Here’s the thing.
The last 10 years have proven that organized online hostility is VERY EFFECTIVE at dictating public opinion.
That’s how we got the new fascist movements. Trump and the like. Because right wing hostility and bigotry went not only unchecked institutionally but unchallenged socially.
No solution has emerged for that from an institutional level.
So yeah, my socialist ass is fighting back. I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend the rest of my life under these fucking wastes of flesh and their bullshit antiquated opinions. I’m done taking it and I’m done tolerating it. Fuck every last republican and homophobe and transphobe and complicit liberal. All of them. And wouldn’t you know it, little by little they’re backing down when we stand up to them like the cowards they are.
Yes, I am deliberately far more hostile online, because it WORKS. And clearly nobody with institutional control cares enough to try anything else.
AugustWest@lemm.ee 19 hours ago
Back in the day I just assumed everyone was lying. Or trying to get people worked up, and we called them trolls.
Learning how to ignore the trolls, and not having trust for strangers on the internet, coupled with the ability to basically not care what random people said is a lost art.
Somehow people forgot to give other the people this memo, including the “you don’t fucking join social networks as your self”. Anonymity makes this all work.
BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
One of the differences these days is that marginalized groups are having their existences threatened… and not hollow threats, but meaningful ones that have had, and continue to have, very real consequences in the form of policies, hate crimes, etc.
That is legitimate, very real violence, and it results in very understandable hostility. And then those perpetuating, supporting, and celebrating the violence pretend they are victims when people treat them like the orcs they are.
“Why are you being so divisive?” “You’re not very TOLERANT of different opinions, are you?” “Why are you so angry all the time, snowflakes?”
Violent bullies need to be put in their place, and with more than just “hostility on the internet”.
Taalnazi@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
People who enploy hate speech need to have their access to internet revoked, I feel. Though I wonder if that won’t open up all sorts of nasty backdoors…
TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
Hear, hear! I miss the days when trolling used to mean piss take. If someone is trolling, troll them back!
I do get into political debates, but I don’t overshare my real info and I certainly don’t ban anyone for disagreeing with me. I find it cringe if anyone bans someone for disagreement to maintain “mental health”. Unless someone is stalking or making a calculated harrasment on the person online, sure ban or report the troll, but banning someone because the person does not have a good response shows pettiness.
AugustWest@lemm.ee 16 hours ago
Yeah the block and ban thing these days is really weird.
If someone is harassing you, then I guess it makes sense. But otherwise why do people do that?