7/ The reason spelling-bee racists seem so funny is that their very choice of target marks them as living in uncool part of online world
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Replying to @vgr
8/ So prediction: social media will eventually eliminate racism via ephemeralization, because on the social graph isolation is atrophy
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Replying to @vgr
9/ Which isn't to say humans will turn into saints overnight. We'll still be star-bellied sneetches.
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Replying to @vgr
10/ But race as central part of social identity has been disrupted. Racists today seem *technologically* odd like people who use land-lines
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Replying to @vgr
11/ Once you know 1 person of given race personally, even if only online, and enjoy relationship, it's basically impossible to be racist.
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Replying to @vgr
12/ Which means ultimately, it's rather cruel to laugh at spelling bee racists: they are digitally isolated, technologically obsolete.
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Replying to @vgr
13/ Where racism is threatened, such as urban areas, it might react violently, but this is more like taxicab drivers rioting against Uber
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Replying to @vgr
14/ As LBJ found out in 60s, gains against racism results in pent-up violence being released as people sense detente failing, but net gain
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Replying to @vgr
15/ There *is* such an outlet online as well: explosive reactionary fringe blogging. But closing ranks on social graph is death by isolation
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@atduskgreg yes, Schelling sorting argument. But online "like me" tends to anchor to traits other than race.
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