The fediverse is small, and thats both a blessing and a curse - one of its several blessings is that in a smaller space we all individually have a bigger impact on what the culture of this space is like.

On this comm (and on lemmy broadly) there’s a lot of discussion about how to grow the fediverse, what to improve, but an easy thing you can do for the fediverse is right in front of us-

  • Be kind

  • Ask people what they think, and why

  • Approach folks you disagree with with curiosity rather than hostility (EDIT: no, this is not specifically referring to Nazis. I get it, they’re the first thing that comes to mind. I’m not telling you to approve of Nazis I’m just saying be kind to your fellow lemmites)

  • Engage sincerely

  • Ask yourself if there’s something nice you can say

  • Make this small space worth being in

A platform lives or dies by what’s available on said platform and often we have this conversation in the context of “content” or posts - and we may never have as much content as reddit does. But content and posts aren’t the only thing this kind of platform offers- it also offers people. It offers community, and human interaction.

Culture and community is lemmy and the fediverse’s biggest differentiator, and we all have a role to play in shaping the culture of this space.

The biggest thing you can do to help the fediverse is make it a place worth being.

  • Sibshops@lemm.eeEnglish
    6·
    7 days ago

    I honestly feel like I can do better in this area. Thanks for the post. Gives me something to think about.

  • Resol van Lemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    7 days ago

    I have mysteriously vanished for like 2 or so months now (which is a good thing, please take breaks from the internet every once in a while), I don’t really remember NOT being kind here.

    And this post reminds me of why Lemmy is a good place to begin with.

  • theblips@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    7 days ago

    We also need people sharing their niche interests and creating discussion… Reddit thrives on these small communities that only find an accessible entrypoint on their platform.

  • x4740N@lemm.eeEnglish
    3·
    7 days ago

    Yeah try telling people here to be kind

    This place is still nicer then reddit but it’s still got problems with a**hole users

    • The ones that spam a certain viewpoint amd downvote people who disagree with them and I’m not talking about bigoted users who you should downvote as they want dystopia but users who have different viewpoints to them

    • People who act like assholes if you don’t share their holier-than-thou viewpoint that they try to enforce everywhere

    • The users here who insist everyone here be atheists, I’m not atheist nor am I religous (I also have a dislike for organised religons) but I still do dislike those kinds of users

    • The people here who act like like a**holes when you critique something or give feedback

    I’m sure there’s more I’m missing but those are what I remember from the top of my head that I dislike about certain lemmy users and why I think not everyone here is capable of being kind

  • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
    154·
    9 days ago

    Here are some more specific examples to think about!

    • Compliment people’s art and ask about their process

    • Teach people about something you’re knowledgeable on

    • Give constructive criticism on peoples projects when it’s welcome

    • Thank people for posting things you’re glad you got to see, tell them you enjoyed it

    • Tell people you’re glad they’re here

    • Tell people you hope they have a good day

    Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts :) if you have thoughts of your own, I’d love to hear them!

    • Rhaedas@fedia.io
      48·
      9 days ago

      On constructive criticism - definitely rule one is make sure that it’s invited first, but second, the best way to “sweeten” a critique and make it more appealing is to put it between compliments. Don’t have a bare remark about the problems or suggestions, tell them what you like first, then how they might change things, and then close with something else positive or simply thanking them for sharing it. Even if someone says they want to hear what people think, it’s normal to be defensive, so help lower that reaction first, and then leave them feeling appreciated even though you pointed out issues you saw.

        • Rhaedas@fedia.io
          16·
          9 days ago

          I agree it can be used fallaciously, often found in the business world. My point was to include both good and bad honestly and not hide it, and people won’t shut down if they get the good first. It also depends on the subject - if they’re on the right track and your suggestion leads to better results, that’s not as negative as telling someone they’re doing something incorrectly and offering a different way.

          In the end, how you say things is just as important as what is said.

      • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
        4·
        9 days ago

        Absolutely agree, some folks just wanna share, some folks wanna get constructive crit to try and technically improve! Its important to be respectful of what kind of interaction folks are looking for :)

        And absolutely, talking about both good and bad doesn’t just make it less unpleasant or more enjoyable to get feedback, it also makes better, more helpful feedback! (Assuming that’s a thing they’re looking for)

    • Lemmchen@feddit.orgEnglish
      5·
      9 days ago

      I’m not one for religion, but I for one would like to join the Church of Cris.

    • pirat@lemmy.studioEnglish
      2·
      8 days ago

      Are you open to some additional thoughts / feedback on feedback / constructive criticism?

      • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
        2·
        8 days ago

        I am! Thank you for asking :)

        Ive gotten a lot of assumptions about what I meant and that’s a bit frustrating but I really value honest sincere dialogue, if you have thoughts you think would be worth sharing I’d love to hear them my friend!

        • pirat@lemmy.studioEnglish
          2·
          8 days ago

          I thought I had hit reply on your other comment going into more detail (whoops!).

          Like I did in this example, ask if people are open to feedback (if you’re the one giving it).

          Often when I am training groups on how to work together, I always try and frame feedback as a gift.

          If someone is giving you feedback, they are genuinely trying to help you grow - and that’s a gift. The issue here though, is not everyone is a good gift giver - and we can’t control that.

          What we do have control over is how we recieve gifts - often all you need to do is say thank you. Don’t explain why you’re not going to use this feedback (if you plan not to incorporate it). Other than clarifying the feedback to better understand how to incorporate it, saying thank you is the best way to go about it.

          As far as delivering feedback I always say “if you can choose to be anything in this world why choose anything other than kind.”

          It is important to state that “being kind” doesn’t mean not having the difficult conversations or delivering difficult feedback - you can still do that without being cruel. Being assertive isn’t being aggressive.

          A bit rambly but if you’re ever working with folx on delivering feedback, I’ve found that presenting these frameworks with it ste super helpful

  • squirrel@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    87·
    9 days ago

    There was a movement in the blogging community ~15 years ago to leave positive comments on posts you like. It was an approach to conquer negative comments and a general destructive nature of online conversations. I still do it to this day. If I really like something or appreciate someone’s work, I leave a nice comment.

    • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      37·
      9 days ago

      Oh neat, being younger there’s a lot of how folks approached the web in its earlier years that I don’t have any experience with, and think there’s a lot to learn from

      I love that!

  • Banana@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    60·
    9 days ago

    I’ve noticed most discussions i have here end with a LOT less anger and a LOT more learning and that makes me happy.

    • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      35·
      9 days ago

      Fuck yeah! I think that’s the thing that makes the fediverse special :)

      We all care enough about the online spaces we choose to inhabit that we leave the big platforms for something kinder. I think that’s worth leaning into :)

    • yucandu@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      9 days ago

      Because there’s fewer foreign bots trying to make you hate everyone in your country, and fewer social media engagement bots trying to make sure you stay online arguing with someone.

  • nickwitha_k (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    59·
    8 days ago

    I disagree with your premise.

    It should be “The best thing that you can do for humanity is to be kind”.

    Seriously. We’re living in a time when fascism is in an upswing and at least one religious leader has publicly called empathy a sin. Kindness and empathy are rebellious acts.

  • kek@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    53·
    9 days ago

    Great post.

    To add to this, not resorting to calling others tankies or Russian bots when you have differing opinions, especially around politics.

    • Draces@lemmy.worldEnglish
      32·
      9 days ago

      I came to Lemmy (lemm.ee originally) with this attitude. Tankies really made me regret trying to be sympathetic too them. It was the most vile interaction I’ve had on the Internet maybe? You shouldn’t call people tankies if they’re not but real tankies are by far the biggest problem with the fediverse and it’s growth

    • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      18·
      9 days ago

      1 billion percent agree, not everyone you disagree with is acting in bad faith

      • jimmy90@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        7 days ago

        when you’re dealing with fundamentalists or extremists things turn nasty very quickly because you’re questioning their fantasy world

        doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad faith, often they will just ban you

      • davel [he/him]@lemmy.mlEnglish
        15·
        9 days ago

        Instance admins have pretty good information at their disposal to identify bots.

