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satt comments on Downvote stalkers: Driving members away from the LessWrong community? - Less Wrong Discussion

39 Post author: Ander 02 July 2014 12:40AM

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Comment author: satt 03 July 2014 03:51:53AM 9 points [-]

It's simply dysfunctional to let yourself be controlled by the opinions of others, particularly when it's one random internet bozo who whacks your karma.

Boo! Yes, it's useful to be able to shrug off a downvote bombing, but it's pushing that grain of truth too far to imply someone's broken if they can't. Three reasons.

One: this is, or is supposed to be, a community, and when someone's part of a community they put some weight on what the rest of the community thinks of them. (This is one of the things distinguishing a community from a mere ad hoc group of strangers.) Advising LWers to write off the opinions of the rest of this community erodes this neighbourly norm.

Two, the Michael Bolton principle: why put the onus on Ander to change when the downvoter's the one who's being obnoxious?

Three: this argument proves too much. If I started running around LW insulting and swearing at everyone else here, I'd piss off a lot of people, and it'd be bullet-headed to dismiss their annoyance with "It's simply dysfunctional to let yourself be controlled by the opinions of others".

Comment author: buybuydandavis 03 July 2014 08:32:11PM *  -1 points [-]

See the quote I referred to, see my comment on it.

Everyone who thinks it's perfectly functional to let yourself be driven off of participating in an internet community because some random bozo gives you a karma bombing is dysfunctional too.

It's disturbing that so many people think that's a wonderful way to live around here. Is that what "winning" is, curling up in fetal position because one person in the world doesn't like you?

Not to me.

One: One bozo indicated his dislike. That is no indication of what the rest of the community thinks of him. Suppose it's a few. Suppose it's many. So what? Does everyone in the world have to like you every second of the day for you to function?

Two: Reality puts the onus on everyone to make their own decisions about their own actions. I've already expressed that the karma bomber is an asshole. He should knock it off. But what you do in response to an asshole is your choice.

Three: Invalid analogy, leaving out the key point - refraining from doing something they want to do because you're an asshole.

Comment author: satt 04 July 2014 05:40:25AM *  -1 points [-]

See the quote I referred to, see my comment on it.

Already did.

Everyone who thinks it's perfectly functional to let yourself be driven off of participating in an internet community because some random bozo gives you a karma bombing is dysfunctional too.

It's disturbing that so many people think that's a wonderful way to live around here. Is that what "winning" is, curling up in fetal position because one person in the world doesn't like you?

Perhaps you should've read my comment; if you think that's responsive to it I can only conclude you've got a warped, exaggerated idea of what I wrote.

One: One bozo indicated his dislike. That is no indication of what the rest of the community thinks of him.

It actually is, given that that bozo is themselves part of the community.

Suppose it's a few. Suppose it's many. So what?

You see nothing reasonable about being perturbed if "many" people in your community not only dislike you but make a point of indicating that dislike?

Does everyone in the world have to like you every second of the day for you to function?

How is that rhetorical question remotely proportionate or responsive? I nowhere suggested that Ander should require "everyone in the world" to like them "every second of the day" for them "to function".

Two: Reality puts the onus on everyone to make their own decisions about their own actions.

Yet you felt the need to butt in and ultimately insult Ander & me regardless. Almost as if "Reality" were really just standing in for "buybuydandavis" all along.

Three: Invalid analogy, leaving out the key point - refraining from doing something they want to do because you're an asshole.

Ignoring the fact that if I'm being enough of an arsehole, that in itself can change "something they want to do" to "something they no longer want to do".

Let's take your "Invalid analogy" complaint as given, for argument's sake, and explicitly suppose that by running around insulting and swearing at people here I'd drive some of them away. (This incorporates what you call "the key point".) I maintain that it'd be bullet-headed to shrug off people being driven away with "It's simply dysfunctional to let yourself be controlled by the opinions of others".