Can we all agree that the internet is simultaneously the best and the worst?
On the one hand, it allows platforms like this to be created that help us communicate ideas and build community that never would have been possible before. The internet affords curious people who act in good faith an unprecedented opportunity to engage and humbly learn from one another amid their strong disagreements. That’s amazing.
On the other hand, the internet has given an unprecedented public voice to an often anonymous group of ignorant, petulant brats who just want to watch the world burn. Unfortunately, their influence surpasses their numbers. You can have 50 people who are all interacting in a healthy way, but a single parasitic troll shows up and it ruins everything. They’re the worst.
The question, then, is this: how does a new platform swim upstream against this trollish online culture of 2020 to maximize thoughtful, civil discussions and mitigate the ignorant, hateful flame-throwing? There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer, but here are the five things we’re doing to help create healthy online community for The Sacred Humanists:
- Disable the comments on any pages associated with this platform.
- Create a private Facebook discussion group for the purpose of building community.
- Establish clear guidelines and expectations for permissible behavior within the group.
- Empower a trusted group of moderators to establish and maintain the group’s culture.
- Remove any contumacious1 participants who refuse to engage accordingly.
If you’re interested in participating in these community discussions, please click here to join The Sacred Humanists – Discussion Group.
Contumacious: stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority.↩
