Submitted by jus4this1post in lobby
I'm not a regular raddle user, though I occasionally visit to scroll through every now and then, because sometimes there are important news posts. I had made an account months ago and engaged in some discussions, but soon left and chose to disengage because this site was/is a toxic mess (particularly due to one specific user who the mods will apparently do little to nothing about).
My experiences on this site are not unique, they are not a one-off anecdote of someone who came here in bad faith only to get rightfully exiled. I'm an anarchist, that's what I am/was here for, and I've seen many posts from others on this site that raise similar concerns regarding toxic behaviors and harrassment towards others (mainly from this troll "clouds"). People comment about it and post about it, and I see on this week's Friday free talk, people are STILL talking about toxicity on this site and this one specific troll.
Mods — DO something about it!
I see there are some discussions happening regarding toxicity and trolls, but they're all hemming and hawing like "idk, sometimes it's hard to tell what's toxic behavior." Meanwhile, the proposals that are offered (ie, "registration," invites) are fundamentally authoritarian technological half-fixes that don't really address issues of interpersonal toxic relations. It's as though you're defaulting to a neoliberal approach to problem-solving – technological and authoritarian, while refusing to engage the underlying problem.
While the mods talk in circles trying to figure out what's toxic and what's not, how to protect their approved troll, and how to make this site even more insular, there will continue to be plenty of anarchists walking out the back door, because to some of us, it's obvious what toxic behavior, targeted harassment, and stifling ideology looks like.
Overall, I see the mods routinely choose to make excuses, rather than take action to address these concerns regarding toxicity. Without fail, the response goes something like this, "Well I only remember one person who got banned and they deserved it" or "they were here in bad faith, that's why they disagreed with us and got banned." You may not be able to smell your own bullshit, but I can. This is little more than the anarcho-version of "we completed our own internal audit and found no wrong-doing." 🙄
I also read some posts that apparently describe that the mod team chooses to "white-list" specific users and IP addresses. So what does that mean? The mods and their approved clique get to be as insulting, dismissive, and toxic as they want, not get banned for it, and also not get their IP tracked in the process? 👏 Anarchism, everybody! Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others.
Seriously though, I do not trust this site or the mod team. If the goal is to draw in anarchists, log their IP, then get them to waste time arguing with trolls and associated drama, then mission accomplished. If the goal is to have a quality discussion space for anarchists, then mission failed.
I don't give a fuck about your clique. I want a better anarchist movement. Obviously, this "clouds" person isn't the only source of toxicity in the anarchist movement, or this site for that matter. But this continually on-going dynamic here is indicative of the mod's chosen course of action regarding toxicity, in a space that they can directly affect. Sometimes, you will have to choose whether you want to nepotisically side with your clique and your trollish friend, or if you want to create a welcoming radical space that encourages discussion and brings more people in. Time and time again, the mod squad chooses to be an insular clique, defend their troll, and diminish the relevance of critiques such as this.
mofongo admin wrote (edited )
It's always throwaways, isn't it?
You're seriously outdated on bunch of stuff, you really shouldn't comment on it. Clouds has been repeatedly banned, asked to not come back, she has not been put on a pedestal over others beyond what's reasonable. Things are done, things are being done. So, if you think more needs to be done or just differently, please provide positive suggestion instead of a mindless and outdated critique, full of loaded statements.