It’s certainly worth considering that the internet may have a greater volume of content produced by crazy people. That doesn’t ease my worries about a world full of people who are at least crazy at some low level sufficient to make them wrong about quite major stuff, but it does at least put my ‘people are wrong on the internet?!’ worries in better context.
If age alone is a heuristic of sanity, then things are looking quite bad because I think I’m one of the younger people who actively chats on the discord. But in general, I see what you mean and people are liable to change over time.
Regarding those who see their goal of kindness as an excuse to hate and persecute, that is certainly an issue. Binary two-party politics does tend to lead to a belief that anything you do is justified if it allows you to triumph over the truly evil, and that leads to no end of unpleasantness.
Regarding linking people essays and papers, unfortunately this doesn’t tend to be received all too well. Norms-wise (in that community), it’s generally seen as a bit rude to link people lengthy documents that the other person needs to read rather than providing a summary or argument as to why you personally believe the thing. That said, perhaps it would be worthwhile to do so anyway when I become frustrated with a conversation, rather than saying something rude or excusing myself and leaving without further debate.
On the meta perspective, changing the minds of these people is of course not going to change much about the real world. It’s just something I enjoy doing, really. And perhaps if I cannot make myself enjoy doing it, then the solution is what I’m already in the process of doing: Not arguing with them.
I will consider this, at least, but it would sadden me to lose what I had once enjoyed.
it’s generally seen as a bit rude to link people lengthy documents that the other person needs to read rather than providing a summary
Let me guess—if you provide a summary instead, you will receive dozen additional questions about details (which may actually be explained in the article). In worst case, they will not be framed as questions (“but what about the special case X?”) but as assertions (“lol, you completely ignore X”).
Possible solution: The article has a summary on the top; you copy the summary and add “more info here”.
Thank you for the wonderfully detailed reply :)
It’s certainly worth considering that the internet may have a greater volume of content produced by crazy people. That doesn’t ease my worries about a world full of people who are at least crazy at some low level sufficient to make them wrong about quite major stuff, but it does at least put my ‘people are wrong on the internet?!’ worries in better context.
If age alone is a heuristic of sanity, then things are looking quite bad because I think I’m one of the younger people who actively chats on the discord. But in general, I see what you mean and people are liable to change over time.
Regarding those who see their goal of kindness as an excuse to hate and persecute, that is certainly an issue. Binary two-party politics does tend to lead to a belief that anything you do is justified if it allows you to triumph over the truly evil, and that leads to no end of unpleasantness.
Regarding linking people essays and papers, unfortunately this doesn’t tend to be received all too well. Norms-wise (in that community), it’s generally seen as a bit rude to link people lengthy documents that the other person needs to read rather than providing a summary or argument as to why you personally believe the thing. That said, perhaps it would be worthwhile to do so anyway when I become frustrated with a conversation, rather than saying something rude or excusing myself and leaving without further debate.
On the meta perspective, changing the minds of these people is of course not going to change much about the real world. It’s just something I enjoy doing, really. And perhaps if I cannot make myself enjoy doing it, then the solution is what I’m already in the process of doing: Not arguing with them.
I will consider this, at least, but it would sadden me to lose what I had once enjoyed.
Let me guess—if you provide a summary instead, you will receive dozen additional questions about details (which may actually be explained in the article). In worst case, they will not be framed as questions (“but what about the special case X?”) but as assertions (“lol, you completely ignore X”).
Possible solution: The article has a summary on the top; you copy the summary and add “more info here”.