05-23-2024, 09:20 PM
All we can do is try to provide an "unfertile" environment for that sort of thing. It is a community effort.
It starts by calling it out. Not running from it.
Sadly, many other sites try to run from it... most failing miserably. Some, like ATS tried to "contain it" but frankly, the members found that to be an impossibility. Any attempt to restrict its propagation were characterized as 'censorship' (apologies to the unrelated synchronicity here.) Often when people want to speak, any friction is mostly characterized as a horribly "offense" - regardless of the intent behind it. Offense is usually the domain of the offended to characterize... so ATS had to suffer the 'bleed' of that dynamic all across the board, to the dismay of many. Beware activism (political or otherwise) in virtual environments... it can, and often does, poison everything in its path.
But truthfully, we can't just proscribe the content of speech, but we do have a say as a community as to its form. If some member lapses into the paradigm of hostile or antagonistic partisanship or ideological dialog... say so.
We have to protect ourselves, lest we lose the nature of community which seeks free exchange of ideas, reject discouraging theatrical partisanship working against constructive dialogue.
It starts by calling it out. Not running from it.
Sadly, many other sites try to run from it... most failing miserably. Some, like ATS tried to "contain it" but frankly, the members found that to be an impossibility. Any attempt to restrict its propagation were characterized as 'censorship' (apologies to the unrelated synchronicity here.) Often when people want to speak, any friction is mostly characterized as a horribly "offense" - regardless of the intent behind it. Offense is usually the domain of the offended to characterize... so ATS had to suffer the 'bleed' of that dynamic all across the board, to the dismay of many. Beware activism (political or otherwise) in virtual environments... it can, and often does, poison everything in its path.
But truthfully, we can't just proscribe the content of speech, but we do have a say as a community as to its form. If some member lapses into the paradigm of hostile or antagonistic partisanship or ideological dialog... say so.
We have to protect ourselves, lest we lose the nature of community which seeks free exchange of ideas, reject discouraging theatrical partisanship working against constructive dialogue.
