First a call-out of fatphobia (https://hexbear.net/post/4189552) that ended up proving its point, then the stuff about "he/hims" (https://hexbear.net/post/4187781) ". Apparently a mod got banned!?

I am not very active and I never look at the megathreads, the number of comments in them scare me away from them. Is that where it's happening? I feel confused about what this community is like now.

I, uh, don't really know what my point is. Maybe someone can explain what the state of the site is? Especially on the he/hims thing. Maybe that's the main point of this post.

I feel sad for people that got hurt by this.

  • Lyudmila [she/her, comrade/them]A
    ·
    5 days ago

    We've been working on a vetting system for moderators for a bit now, should be ready to go in January or February. Absolutely in agreement that proper vetting would have entirely prevented this situation, and we'd all be in a different thread smoking the Jimmy Carter pack right now.

    How about that fatphobia thread, though? To be clear, that thread wasn't at all indicative of a universal opinion. An official "take" on how fatphobia is actually going to be handled moving forward is forthcoming, with a focus both on kindness and proven science. I think both of these things were sorely lacking in that thread, and that shouldn't have been the case. I'll cover how moderation should occur, what sorts of things are and aren't appropriate to say (and why), and reiterate that use of CW's is mandatory on the site for plenty of things including ED and weight.

    The plan to politically develop the site is to encourage political education (book clubs and agitprop are great starts) and have politically consistent, non-sectarian rules across the site.

    And yeah, everybody has to quit blowing up everything into struggle sessions every two weeks, what the hell‽ Really frustrating.

    • CarlMarks@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      5 days ago

      Developing a line on fatphobia is a good idea. I do think it would improve outcomes to take a look at how previous attempts to establish lines unfolded and to compare this critically with how irl organizations succeed at doing this. Of course it can't be perfectly emulated because it's a website and not a party, but I do think there are recognizable negative patterns.

      I agree that political education is valuable and something a site like this can contribute to. I would respectfully suggest that those interested in developing a line recruit and develop openly, for example establishing a committee where folks know who is on it, why they are on it, how work will be done, and how to get on it. And that you bring people along by announcing the intent, declaring when the process begins, and focusing on how the line (which sounds like it might be bylaws more than a work of theory?) will be shared, updated, and balance education (bringing people along) vs. removal (when people go too far and aren't in a position to be educated). This is not because I am dogmatically committed to bourgeois notions of democratic participation or transparency, but because they are ways to create buy-in, avoid alienation, and improve the theoretical correctness of the line as well as the concrete skill of community management.

      Anyways, this is meant to be a constructive suggestion based on irl experience and having founded a (still running) left forum, so I hope it is not taken as venting or unhelpful criticism. Running a site is often thankless.