I try not to block actual criticism but things I've started pretty much automatically blocking to make Twitter usable: Snitch-tagging; "Oh you're surprised?" reply guys; People who respond to an article *I* wrote with a point made in the article as if I could have no idea.https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1361678304793808897 …
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Other than that, I truly and honestly appreciate people who object to something I write or say, or have a point I missed, or point out something that I may not like but is actually a point. Even when it gets testy and contentious as it does with opinionated people. That's fine.
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Finally, this is an attempt to be able to hear real criticism and feedback in my mentions. If I don't do this, the roar of the people who make the most obvious points back to me or are just uselessly smug will drown others out. The smug and stupid minority are very repetitive.
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What I mean by the kind of thing I do block—because these people are repeat offenders with no any useful content. I don't mean disagreement, even if testy and contentious. I mean pointing out to me the most basic thing about a field I work and write in.https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1361685049268133888 …
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End of conversation
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No worries, no need to justify. Too much riff raff on Twitter. Perfectly fine to make liberal use of the block button.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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I struggle with this. I have not yet blocked anyone. And I have muted fewer than 10 accounts, almost all of which I think are Russian trolls. But it feels opposed to a primary value of mine, which is wide an open discussion. On the other hand, trolls harm such discussion. Ugh.
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There's also a gendered (and, as always, race) aspect to this. The number of people who feel entitled to be uselessly rude and condescending really does vary with your perceived social location. Without targeted blocking, useful signal—like criticism—gets drowned by the hecklers.
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Don't even feel bad about this, this is one of many reasons why block exists as a tool. Thanks for putting this perspective out there to give more of us an idea of how to make Twitter better :)
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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