natetimm posted:

Well first, it's not the trans-species or whatever tumblr blogs I'm referencing when I talk about Tumblr activism in the context of this thread. It's the ugly, slacktivist, echo-chamber bullshit ones that create this giant feedback loop of privilege checking alongside an endless contest of who is the most oppressed and how. It was once a running joke but more and more I see the bullshit mentality leaking into other facets of life and gaining traction and legitimacy. In all honesty I can understand why a black person would want to tell a white idiot like SedanChair describes to shut up, but I don't think trying to shame or force them into doing it, especially somewhere as volatile and anonymous as the internet, is a reasonable expectation. Do I think a feminist or black activist giving a live talk in person on issues that impact them has the right to ask those people to shut the gently caress up while they do so? Absolutely. Do I think that right extends to every idiot on the internet whose opinion happens to coincide with those activists? No. If you're going to bring your opinion into the maelstrom of terrible opinions that is the internet and shout them at people, you don't get to hide behind that barrier of protection anymore. Someone's capability of marginalizing you is already greatly reduced by the relative amount of anonymity and impersonal nature of the net itself, and that's the chance you take when you bring it to such a huge open forum.