There’s no general agreement on the “necessary conditions” of what constitutes a ratio. But the “sufficient conditions” are relatively clear: If a tweet elicits far more hostile replies than likes or retweets it has been ratioed.
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Now, some tweets get ratioed because they express hatred or bigotry, lies or obfuscations, or attempts to bully the weak. In those cases, there can be something good and cathartic in collectively ratioing a bad tweet.
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BUT.. ..what incentives are we creating if we equate the expression of unpopular opinions with moral or intellectual failure? ..and is mockery of the ratioed conducive to a public culture in which we can challenge received wisdom and change our mind about important issues? No.
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Unless we believe ourselves to be the first generation in history to have discovered all of the correct opinions, we must stay alive to the possibility that plenty of arguments that are deeply unpopular today deserve to be aired—and perhaps even believed.
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Seen from this angle, the ratioed tweet can, in its small way, claim a proud inheritance: that of the banned book, of the argument made before its time. In fact, a small share of today's ratioed tweets likely express opinions we shall one day come to see as obviously true.
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So what does this say about the Never-Ratioed? Either they always hold the same views as most of their followers. Or they combine a strong sense of the way the wind is blowing with a consistent willingness to censor themselves when their opinions are unpopular. Both are bad.
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We should not admire a writer who only ever synthesizes conventional wisdom. And we certainly should never trust a politician who has the determination and self-discipline to hide from view any thought that might prove unpopular.
Never
Trust
The
Never-Ratioed
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So if we want to have meaningful debates on Twitter, we all need to exonerate the ratioed tweet. First step: In future, when somebody writes an interesting tweet that is getting ratioed, post this defense underneath—even if you disagree with the actual tweet.
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Second step: Somebody should found an annual prize for the best – most prescient or insightful or thought-provoking – ratioed tweet!
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Final step: Let’s introduce the “ratio ratio”: a numerical measure that indicates what percentage of a person’s tweets have been ratioed. If it falls too low—less than one in 50, say—this should be seen as a humiliating indication that they are devoid of honesty or originality.
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Please share this defense of being ratioed to encourage the expression of unpopular views on Twitter (and elsewhere)! And please feel free to share your opinion about my argument
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Pretty sure this thread is getting ratioed anyway.
[The End.]https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/ratio-twitter-good/600334/ …Show this thread
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