cellio | Rosh Hashana and the season of repentance

Rosh Hashana, the new year and the Day of Judgement, begins tonight. We've been in a season of repentance for a little while, but we kick it up a notch now through Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).

One of the things we focus on in this season is repentance for errors we have made, intentional or unintentional. In Judaism, teshuva (repentance) isn't just about feeling bad that you did something; the process requires regret, making amends, apologizing to the ones you wronged, and endeavoring to not repeat those mistakes in the future. (The rabbis say that the true validation of teshuva is that you were in the situation again and didn't repeat the mistake. This is, obviously, the part of the process that is partly up to God.)

The problem, of course, is that you have to know you screwed up before you can fix it. If I have wronged or hurt someone, I would like the opportunity to do teshuva. This is not a blanket "if I've offended you please accept my apologies" post, because I don't know how I can do teshuva for things I don't know I did (or know I did but don't know were problems). Instead, this post is a request: if you are reading this, if I have wronged or hurt you, I ask you to contact me privately and give me the opportunity to correct the matter. If correction involves public action it will of course be forthcoming.

I want to screen replies to this post to make it easier for people with Dreamwidth accounts to respond, but I don't see where on the posting page I can do that. My email address is this journal name at pobox.com and DMs are open on Twitter. I'll be offline for the holiday for two days starting soon, but I will respond to anything I receive.

Thank you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Monica, we don't know each other and have never interacted on Stack Exchange. I'm not a major user there (and as such, won't even include my handle here). Nonetheless, I have come across many of your posts throughout the network and have found every one of them to be a positive contribution to the community. Apparently those who hold the gavel disagree.

Several high profile members of the community have expressed their support for you and have resigned in solidarity. As an average user, I didn't think it appropriate to make a splash there so I'll say it here instead: I stand with you. I don't believe that you have hurt anyone except for the egos of those who don't want their power challenged. I don't think you have any reason to apologize, although it's in your nature to show humility and acknowledge the possibility that you do.

Whether or not you continue to participate in the community, your contributions have helped a tremendous number of people. Thank you.

It would appear that you are due some teshuva this season rather than owing it.

Our interactions in the SE-verse have been limited, yet I am confident that the error, all the error, is on the other end of your communication channels with SE.

As a company they can do what the think they must, even what they think is right, they are not required to be right nor in the right.

Should you be willing to return to the position, I'd love to see you diamonds returned. I would be understanding, and sorrowed, if you should elect not to resume that post, as well.

In all cases, best of life to you, and Brightest Blessing always.

We can both owe and be owed *teshuva*. I didn't mean for people to interpret my post as commentary on SE; it's a sincere request, but SE's culturally-insensitive poor timing (on top of their more-broadly-outrageous actions) led to unfortunate timing here. I'm going to make a separate post about SE now.

Thank you for being such a positive influence in the community on SO/SE. You've always made good corrections, comments, answers, and (i think most positively) you've always acknowledged it when you've been incorrect and proven so. In this case, it seems that there has been no proving, and it saddens me and many others.

Love from Aerospace community being sent your way!

Thank you for the support!

I'm not perfect -- no human is -- but I try to proceed respectfully, help others, correct my own errors when I learn of them, and generally make the places I hang out a little better. It's upsetting to have that repaid this way, but I can't control other people, only myself, so that's where I try to focus.

Rosh Hashana and the season of repentance

I stand with you.

SE-verse diamonds.

Re: SE-verse diamonds.

We're not going anywhere

Re: We're not going anywhere