Trolling + misinformation requires an audience: so when rather than responding, I simply block, they also perceive that as censorship.
This latest accusation, for example, claims that, as a university professor, I am a public official and hence shouldn’t be allowed to block anyone on social media.
Have never understood the mindset that blocking someone was somehow cowardly, or contemptible, or against the rules. Nobody signed a contract they had to put up with stupid people's shit on a social app.
I’ve encountered it so many times and it’s almost always the same thing:
1. Extremely rude/vulgar post insulting me directly
2. I block
3. They post a pearl clutching “I guess this Princeton professor isn’t interested in being challenged by different views!”
They think because they have a right to their opinion, we are obligated to put up with having that opinion shoved in our face. It's a lot like their concept of freedom of speech--Yeah, they can say it, doesn't mean you can't give them shit for it.
People out there with the broadest assumptions about their privilege are the ones who think everyone owes them their time & patient attention & good faith engagement with their debate club shit.
My time on this earth is short & they are not owed a single second of it, or an ounce of my respect.
Somewhere upstream a tenured professor at a state university was told by a troll that she could not block anyone because she was a "public official."
Your university accepts public funds for research so you're probably gonna hear this crap soon, too.
Hell,I'm a nobody and I block 30-50 people a day, just based on comments they make to someone else I'm following. Viruses can be airborne, maybe stupidity can be transmitted through eye contact?
Also super not clear that many are even real people. There's a huge number of sockpuppets and bots out there trolling, trying to create division, and running scams and disinformation campaigns. Block, block, block, I say.
Surely freedom of speech MUST contain freedom to not listen? (Which, like the speech may not be devoid of consequences - like not listening to health advice for example).
I thought last year Musk wanted to do away with the "block" and replace it with some kind of "advanced mute" that would allow hostiles to party in the replies & dogpile on reposts, but the OP wouldn't see it. Wonder what happened to that.
I also imagine she’s posting from a personal device, often outside of normal working hours (not that faculty have that kind of schedule anyway). Part of this is a total inability to imagine that people are anything other than employees at all times and then using that to bludgeon them.
Technically anyone on social media would mean they are a public person especially since they are trying to influence the public...so therefore shouldn't they also not be allowed to block?
Sooooo can they take the heat generated by Poppers Paradox?
