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A comment on Ask HN: How do we stop the polarization/toxicicity filling the web?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: How do we stop the polarization/toxicicity fillin... by weaksauce on Friday January 31, 2020 @03:10PM (#22205125)
> but I know one thing that isn't the solution: silencing everyone who disagrees with you

this assumes that the people on the internet are arguing in good faith. they aren't in a lot of cases. the problem i have is willful ignorance and the associated culture that promotes the people that spread lies.

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Re:Ask HN: How do we stop the polarization/toxicicity fillin... by cthor on Friday January 31, 2020 @03:21PM (#22205235)
I don't think this is that important because there are far more people reading than posting. Even if the person you're responding to isn't arguing in good faith, there are people reading the discussion with an inquisitive mind.

or, see this comic: https://imgur.com/T8egYQl

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Re:Ask HN: How do we stop the polarization/toxicicity fillin... by Udik on Friday January 31, 2020 @04:16PM (#22205844)
Good comic!

But isn't the number of people reading a problem per se? The "deniers", those who keep shifting their arguments until they've gone full circle to the starting point, are not trying to convince you- nor you are trying to convince them. They're competing with you for the attention of the reader, trying to fill the space with the illusion of an argument.

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Re:Ask HN: How do we stop the polarization/toxicicity fillin... by weaksauce on Thursday February 06, 2020 @01:34PM (#22258783)
the concept is called sea lioning.
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Re:Ask HN: How do we stop the polarization/toxicicity fillin... by sagichmal on Friday January 31, 2020 @10:30PM (#22208449)
What makes you think the people reading are reading in good faith?
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Re:Ask HN: How do we stop the polarization/toxicicity fillin... by kerkeslager on Friday January 31, 2020 @03:20PM (#22205222)
That actually doesn't matter.

Remember, the point of debating publicly isn't to persuade the person you are debating, it's to persuade the people reading the debate.

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