@Robert Gentel,
Robert Gentel wrote:
Calling someone a douche bag is not an insult to any other group of people at the same time. Such slurs are, even when not directed at your interlocutor, a derogation of a group of people.
Certain types of of groups of people (mainly the ones you are born into and can't choose) are, on A2K, groups about which such class-wide insults are not tolerated.
If someone made a topic saying "I hate fags and niggers" they would be banned too. This is why that despite this member not necessarily feeling more insulted (this certainly cannot be the litmus test anyway) by the slur that this particular kind of slur (and others like the "****" slur you agreed you would proscribe) are not tolerated here.
Finally, someone has provided a response to this question! Thank you.
I acknowledge your point, but I think it depends on how one self-identifies and it to the extent one feels identity categories (and identity politics) is important. I think that you are isolating and minimizing the effect of someone calling someone else a douche bag. I'm quite sure I am not alone in reacting negatively to any such example of invective; despite the fact that it is not directed towards me.
Calling people names is not civil behavior and it's impact is not limited to the target. If calling someone a fag in someway bothers other homosexuals in the forum I don't think it's clearly an entirely different matter than for me to be bothered by calling someone a douche bag. I'm not homosexual, but I am (contrary to popular belief) a human. I don't think our obsession with identity categories is a good thing for society and is leading to a lot of unhealthy conflict. Judging bad behavior as somehow being worse if it involves an identity category, IMO, contributes to an existing problem. Don't call people names and you won't run the risk of bothering anyone, regardless of what category they've chosen to associate with.
I have been arguing this point for some time now (in this and other contexts) and clearly I am swimming against the tide. I've registered my opinion and that's that on the subject as respects A2K changes.
Quote:Only if you subscribe to the notion that all insulting terms are created equal and are equally harmful to the fabric of the community.
And, as I have noted, not only do I subscribe to this, I believe that defining one's identity by single characteristics such as skin color, sexual orientation etc is unhealthy. Anything that promotes the power of identity fixation and politics is something I generally oppose.
Quote:I am looking forward to participating in the communities of others and more than anything to the diversity of how they will all be governed.
You've obviously given this a tremendous amount of thought and I'm confident your plan is well intended. I'll just have to see how it play out when it happens. I can't say I'm looking forward to it because I'm convinced it will improve the forum, but it should be very interesting