        I have yet to see any instance admin say that there is any significant amount of bots, outside of the occasional spate of spamming. I only see such theories & accusasions come from non-admins, with no accompanying compelling evidence.

      • Aqarius@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        9 days ago

        I’ve had the thought that if I were to design a psyop campaign, a pretty solid option for dominating the discussion would be to come out swinging and accuse everyone else of being an agent. That way, people have to either constantly defend against accusations, or they conclude, rightly, the accusations are baseless and decide to disregard the very idea that there is a psyop going on.

      • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
        3·
        8 days ago

        I could be wrong but to me it feels odd to think lemmy is big enough to be worth organizing psyops for.

        Not to say it couldn’t be an issue in the future, but it feels much more likely that people expressing pro Russia sentiment are just people who bought into that particular brand of propaganda.

        Which like, to some extent all of our individual world views are shaped by the environment of propaganda we’re exposed to. We’re all products of our social conditioning, and ultimately that’s exactly what propaganda is. Media designed to socially condition people to a certain set of beliefs. All we as individuals can do is be aware of it and be willing to look at our own beliefs critically.

        But at the end of the day I think the folks praising Russia on lemmy are just people. People I personally think are misguided, but I don’t think theyre generally acting in bad faith any more than the general population here.

          • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
            2·
            8 days ago

            Honestly if anyone is doing that I really feel like it would be the US, not Russia.

            Russia’s goal is to sew discord and unballance the populace that drives politics, and for that to work you need a MASSIVE scale that we just don’t really have. They don’t really have much to gain from the IP addresses of a handful of leftists

            But Lemmy is exactly the kind of hotspot for people DEEPLY angry about the government of the US to organize that if we’re big enough to be on their radar, the US government would have a vested interest in keeping an eye on potential dissidents. Unlike Russia IP addresses and personally identifiable information would be useful to them, in identifying threat actors, tracking their activity and volatility online, and building cases that would allow them to prosecute should said dissidents escalate

            That’s how it looks from where I’m standing anyway 🤷‍♂️

    • misteloct@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      8 days ago

      Sometimes they literally just are. Not seen it on Lemmy but on Reddit I definitely interacted with users, age under 1 year, all suspiciously pro-Putin. It’s rare and I’m looking for it, but still.

      • nickwitha_k (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        4·
        8 days ago

        It’s rare and I’m looking for it

        Unfortunately not that rare of a POV to find. They just generally don’t do the young account thing. Some are true believers. Others likely state actors. Don’t see as many bots but the greater levels of transparency and lower active population probably makes it less worthwhile of an investment.

  • SuiXi3D@fedia.io
    43·
    9 days ago

    The second best thing is remember that tolerance of intolerance breeds intolerance.

    • misk@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      22·
      9 days ago

      I think part of pleasantness is not bringing politics into things that weren’t intended to be about politics.

      • Banana@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        27·
        9 days ago

        The problem is politics impacts everything and the word “political” means different things to different people.

        To some, talking about being gay is political, even though to people who are in that community, it’s literally just talking about their lives.

      • Yardy Sardley@lemmy.caEnglish
        15·
        9 days ago

        To interject with a somewhat pedantic point, nothing is truly apolitical. But there is something to be said about sensing the proper time and place to start a political argument.

    • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      16·
      9 days ago

      This is a whole different train of thought (mine is, I won’t speak for yours) and I don’t wanna derail my original thought but that’s a thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

      I agree with you, and subscribe to the idea of tolerance as a social contract that, once broken, is no longer owed to the one who broke the contract.

