Alicia BrownNov 13, 2022
stuxโšก๏ธ

Isn't it kinda weird that #Mastodon gets described as 'left-leaning' because we handle more strickt rules and don't tolerate things like bullying.. It could be me but I perceive this as 'normal'.

I mean you don't call people all kinds of names in a conversation on the street or in the store right? Even if you don't agree๐Ÿค”

Somehow it feels the (online) standards for treating each other have declined so much over the past few years  

Let them talk, we are a loving and happy community!

Nov 9, 2022 at 3:31pmWeb
Show threadAndy McGuire ๐Ÿ•Nov 9, 2022
@stux exactly this!
I never understood why it was fine to scream death threats at someone online, but it posted it through their letterbox - you are actually breaking the law.
Show threadCoach Pฤแน‡ini ยฎNov 9, 2022
@asjmcguire @stux maybe not death threats, but when the comedians show up en masse, #EternalSeptember will be turbo-charged
Show threadthem#ticNov 9, 2022
@stux Maybe it has something to do with schools often failing at this.
Show threadVera Nov 9, 2022
@stux precies dit! Gewoon met elkaar praten moet weer de standaard zijn.
Show threadChris Funderburg ๐ŸNov 9, 2022
@stux That's very true but I made the mistake of looking at a few of the Mastodon servers from my own block list last night. There are some terrifying communities out there.
Show threadJeeweeNov 9, 2022

@stux

Totally agree!

Show threadQuincy โ‚Nov 9, 2022

@stux

A lot of reasonable, rather neutral things and people get called "left-leaning" lately.

Much like someone with a broken compass who calls north, "west".

*Shrug* It tells me more about the owner of the broken compass than about where to find north and west and south and east.

Tells me all I need to know about such a person, in fact: that I can safely ignore their opinion.

Show threadChristopherNov 9, 2022
@stux All perspective. I've had conservatives call me communist, communists call me a centrist, centrists call me leftist, leftists call me liberal, and liberals call me weird.
Show threadPatrick "Trick" MorrisNov 9, 2022
@stux I'm old enough to remember a time when civility wasn't considered political. Interesting times.
Show threadMirishuliNov 9, 2022
@stux I cannot believe you guys have been here all this them and I was stuck in bird poop land. Iโ€™m now thankful we were forced into migrating!
Show threadTheSurrealSealNov 9, 2022
@MiriShuli @stux
I had a look in here last year, but found it a little confusing (I"m a pensioner, & I find lots of 'techie' things confusing). I'm glad I finally plucked up courage to jump ship - & glad that I made a clean break. It was actually easier once I denied myself the luxury of looking back. I am happy to make new friends here.
Show threadJulieHarden Nov 9, 2022
@stux So much more calming here. It's the perfect mix of fun, interesting, and current events. A nice balance.
Show threadJohnny in MirrorshadesNov 9, 2022
@stux
Having respect to somebody else is not left-leaning :D
Show threaddaniel s.Nov 9, 2022
@stux in an age when the sole unifying principle of conservatism is "owning the libs" to the degree that they openly mock attempted murder victims, yes, basic human decency has become the province of the left.
Show threadEl. Nov 9, 2022
@stux 
Show threadMark AmblerNov 9, 2022
@stux There is a perception that this environment will create echo chambers. However, diverse and thoughtful conversation is its own reward and if this environment encourages that I will shout into the cave.
Show threadStefan Nov 9, 2022
@stux I like it here in the fediverse a lot more than on e.g. the birdsite. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ
It always depends on how one defines "freedom of speech".
I'm from Germany and here there are penal provisions for insults and abuses, but still we have freedom of speech, except for denying the Holocaust.
If your definition of "freedom of speech" includes antisemitism, homophobia, and xenophobia you should look and register elsewhere.
That's the argument from some people: "You are not allowed to say anything anymore"
Show threadKNovaNov 9, 2022
@stux most of us were also taught growing up to treat others with respect, but it seems like all that goes out the window when you Log Inโ„ข๏ธ online
Show thread[email protected] ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’™Nov 9, 2022
@stux
Thank you for creating a happy safe space for us. I love it here.๐Ÿ™‚
Show threadcleatsandcodeNov 9, 2022
@stux I'm hoping Mastodon stays like this, friendly. Not like chasing, etc. Its (for me anyway) quite calm and insightful as opposed to what feels like being stuck near a bunch of slot machines. That could be my ND brain at work but I like it here.
Show threadStroomAfwaarts ๐ŸŒฑNov 9, 2022
@stux Common decency is left wing?
Sounds accurate these days... โœ”๏ธ
Show threadRam RamaiyahNov 9, 2022
@stux I feel it is the only way to make money. Technology is pretty much saturated. The only way to make money is to divide and rule. Groups get created. In my opinion, there are just 2 kinds of people. One who understand that not everybody can be satisfied. The other who believes they have the power to do just that. Agree?
Show threadWiekeNov 9, 2022
@stux respect has nothing to do with left or right. Just treat another like you yourself want to be treated and weโ€™ll have a beautiful community together. Thank you for everything you do!
Show threadChristoph MarshallNov 9, 2022
@stux #Mastodon is the first "social network" I have had any interest in actively participating for years now โ€” everywhere else I have just lurked. It is amazing what these communities have achieved and I hope much of the culture can be preserved even with the influx of new users (like myself).
Show threadั–ะฒะฐััŒ ั‚ะฐั€ะฐัะธะบNov 9, 2022

