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January 28, 2016 07:49 am PST

Saying "never read the comments" turns a blind eye to abuse

cat paw stop posting

Anil Dash writes that a cynical blogger in-joke"never read the comments"has become a "bad habit," an excuse for giving free rein to abusive conduct.

honestly, I get itmaking a joke out of the situation may be the only way of dealing with that horrible feeling of dread that comes from knowing an institution values ones words enough to profit from them, but not enough to protect the person writing those words

Yet I think our reflexive use of these grim jokes have gotten accepted into the culture of people who build, manage, and publish on large social apps and media sites. The fact that we joke about it documents an acceptance of a culture of abuse online. It helps normalize online harassment campaigns and treat the empowerment of abusers as inevitable, rather than solvable.

And worse, we denigrate a form that used to be, and sometimes still is, a powerful way of making meaningful connections with the world. I met most of my closest friends in the comments on my blog, or by commenting on theirs.


Original Link: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/b4Q0suV-GJU/saying-never-read-the-commen.html

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