Why is blocking so common nowadays?
-
I use it to curate my lemmy experiance. 99% of the users/communities I block aren't for anything personal, they're just clogging up my ALL feed with things I dont care about (for example, sports ball or foreign language comms).
wrote last edited by [email protected]next you'll tell me you don't like incredibly low effort political memes reposted from (social media site you specifically joined lemmy to avoid), smh
-
So I get this feeling— and I don’t mean to say your mode of operation is not valid— but why not just stop replying? I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had an argument in a thread and one side stopped talking and it continued for more than two posts or something.
In situations where I do this, I am annoyed at the other guy, and the last comment they made was so glaringly wrong that it was far more important for me to reply and block and just to block.
I know it is stupid, but that is the feeling of the time.
-
I've been online since BBS days. Never blocked anyone. Never could understand why people do that. Just ignore them, whatever.
So many people, later on down the road have something to say worthwhile that I wouldn't have known if I just blocked them. Gotta give some leeway on the internet, no one really knows tone or intent most of the time.
Yeah I have a similar mindset. I honestly have a lot of people tagged on here from some pretty rough debates at times. But weeks, months, years later I still up vote some of their stuff.
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
I blocked pretty freely on Twitter till I left the site around when I got the Bluesky invite. I still block freely on there, but not Reddit or Lemmy. I didn't on Reddit cause there was a cap on how many accounts you can have blocked and Lemmy doesn't handle blocks in a way I like so I just don't bother. I like being able to curate my experience and the experience others that interact with me have. I got no energy for shit stains so blocking is easier than constantly knowing they exist.
-
I dunno I haven’t blocked anyone and I don’t know if anyone has blocked me.
Yeah how do you even know when someone has blocked you?
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
wrote last edited by [email protected]For me personally, I just don't feel like dealing with yet another source of garbage that I don't want to read.
In happier times, I felt a different way about blocking. Nowadays, the fucking potus forces the country to match some phony fucking Fox News image, and I don't really care about reading some dumb assholes dumb rant anymore. Not blocking people and "dialog" and "debate bro" shit isn't fixing this crap anyway, so I'm going to go ahead and make my own life contain a little less hassle.
That's also why I'm only really here and on mastodon. I know they're basically left wing safe spaces. I frankly don't give a fuck.
-
Sometimes things are not as they seem due to language barriers or different people from neurotypicals.
Completely agree (even more so, not being a native English speaker myself). If there was any doubt, 'the moment I realize' doesn't mean I instantly block anyone not agreeing with me or publishing something I would consider rude, or useless. Only that, the moment I made up my mind on who the person is, there is no hesitation.
wrote last edited by [email protected]Yes, I noticed that important part. Hence the likelyhood is high but still with a margin of error and not to anybodys fault.
I've also had situations where I gave second chances and was stumped, just confirming my prior judgement.
I'm not fully sure what I am trying to add but maybe just being human really is a dilemma and surprisingly hard.
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
I never block anyone but I do get blocked a lot by both hardcore right wingers and hardcore left wingers. I've also gotten blocked by scammers by being such an incredible pain in the ass.
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
It's baffling how quick people are to do it. A while ago, I sold an old electronic thing on Marketplace to someone. A day later, they sent me an angry message saying that it didn't work and how I scammed them, then proceeded to block me. I would've liked the opportunity to troubleshoot with them or even refund the item if it turned out to actually be broken, but... blocking me precludes all that. What exactly did they hope to achieve?
-
Yes, I noticed that important part. Hence the likelyhood is high but still with a margin of error and not to anybodys fault.
I've also had situations where I gave second chances and was stumped, just confirming my prior judgement.
I'm not fully sure what I am trying to add but maybe just being human really is a dilemma and surprisingly hard.
I’m not fully sure what I am trying to add but maybe just being human really is a dilemma and surprisingly hard.
I think I understand what you're trying to say and I agree. And, yes, it can be hard.
But I'm also probably much older than you (and, hopefully for you, in a much poorer health than you are) and I know my time is limited. Literally, I should have died years ago, it just happened I did not die and have since done my best to preserve what remained of my health. And that includes being fine with making decisions that are helping me waste as little of my time as possible.
A bit like with all the books I will not read, or the movies I will not watch, or the places I will never go (realizing the climatic nightmare we were heading into, some 25 years or so ago, my spouse and I decided to stop traveling by plane and to do our best to reduce our energy consumption and the amount of waste we generate by changing our way of life). So, obviously, we're missing out on a lot of stuff and nice places. But that's OK. It's a choice we made. It also helps focus a lot more on other great things we may not have even considered back then.
As far as potential 'trolls' are concerned, it's a choice I made based on the time I think I have left and the amount of which I'm ok to spend dealing online with 'maybe' this or that perfect stranger that have not made the best first (or second) impression is worth indeed one more chance, and me spending a little more of my time listening to them. Frankly, its seldom worth it. Too much hatred (of this or that other person and/or group) and too much anger and desire to manipulate an audience, poorly disguised as 'reasoning', 'facts' or mere 'information sharing'. I'd rather read a good book, listen to great music, or even better: spend that time with my spouse
-
Does that leave anyone left?
Not here fortunately!
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
Cognitive dissonance.
Even when someone says some stupidly egregious shit, or uses thorns instead of th, its way easier to block them than try to understand that however stupid and misguided they may be that there is a person on the other side who may actually have a point somewhere u Herbert the radicalization and between the five brainless they have.
I think blocking is justified when someone actually means you personal physical harm in some way, but that so rarely ever happens.
