Just found out I've been blocked by another person.
Just found out I've been blocked by another person. It's not like he's going to be missed, he was your typical Tea Partier who defied facts and reason with soundbites and ideology, but still... I hate being blocked just because someone doesn't like a difference of opinion.
Of course, I also called him out for "getting the last word in" and then locking comments on his posts so no one would rebut him. That could have been the catalyst for the blocking.
What I don't understand is the mentality of only wanting to be surrounded by like-minded people. How does one grow when they're surrounded by people who don't challenge them?
Oh well.
Of course, I also called him out for "getting the last word in" and then locking comments on his posts so no one would rebut him. That could have been the catalyst for the blocking.
What I don't understand is the mentality of only wanting to be surrounded by like-minded people. How does one grow when they're surrounded by people who don't challenge them?
Oh well.
Comments
At any rate, I only block trolls, or people who are harassing me or my threads.
It is funny to see Google telling me I got some 30 new followers after such a post, yet the day still ends in a negative count over all. Then I just know I did something right :)
Blocking people makes the internet a better place.
http://www.datamation.com/networks/why-blocking-people-makes-the-world-a-better-place-1.html
Excerpt (and a good guide to who I block without hesitation, or remorse):
Trolls. Wikipedia has a wonderfully accurate definition for an online troll: “Someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community.... with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.”
When trolls are successful, they re-direct the conversation away from the subject of your post and direct it at themselves. If you don’t block trolls, you’ll rarely have good conversations.
Bigots. Racists, religious bigots, ageists, sexists and everyone else who ascribes bad characteristics to every member of a group. If racists and bigots enrage members of the group they hate, then the conversation becomes all about the bigotry. They can also silence members of that group. Both outcomes ruin conversation.
Fanatics. Churchill said: “A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.” These people won’t stop until everyone reading your social stream agrees completely with their personal views about religion, politics, operating system or cause-of-the-day. They’re toxic to the free flow of ideas.
Idiots. It’s not politically correct to say this, but some people are just plain stupid. The wider world may be devolving into some kind of idiocracy. But it doesn’t have to happen in your own social stream.
Sexual harassers. I follow a lot of brilliant, accomplished women who post some profoundly insightful post, and some dipwad replies with a comment like: “Nice boobs!” It’s demeaning and counter-intelligent. The worst part is that in general the pervasive climate of sexism and harassment keeps (some) women from posting things they otherwise would. Instead of backing off, women should post like maniacs and block like crazy.
People who think it’s a dating service. Related to sexual harassment, oftentimes everyone is having an intellectually stimulating conversation about the topic at hand, and some confused person posts: “Hey girl how r you_?” Sometimes, that person gets a response from another commenter, and they two start carrying on a public flirtation. These people should get a life or get a room. Show them the door. Even worse (to me) are the "Shoe on head" responders.
People who write in code. Everybody uses abbreviations like “LOL,” “IMHO” and so on. There’s nothing wrong with that. But others write their entire comments in code. For example: “doez evry photo i post have2be mean...lol nd yes they r.” I’ve noticed a trend recently where some posters are writing code that’s perfectly indecipherable.
I have been blocked by at least one person for calling out a bad argument several times...