This is kind of true, but taken seriously it only leaves “freedom” as an achievable goal, which I don’t think is right. I didn’t say much about it because it seems to me that this kind of weaponized safety is not a general feature of online communities, but rather a feature particular to the present moment, and the correct solution is on the openness axis: don’t let safetyists into your community, and kick them out quickly once they show their colors.
Also, the support for “safety” among these people is more on the level of slogan than actual practice. My experience is that groups which place a high priority on this version of “safety” are in fact riven with drama and strife. If you prioritise actual safety and not just the slogan, you’ll find you still have to kick out the people who constantly hide behind their version of “safety”.
I agree—I think there are many communities which easily achieve a high degree of safety without “safetyism”, typically by being relatively homogeneous or having external sources of trust and goodwill among their participants. LW is an example.
This is kind of true, but taken seriously it only leaves “freedom” as an achievable goal, which I don’t think is right. I didn’t say much about it because it seems to me that this kind of weaponized safety is not a general feature of online communities, but rather a feature particular to the present moment, and the correct solution is on the openness axis: don’t let safetyists into your community, and kick them out quickly once they show their colors.
Also, the support for “safety” among these people is more on the level of slogan than actual practice. My experience is that groups which place a high priority on this version of “safety” are in fact riven with drama and strife. If you prioritise actual safety and not just the slogan, you’ll find you still have to kick out the people who constantly hide behind their version of “safety”.
I agree—I think there are many communities which easily achieve a high degree of safety without “safetyism”, typically by being relatively homogeneous or having external sources of trust and goodwill among their participants. LW is an example.