Intimidating outsiders into feeling stupid is, I think, a valid short-time tactic, but when it comes to our folks, we owe each other to examine things clearly.
On a site like this, how do we tell the difference?
Accumulated karma is usually a good metric. The jargon, and the ideological equipment and epistemological approach, are also important signs to look out for. So is the degree of mean-spiritedness. Subjective is not the same as meaningless.
For my own part I endorse intimidating people who demonstrate mean-spirited behavior into silence (whether by making them feel stupid, if that works, or some other mechanism). Depending on what you mean by “ideological equipment and epistemological approach”, I might endorse the same tactic there as well.
Neither of those endorsements depends much on how long those people have been contributing, or how much karma they’ve accumulated, or what jargon they use.
I endorse intimidating them into silence. I don’t endorse doing something ineffectual or counterproductive with the intention of intimidating them into silence.
On a site like this, how do we tell the difference?
Accumulated karma is usually a good metric. The jargon, and the ideological equipment and epistemological approach, are also important signs to look out for. So is the degree of mean-spiritedness. Subjective is not the same as meaningless.
Gotcha.
For my own part I endorse intimidating people who demonstrate mean-spirited behavior into silence (whether by making them feel stupid, if that works, or some other mechanism). Depending on what you mean by “ideological equipment and epistemological approach”, I might endorse the same tactic there as well.
Neither of those endorsements depends much on how long those people have been contributing, or how much karma they’ve accumulated, or what jargon they use.
Have to be careful about that—if you’re being trolled there is noticeable potential for an epic fail :-)
I endorse intimidating them into silence.
I don’t endorse doing something ineffectual or counterproductive with the intention of intimidating them into silence.