The reason I asked was because a while ago you had posted about flagging people who you saw as breaking the rules, and I was wondering how you reconciled that with your very valid point here that the only way to keep a community vibrant is to break the rules. Your answer here makes sense and is pretty much how I think of it; for example, I knowingly break the rule of "don't bring it up if you're downvoted" knowing that my popularity will take a small hit.
The challenge though is that what rules "matter" and "better/worse" are subjective -- and when groupthink sets in, attempts to change the rules are opposed even if many people think they would result in a better community.
The challenge though is that what rules "matter" and "better/worse" are subjective -- and when groupthink sets in, attempts to change the rules are opposed even if many people think they would result in a better community.
And yes, I've read PG's essay. My thoughts are at http://www.talesfromthe.net/jon/?p=2091 ... our earlier discussion is in the first comment