      At the same time, I’ve also learned that very explicitly, feeling persecuted is a requisite ingredient in radicalizing people into hate groups. And that at an individual scale, it’s generally undeserved compassion that helps deradicalize them. We know this from the accounts of people who managed to leave hate groups- a little while ago there was really good (and long) interview with someone who used to be leader of a white nationalist group where he talked a fair bit about that idea, since he now works with a nonprofit that helps families and friends support and deradicalize loved ones, but it’s far from the only account

      At present I’m really not sure how I personally reconcile those two things I belive to be true. The Nazi bar analogy is real.

      I know wading into this more specific conversion runs the risk of immediately derailing what I was trying to start a discussion about, but I figured I’d share my thoughts. If anyone reads this and has thoughts to share (though I’d prefer not to get 50 comments just saying I suck for having complicated views on what we do about the predicament the US and world is in with the rise of fascist ideology. I’m interested in what’s effective in terms of fixing the problem just like you are) I’d be interested in hearing them. I’m still looking for a way to synthesize my beliefs into a coherent whole.

      Edit: thought I’d add the interview for anyone curious. I don’t see everything exactly the way he does but I think understanding the problem and exactly how it works is necessary of we’re going to address it, and I think his account is a really useful glimpse into certain aspects of how that world works

      • pelespirit@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        7·
        9 days ago

        I agree with everything you said at the top and this comment as well. You don’t have to be mean, cruel, or shitty to the bad actors. In fact the best case scenario is to make your case once and then walk away. It’s much easier to talk about than to actually do, but it’s really effective. If you assume they’re not trolls or bad actors, even better. All of these actions curtail flame wars, which is what they’re after anyway if you’re correct that they’re a bad actor or troll.

        • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
          2·
          9 days ago

          Thanks for your thoughts, thats a bit different of an approach than I’d really thought about, I feel like my thoughts have kinda been stuck at both extremes

          That gives me new things to think about, thank you ❤️

      • dota__2@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        9 days ago

        they’re going to “feel” persecuted, no matter what. might as well make them actually fucking fear it.

    • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      11·
      9 days ago

      i think if someone’s intolerant, pointing out that they’re wrong is something appropriate, but picking a fight over it is not worth it. it makes you like that person in that meme:

      edit: in bad cases, report it and move on with your life.

      • SuiXi3D@fedia.io
        23·
        9 days ago

        Almost as if the statement is referring to the paradox of tolerance.

        By allowing people like Nazis, Christofascists, Tankies, etc. a platform, it only invites more sharing that view to spread their bullshit around. This makes those that don’t share those extremist views uncomfortable they then leave those places. You see it on platforms like Truth Social, X, and 4Chan.

        If this is to be a kind place, we must encourage kindness and rid ourselves of unkindness. You can’t tolerate intolerance, lest it spread and take over.

        • Banana@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          14·
          9 days ago

          If you allow wolves and sheep into a space, that is a wolves-only space.

          (For context, I agree with you.)

      • dota__2@lemmy.worldEnglish
        20·
        9 days ago

        it’s only an oxymoron if you’re a moron. tolerance is a social contract. the intolerant break that contract and are no longer to be protected by it.

      • rocket_dragon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        11·
        9 days ago

        Paradox of Tolerance - Karl Poppler - 1945

        It’s a shame that something we already figured out 60 years ago still needs to be learned by most people.

        The good news is, this is an opportunity for you to grow and be better right now. It’s never too late to improve yourself.

          • rocket_dragon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            5·
            9 days ago

            Wdym financial cashes, pandemic, doomscrolling, Trump got the presidency twice??

            You’re talking crazy it’s only 2005 bro, futuristic computer interface means frutiger aero, I listen to music on my iPod and text on my candybar flip phone </3</3

      • Banana@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        8·
        9 days ago

        Sure, if you think of it as purely semantic, or a zero sum game with no nuance, but it’s not.

        Gotta be intolerant of those being needlessly cruel to those just trying to live their lives, and gotta be tolerant of those just trying to live their lives that don’t affect you, even if you find it cringey.

