2d ago

Why do you block people?

Source: PizzaCake Comics by Ellen Woodbury.

358 comments

Every block enforced your echo chamber, brick by brick.
This is why i don't block things in general. How could I possibly have the slightest bit of nuanced idea of what other people talk about, if i just block it?
- Ok, blocked.
  Just kidding. Debate is good, but unfortunately some of them is done in bad faith, either just for trolling, or because the oposing side just has no intention of even considering your arguments.
  In both case, blocking is justified.
  
  I tend to steer clear of online debate, i just want to see what is being written so that I don't get a skewed view. The only way to avoid the echo chamber is likely not participating in social media at all.
  If I have the energy for it, I browse some classical forums, where you have to go through every reply. Kind of tedious, but atleast every post gets the same "weight".
- I'm with you, to a degree. If I see someone clearly acting in bad faith and/or trolling, then they are just wasting my time.
  However, if we have a disagreement of opinion, I don't feel right about blocking that someone. This would lead to a lonely existence, because the odds of having someone that agrees with every single one of my opinions is pretty low, so that means over time, I'd have blocked everyone.
- I block people very rarely (I think I have just two or three blocks on Lemmy and Mastodon combined) but when I do it's because of tone, not because of content. I'm fine with reading things I don't agree with or that I think are disconnected from reality. As you say, it gives you an idea of what others think. But if someone is needlessly and consistently rude, I just don't need that in my life.
  
  so you’re saying people are rarely trolls?
  that’s some bs
  
  Never said that. I said I rarely block people in general, not that there are few trolls.
  But sure, if you want to increase the size of my block list, calling my post "some bs" just because my experience is different from yours is probably a good start. Let's see if I'll stick around long enough to get so annoyed that I need to block you or if I just walk away.
  
  You seem to enjoy being annoying for the sake of being annoying, but that doesn't mean anyone else does. Seems like a pretty lonely hobby actually.
  
  oh no! i’m the troll because i’m saying other people are trolls!?!! UNO REVERSE CARD!!! oh no!
  
  I pity you.
  
  thanks
- ive debated these maga morons for nearly a decade. i'm done. there's no amount of logic or facts that will ever save them.
  
  Devils advocate hat ON: I recon they feel the same way about you. What's the play? Just ignore them while they take over your country? Do you think that you can solve the problem without infringing on peoples right to listen to whatever they want?
  
  Not sure what the play should be, but evidently debating them online in good faith isn't it. Violent revolution perhaps.
  
  there are other, more effective ways to fight back than to argue with an inanimate object.
  
  Ok, maybe get on that then. Cause it ain't goin' very well..
- How could I possibly have the slightest bit of nuanced idea of what other people talk about, if i just block it?
  Because you read (past tense) it before you blocked it?
  also- It's certainly not hard to get a nuanced idea of others non-nuanced ideas.
  Or read up on what their ideas are and not engage with the worst version of a person with that belief system.
  
  Because you read (past tense) it before you blocked it?
  That's the whole point. I don't want a "past tense" understanding of what is being said and written by "people".
  Obviously spammers get blocked, cause they make it hard to read. The rest are just words and opinions. All of which I'm perfectly capable of dealing with.
- I dunno, the censorship is what creates an echo chamber on lemmy.

358 comments