-
I’m not fully sure what I am trying to add but maybe just being human really is a dilemma and surprisingly hard.
I think I understand what you're trying to say and I agree. And, yes, it can be hard.
But I'm also probably much older than you (and, hopefully for you, in a much poorer health than you are) and I know my time is limited. Literally, I should have died years ago, it just happened I did not die and have since done my best to preserve what remained of my health. And that includes being fine with making decisions that are helping me waste as little of my time as possible.
A bit like with all the books I will not read, or the movies I will not watch, or the places I will never go (realizing the climatic nightmare we were heading into, some 25 years or so ago, my spouse and I decided to stop traveling by plane and to do our best to reduce our energy consumption and the amount of waste we generate by changing our way of life). So, obviously, we're missing out on a lot of stuff and nice places. But that's OK. It's a choice we made. It also helps focus a lot more on other great things we may not have even considered back then.
As far as potential 'trolls' are concerned, it's a choice I made based on the time I think I have left and the amount of which I'm ok to spend dealing online with 'maybe' this or that perfect stranger that have not made the best first (or second) impression is worth indeed one more chance, and me spending a little more of my time listening to them. Frankly, its seldom worth it. Too much hatred (of this or that other person and/or group) and too much anger and desire to manipulate an audience, poorly disguised as 'reasoning', 'facts' or mere 'information sharing'. I'd rather read a good book, listen to great music, or even better: spend that time with my spouse
Good answer, thank you!
You'd be surprised though. These are the times I miss direct messages here. One of your estimates about me is wrong (factually, sadly) and the other is debatable, we might be close in age.
I just took another route. I am still in the process of what more and what less to do, while having discovered I am likely an Autist, setting hard limits at some places.
Ans yes, while there is much hate (currently seeming concentrated in the USA) people that open up often also have a lot of reason. Not defending anyones action here though.
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
It depends what you're on (social media) for.
If you're there to get some positive social interaction and read some articles or funny pictures, it completely makes sense to block agitators or regular shitposters.
If you're there to have political arguments and engage with rage bait then you leave everyone unblocked.
Its really not that complicated.
-
Why are you subscribed to them? No need to block just curate.
they’re just clogging up my ALL feed with things I dont care about
They aren't subscribed to them.
-
It's baffling how quick people are to do it. A while ago, I sold an old electronic thing on Marketplace to someone. A day later, they sent me an angry message saying that it didn't work and how I scammed them, then proceeded to block me. I would've liked the opportunity to troubleshoot with them or even refund the item if it turned out to actually be broken, but... blocking me precludes all that. What exactly did they hope to achieve?
wrote last edited by [email protected]If you've previously had the experience of reaching out to someone politely in good faith about a problem with your purchase, and they really were a scammer and responded "haha get fucked loser" and blocked you, that's a mentally damaging interaction. You made yourself vulnerable and got taken advantage of. Not just once for buying from a scammer, but twice for then politely asking the scammer to help you! And that feels awful - as if the scammer "won", and you are a sucker who didn't even realise you'd been scammed.
That is why people are quick to go on the offensive when they suspect they've been wronged, because they've been hurt before and want to try and claw back some small measure of pride by saying effectively "Okay you scammed me, but I'm not so stupid I don't see it, and I won't make myself vulnerable to you." - that's what the message and block you received really means, if you unpack it.
I would be so much nicer if things weren't this way, and we could assume the best in people. With honest sellers such as yourself, it would even lead to the problem getting fixed! But there are a lot of scammers out there, so I understand the psychological "why", even if I don't like it and try to never behave that way myself.
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
I've got better things to do than read a load of horseshit from bad-faith weirdos, so I block them. No point engaging with them and reading their opinions makes my day measurably worse.
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
I'm 31 now but I've always been pretty quick with a block button, i don't mind people disagreeing with me, but some people are just overly aggressive and I find life's better to just not care about them and block.
I also block trolls because you know don't feed the trolls.
-
There may be an age or generational explanation for this, but I especially notice this behavior on Reddit while not nearly as much here on Lemmy (though maybe that's also a mater of implementation).
It seems many are so quick to assert overly-confident positions, but then hit-and-run with some smarmy remark at even the slightest challenge, then quickly block. Like, not even crazy stuff. Just basic, civil disagreements. I can pretty well predict when it will happen, and it always feels like such a petty ego-sparing fingers-in-ears denial thing to do, and to me if anything shows they were not very confident in their views being challenged.
I think I've only blocked a handful of people over a decade who were actively spamming, stalking, or spewing extremely hateful rhetoric and I just reported them simultaneously. You have to cross a pretty extreme and irrational line for me to do that.
The reason I ask is to see if I'm missing something; to better understand the mindset of those who do.
I'll try to be civil and will ask clarifying questions.
However, as soon as I see someone both-sides-ing, I block them.
Ain't got no time for their "can't we all just get along, kumbaya" centrist bullshit anymore.
No we can't "just get along", the overton window has gone too far to the right for that.
You have actual Nazis running shit now, or attempting to run things in other nations.We need to fight them, the time for "understanding" is over.
-
I use user notes for this - notes like "argues in bad faith," "is knowledgeable about x," etc. Then if I feel talking to someone is a waste, I still get their input if I want it but know whether or not to engage.
I use multiple devices to browse the web. Those user notes don't carry over. So I just block people that argue in bad faith, those blocks do carry over, makes things easier for me to ignore, and prevents me from falling into the trap of debating those shitheads.
