Comment on Resignation of OTW Director

  1. birdboy2000 Wed 24 May 2023 01:03AM UTC

    The evidentiary basis for believing that DEI consulting actually reduces racism in any measurable way, for all the money that's been pumped into the field, is astonishingly weak. And frankly, if I run into someone inciting hatred, blocks and mutes are more than sufficient to not have to deal with them anymore.

    I'm fine with tightening up the rules about group targeting, provided (as happens too rarely online) they're enforced in an even-handed manner, instead of becoming a case marked by favoritism where some people can be nasty and no one else can be nasty right back to them. But I do think bans on anything short of spambots should require repeated violations, banning is a serious matter and should hit people who are genuinely only in here to spread hatred, not people who have a lapse in judgment or don't realize how the rules are being enforced.

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    1. pretty_weird_ideas Wed 24 May 2023 06:45AM UTC

      I'm not arguing that the DEI consultant could wave a magic wand and fix everything. Rather, I'm just outlining the explicit agreement that OTW made in 2020, along with "Looking over the TOS for targeted harassment". The DEI consultant is being mentioned here because it's the first step. The consultant was supposed to overlook those changes. The rest of the promises are dependent on red tape, several members collaborating, and a lot of internal politics. But hiring someone (not their work itself) should be fast-tracked.

      I'm rather just pointing out the fact that they said they would do something about it. Not that their ideals and plans are flawless. The lack of a consultant is holding up all of the other promises that OTW had made (outside of the coding project) and that needs to be solved first. The consultant was implied to be the capstone for the listed actions. They're too central and need to be handled first.

      Also, IIRC AO3 doesn't have a strike rule. I also am not a fan of unilateral bans without warnings though.

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