an outsider who wanders into OBOL. Maybe you're wanting
to know a bit about birds, maybe a retiree who's looking for a new hobby.
How would you respond if you find that the model of OBOL is A? How about B?
People have different expectations, but we're mingling these two (and there
is a gradient between them) models.
Paul Sullivan