@stux i don't think it's because of the local rules and account/instance banningโ€ฆ

i have my idea of why but have not been able to properly formulate it yet, not sure if i even need too. i'm fine with the state of things so why bother? =)

Show threadMary P G KeatingNov 9, 2022
@stux
Thanks for your patience and kindness to us.
Show threadPhillip ThernNov 9, 2022
@stux I think this has to do with all of the internet solipsisists. Some people just forget that they're talking to another person and that they're not being horrible to an unfeeling entity. With the influx of people on mastodon, these will eventually also find their footing here (I think I may have even encountered one)
Show threadJenni Said ThatNov 9, 2022
@stux sometimes people in the US absolutely do call people on the streets and even in their own homes a bunch of names in a conversation about politics. But most of the people who instigate that (but by no means all) are right-leaning.
Show threadCKenshinNov 9, 2022
@odanu @stux All depends on the culture in the area. I'm left leaning and have been completely repulsed by some of the insults thrown by my further left leaning friends. You really saw that come into light between the Hillary and Bernie primaries.
Show threadJenni Said ThatNov 9, 2022
@ckenshin @stux I absolutely said "most" and not "all" for a reason. ๐Ÿ˜‰
Show threadCKenshinNov 9, 2022
@odanu @stux ah yes you did. ๐Ÿ™ƒ
Show thread๐ŸŒญpulpketchup๐ŸŒญNov 9, 2022
@stux very accurate point. I doubt most of what is said online now, would be said to strangers/acquaintances in a pub for fear of a clip round the ear.
Show threadJames WellsNov 9, 2022

@pulpketchup @stux
There is more to this than you may realize... Not only can you not reach out and clip them around the ear, but online, you honestly don't know who they are.

Anonymity, like alcohol, reduces inhibitions and increases opportunities for aggression

