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caustic
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::: section In some communities, there exists difficult users. They don't break any rules and aren't outright hostile, but are subtly caustic and annoying. Left unchecked, they can kill a healthy community. Or at the very least drastically change the culture.
They take many forms. Maybe when someone asks for help on some code, they comment on the code style or formatting. Maybe they do give some bits of advice, but they always seem to say "you're doing xyz wrong" instead of explaining how to fix xyz. Worst of all, some of them participate constantly. Then I think of myself, and other interactions across the web. It seems like the culture of the internet is being pushed in this direction.
This all kind of ties into modern internet culture a little. I don't have a word for it but i call it "polite hostility", or sometimes "advertiser friendly hostility". People tend to superficially follow the rules, follow the social norms, follow what is said while ignoring what is not. But when you look under the hood and they show their true colors, there's still toxicity.
There are several theories I can draw from these observations. Perhaps website design is pushing people for more "in-the-moment" discourse. It promotes reactionary responses; quick emotional or empty responses are rewarded, while more in depth thought is discouraged. Go to a popular sites (youtube, tiktok, twitter/x, reddit). Read the comments. How many are fluff or reactions, with no substance? Is it more like a village, where everyone knows each other, or a train station; a liminal space strangers pass through?
Another theory is that people want to find their tribe; to fit in. Humans are social creatures, who want to recognize and be recognized. Even without peer pressure, people will adopt other cultures over time. Time procures normalcy. And this begs the question: what culture have we brought to the internet? Is it a culture we're happy with?
When you make a bad decision, you're a moron. When a good decision is made, it retrospectively was the obvious choice all along. It's easier to doubt than to hope, if only to stop yourself from becoming an outcast. People like to follow the trends, be it fashion, news, other people, or thoughts.
People who follow trends rarely create them. For fashion, blindly following trends can be harmless fun. When it comes to thoughts, parroting without thinking can be dangerous. Because it's the trendy thing to do, people tend to superficially follow thoughts, follow the social norms, follow what is said while ignoring what isn't.
Everyone has the right to express themselves, the right to speak their mind. Preventing people from freely expressing thought is the most effective ways to stop free thought. And yet, there exist things you can't say. Things that should be said, and things that probably shouldn't. What's good and bad and in fashion is in constant flux, but getting more ideas into the world would certainly be nice.
Everyone also has the right to ignore what others have to say. You get free speech, but nobody has to listen to you. Try to push your ideas into places where they're not wanted, and you'll lose your friends and get ignored. Maybe the ideas come in the form of unwanted or irrelevant cynicism. Maybe it's commenting on the code style or formatting when someone asks for help on some code. Worst of all, it might be talking without letting other people chime in. Get your own space to talk about yourself.
Read between the lines. :::