I’ve been thinking about what might make the most difference in helping to reduce the amount of insults and personal attacks. As I said, when I say that, I’m thinking of disparaging people’s character and capacities, and vilifying their motives and intentions. I’m not sure about any of this, but here’s what I think might make the most difference:
- Considering the issue in a context of wanting the forums to be more friendly, fun, and beneficial for everyone, as an end in itself and not only to keep people coming back.
- Appealing to any sense of moral and social responsibility that anyone might have, to help improve life in the forums for everyone, with what they say and how they say it, in their posts.
- People training themselves to not respond in any way to insults and personal attacks, not even to argue or protest against them.
- Training for those purposes, for anyone who wants it, and as a requirement for being able to post, for some of the worst offenders, no matter if they’re doing it intentionally or not.
Insults and personal attacks might continue to be popular far into the future, no matter what anyone does. Meanwhile anyone who wants to can give some friendly attention to people when they might be adversely affected by insults and personal attacks. That might do more than anything else to reduce and counteract the harmful effects of insults and personal attacks.
I discussed not responding at all in any way to insults and personal attacks, as a way of helping to reduce their popularity. That might also be a good way to help keep threads from being derailed by all kinds of distracting behavior.