Show threadSham ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆNov 9, 2022
@stux It's silly to think that being nice to each other has to be a political agenda, but here we are, I guess? ๐Ÿ™ƒ
Show threadQuazatron Nov 9, 2022
@stux seems US politics is so skewed to the right that what EU people consider "center" they call "left".
Show threadShanNov 9, 2022
@stux Super weird that behaving like you got a passing grade in kindergarten now means you're left-leaning.
Show threadKeiรพ ๐Ÿ”ญNov 9, 2022
@stux "left-leaning" has always meant "civilised and giving a damn about others" in my mind.
Show threadAwaclusNov 9, 2022
@stux I bet someone could set up an explicitly right-wing Mastodon instance and most other instances would just federate with it as long as it didn't allow spamming, harassment, or discrimination.
Show threadCarlo TorresNov 9, 2022
@stux exactly, why is it considered left leaning to be decent and civil? Its absurd that this is even a point of contention lol
Show threadMJNov 9, 2022
@stux I don't know, I watched an amazing shouting match in front of a Target store with 2 women calling each other "Karen" a couple of weeks ago. Felt like I had to duck and cover to get to my vehicle.
Show threadwobweger Nov 9, 2022
@stux if loving happy community qualifies as left-leaning, so be it;
it's better than being a hater and right-leaning.
Show threadMrCompletelyNov 9, 2022
@stux since modern right wing political expression commonly contains or simply is hate speech, any platform moderated to exclude hate speech will tend away from right wing views over time. That's their problem.
Show threaddivVerentNov 9, 2022
@MrCompletely @stux I'd rather say, _some_ right wing political expression is or contains hate speech. Once you exclude a certain blue-white entity from Duckburg, there really isn't that much hate speech left.
Show threadMrCompletelyNov 9, 2022
@divVerent @stux that's what I meant by "commonly" - not always, certainly, but it's sadly become a typical feature of right wing discourse at a statistical level, so to speak. It's significant enough that simply controlling hate speech filters out enough right wing expression to make a visible disparity
Show threadMiloNov 9, 2022
It's dependent on people's tolerances and culture experience. What is seen as bullying by one group is just normal afternoon for another.
Show threadtyxNov 9, 2022
@milo @stux This! People should just remember that "Common decency" which people in this thread appealed to is what was used to argue against feminism, sexual revolution, pacifism, rock music and so on. It's really better to set your own rules just for yourself and choose your community with similar rules than to make everyone obey one rule-book (or authority, hello despotism) for all. And the fediverse is great by making this easy.
Show threadKreativeThinkerNov 9, 2022
@stux an explanation for this can be because the shift of the center towards the right making what was once the centre to be the left. Mastodon is normal for people who have joined social media in the form of mastodon as they are not exposed to the "normal" of otherplatforms.
Show threadkevinpocock ๐ŸŒณNov 9, 2022

@stux I've been thinking about this, and I guess it's because democratic/decentralised approaches to running anything usually resolve to what benefits the majority. Whereas environments with singular owners/entities are predisposed to self-serve.

Something like that, anyhow.

Show threadSarNov 9, 2022

@stux

For certain elements of society, not just online, civility seems to be an out-dated concept. Politeness is seen as weakness, and kindness as abhorrent.

It's a sad situation, which has become even worse on a certain other site now, since a specific someone made the worst impulse purchase of all time.

Show threadOctavia NasrNov 9, 2022
@stux It is so very sad but true! ๐Ÿ˜ž Research suggests that the rise in incivility in the world is a direct effect of social media!! Also, here in the US, people are not civil to one another anymore. So, yes, people are calling each other names to their faces these days. It is pathetic!
Show threadWilliam AycockNov 9, 2022
@stux they're jealous cuz the right leaning sites they tried to make failed or are failing.
Show threadasaxena87Nov 9, 2022
@stux some people brand all things community as left-leaning! Not that consider the latter bad, but it clearly not left-leaning anyway...
Show threadRilana ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‰๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆNov 9, 2022
@stux true
Show threadEdwinNov 9, 2022
@stux wait for the moment that we are called woke from that side. ๐Ÿ˜†
Show threadloganNov 9, 2022
@edwinNL @stux i'm a head of the curve you see, i skipped woke and went straight to broke ๐Ÿ˜ธ #๐Ÿค”
Show threadKat Earthren LiuNov 9, 2022

@stux It may sound weird, but I think it's very easy for us humans to forget that we're talking to other human beings when we're doing it thru computer screens. When it's face to face on the street you can see the other person's reactions, which is more likely to trigger empathy. But behind a screen we don't get that feedback.

I think we just very easily forget that we're talking to fellow human beings and that if they have different opinions it's because they've had different experiences.

Show threadJose GarciaNov 9, 2022

@stux Could it also be because Mastodon, correct me if I'm wrong, tends to be more European?

I think Americans are accustomed to being in the majority when the conversation is happening in English online.

Show threadMatthew CeplinaNov 9, 2022
@stux Excellent point. It's rather strange we tolerate decorum on social media we would never tolerate face-to-face.
Show threadJocelynephiliac Nov 9, 2022
@stux The overton window in western society has moved so far to the right that anything short of facism is "left leaning"
Show threadj_EDI_Force ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€โšง๏ธ๐ŸŸ๐ŸŒŽโšฝ๏ธNov 9, 2022
This 100%. No culture wars, no erasing of authenticity, no post truthism.
Integrity, authenticity and truth only