Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48350
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

It depends on what your goal is --an open letter can have many different audiences, and the putative addressee may not be the actual target. With that said, the best structure for a persuasive argument is to **start with common ground** , and to show how _the same things that all sides agree on lead inevitably towards your conclusion_. Then, bring things full circle by showing that things that _both_ sides value are endangered or at stake.

> Dear Stack Exchange,
> 
> Your site --which is really "our" site under the crowdsourcing model! --is rooted in (and dependent for its survival on) **mutual trust, a spirit of generosity, and a respect for everyone's ability to contribute**.
> 
> Which is why it's so dangerous to the interests of the network as a whole that a recent decision --while it may have been made with the best intentions, and in pursuit of the above aims --had the actual impact of **violating every one of those core norms**. The sudden, seemingly arbitrary de-modification of Monica Cellio, a long-standing, well-respected, and tirelessly contributing member of the larger SE community, has alienated crucial key members of said community, and stands to endanger much of the essential good will that SE has spent so long building.
> 
> **It's hard to see how SE can survive** if this becomes the new normal. You are literally only and exactly as strong as your community support.

Original score: 31