Well, I must confess that I can't get too excited over all the control freaks around SI. Stripped to its essence, control is what all of these arguments are really about, in my estimation. I do see it as largely an issue of exalting associational rights over speech rights.
Some groups, headed by some moderators, wish only to have discourse which agrees with their own POV, although they give lip service to being broad minded and eminently fair. Eventually, such groups must become homogeneous. Dissenting viewpoints tend to be subtly discounted or discouraged, and ultimately even shouted down. The rules of engagement, as reflected in thread headers, often undergo modifications which eventually restrict the mode of expression such that only certain ideas are welcome. If a poster desires to remain part of the group, such poster has to express the accepted group mantras and couch his or her own views in the accepted language and within the defined parameters. If not, they must leave or be banished. They can't remain part of the group unless they're willing to exchange their individual ideas for inclusion in the group. It happens all the time.
If the group dynamic changes at all, it's because the dissenting viewpoints are effectively weeded out, such that the remaining posters are freed up to redefine the rules of engagement to further their own POV.
There is a natural human tendency to want to be in the herd of
people with whom one agrees. It's safer that way, even if they have to give up some self-identity in exchange for the privilege of group membership. It also makes life so much easier...:-) High fives to a biased opinion beat the heck out of responding to a criticism.
Personally, while I enjoy conversing with folks with whom I share some philosophical commonality, I also enjoy the exchange of ideas with people whose outlook or views I do not share. I'm not in favor of censorship. I do not think it appropriate to engage in prior restraint or other mechanisms designed to strangle free expression. At the same time, if
enclaves of posters want to associate only with those of their own ilk and predilections, let them. Have at it with the bans and ignores...lol
I suspect what you're reacting to is the hypocrisy of the bannors and ignorors....well, this is not a perfect world.
People want to place themselves in the best possible light.
Fortunately, everything here is part of a written record and anyone who cares to can assess for him or herself what others are about.
The following link deals with controlling group behavior:
whitestag.org
Thought you might find that of interest. |
