Re:Did the early internet activists blow it?
by iamnothere on Saturday February 15, 2020 @11:19PM
(#22339762)
This sounds like more of an argument for smaller, niche communities. I agree with this. How can you contain all of humanity's diversity of opinion and experience into a single "platform" with coherent norms? You can't. It's a fool's errand. Small communities do manage their own norms in a way that is consistent with the values of their members, and they develop their own methods for doing so; there is no need to create a legal enforcement mechanism.
exactly my point, focus on "gated" and "small". What do you think is it that distinguishes gated communities from the generic facebook newsfeed? The right to censor, judge who gets in or not, be able to exclude bad actors, and to have stake and identity when commenting, and to set common rules for conduct. the internet is transforming from a public space to an internet of private gated communities.
In this the internet perfectly mirrors declining cities that do not maintain their commons. A lot of fractured, tribal communities emerge who are not in contact with each other, the marketplaces and houses degrade, and a huge amount of resources is spent on simply insulating oneself from everyone else. It is not a pretty picture.
On who gets to decide what taboos exist? There is no need for a moral arbiter. In communities that function well taboos and rules reflect the consensus of its constituent members. The fact that Mark Zuckerberg gets to make institutional decisions for 2 billion people is another sign of dysfunction.