    • shaggyb@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      8 days ago

      Call them out so that resistance is visible, then block them to remove their agency to engage you.

  • shaggyb@lemmy.worldEnglish
    38·
    8 days ago

    Unless you’re a republican or other type of nazi. Then you can absolutely go all the way to hell.

    Tolerance got us here.

    • conditional_soup@lemm.eeEnglish
      13·
      7 days ago

      Nazis can always join their own defederated server and have their little circle jerk, nothing is stopping them from going and joining exploding heads; they don’t have a right to be part of federated fediverse and have their bullshit heard.

      For that matter, nothing’s stopping the people who disagree with me from creating their own nazi-friendly Lemmy instance. This is not the Nazi bar, and it’s not going to be, so go ahead and open it yourselves. No need to let me know how it turns out, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a good guess.

          • untakenusername@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            2·
            7 days ago

            well yeah but I meant that Truth socials source code is actually a fork of Mastodon. I think they’ve even published the source code somewhere for legal reasons, which is so wired to think about trump doing.

            • conditional_soup@lemm.eeEnglish
              2·
              7 days ago

              Holy crow I didn’t know that! I doubt Trump did it on purpose. I’m almost certain whoever he paid for Truth social just did the least amount of work possible to cash in, and forking Mastodon was probably it. The right wing is like a fractal grift, so it wouldn’t shock me.

    • Casteyes@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      8 days ago

      Generalizing is a logical fallacy. Not all Republicans are Nazis.

      Some are rotten. Some are good people that just got duped.

      It’s not black and white.

      • shaggyb@lemmy.worldEnglish
        20·
        8 days ago

        Nope. They’ve had plenty of time to see the results of their actions. They’re complicit at this point.

        • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
          10·
          8 days ago

          I can empathize with your anger but I do think it’s easy to forget just how much propaganda can shape peoples world views and idea of reality. It’s used so heavily because it works :(

          Regardless, I’m not trying to start a fight, I can appreciate having no more tolerance for the increasing cruelty of the state of the world. Take care ❤️

        • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          8 days ago

          That’s the part that I still can’t wrap my head around. We know it will be shameless shilling and nepotism along with stochastic terrorism and still vote for it anyway? Wtf

          • Cris@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
            7·
            8 days ago

            Its easy to forget they live in a fundamentally different reality shaped by a buble of media. We all do, but conservative media kinda feels like an alternative universe.

            When confronted with the world we live in they reject it as unrealistic because it differs too much from the facts they’ve accepted about the world.

            My grandpa is a trump voter and I do my best to still talk to him. At an individual scale he’s a kind, sincere man who has always been welcoming of my queerness and tries to understand me. It’s very painful trying to discuss things with him even though it stays a kind interaction when I lead with kindness. It requires a lot of cognitive dissonance, but he lives in a fundamentally different reality than I do and I honestly don’t know what I can do about it :(

            That’s the dangerous thing about fascism. Decent people buy into it. Become complicit or enable it. It wouldn’t be a real threat if they didn’t. But it engineers a reality for people to believe in, and lo and behold, they do. And cruelty ensues :(

        • Casteyes@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          8 days ago

          Nope. There’s really hasn’t been. A lot of them are waking up. You’re being divisive. And that’s not what the country needs.

            • Casteyes@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              8 days ago

              I’m being clear as well. If you want to be hostile to the whole group that’s your personal choice. I’m going to express the reality of the situation though. Bye.

          • Genius@lemmy.zipEnglish
            10·
            8 days ago

            They had 4 years of Trump to see the truth for themselves. And then they got to see Trump break another election cycle’s worth of promises on top of that!

            • Casteyes@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              8 days ago

              Trump’s first term was nothing like this. It wasn’t full on facism like the current term. The economy wasn’t being completely obliterated and people weren’t being disappeared.

      • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        8 days ago

        If you’ve been getting duped for 50 years, then maybe you’re just too stupid to vote. People with a bit of a plant in their pocket have been disenfranchised for a lot less

        • Alpha71@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          8 days ago

          Perhaps. However. on the other side I think of this quote. “Poor people have been voting democrat for 50 years, and they’re still poor…”

        • Casteyes@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          8 days ago

          MAGA wasn’t formed until 2016, the party was much different before Trump. But who cares I guess. It seems people just want to hate the other side here. Which is no better than them.

          • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.worldEnglish
            5·
            8 days ago

            Before that was the tea party loons, before that was the airbrushed WMD photos, before that was McCarthyism…

            When the other side is always fascist, the answer is always FUCK OFF NAZI PUNKS

            (Maybe people wouldn’t hate the “other side” if it wasn’t straight up 4th reich on paper 🤷)

          • BrainInABox@lemmy.mlEnglish
            2·
            7 days ago

            It really wasn’t different before Trump, it was just a little more articulate in its rhetoric.

          • StrawberryEnglish
            2·
            8 days ago

            It seems people just want to hate the other side here. Which is no better than them.

            🙄

    • SorryQuick@lemmy.caEnglish
      5·
      8 days ago

      It’s not about tolerance imo, it’s about discussion. You’d be surprised to learn their reasoning if you actually listened to it. You don’t have to agree with it.

      Both sides have this problem right now. Both only converse with their own. Why are republicans not changing? Well if their friends, family and everyone they talk to is a republican, they’ll never be exposed to different opinions.

      Don’t forget that both sides can have valid policies depending on how you view the world. I’m not taking about trump and whatever you people are doing out there in the US, but in general, conservatism is the idea that people will manage their money, rather than the government.

      Look at Quebec for example. A very socialist government. 2 years ago they invested a ton of money into one electric bus company. Well that company failed really bad and while they aren’t completely bankrupt, they aren’t far. It’s easy then to then see why conservatives would want to vote conservative. If their money had stayed in their pocket instead of going to the government, this wouldn’t have happened.

      Same thing with health. The public health system is currently clogged up so a lot of people end up having to pay to go to the private sector to actually get cured in time. So conservatives believe this whole system is a huge waste of taxpayer money. Most conservatives I know aren’t agaisnt the government helping with that, but they’d rather the government just pay the invoice after you went to a private clinic, similar to insurance in the states, rather than try to control a system that clearly isn’t working.

        • SorryQuick@lemmy.caEnglish
          4·
          8 days ago

          That’s the problem. You see the other side in a way they themselves really aren’t. When people say the left is just as bad as the right, they don’t mean in opinions and policies, but in behavior, just like you’re doing. They both think themselves as having the moral high ground while the other side is complete and utter evil.

          Honestly of all the conservatives I know, I don’t think a single one of them is remotely racist in any way. One in particular is agaisnt talking about lgbt stuff in schools but he also has a trans friend and thinks as long as they’re adults it’s fine. It’s not being evil, it’s having a difference in opinion.

          • shaggyb@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            8 days ago

            People said everything you’re saying 30 years ago and used it to justify letting fascism grow unchecked. Now we’re here and you are still afraid to be firm. You are why they’re in power.

            No more compromises. No more chances. No more conversations. People are being abducted. People are dying. There’s no time left for patience.

            They change NOW. Or they can fuck off.

            • SorryQuick@lemmy.caEnglish
              4·
              8 days ago

              I have no issues with facists fucking off. The problem is most people on lemmy seem to give just about everyone they disagree with a facist tag. Honestly in the US I agree the situation is different, but here in canada, I haven’t heard of anyone dying or being abducted by conservatives.

    • untakenusername@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      8 days ago

      Ik a few people who lean to the right economically but aren’t in favor of all this authoritarian stuff And they’re not Nazis, you cant just generalize so broadly about what should or shouldn’t be tolerated. Ofc if someone is being blatantly racist that shouldnt be tolerated, but economic discussion is totally fine

        • untakenusername@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          1·
          8 days ago

          You do realize that there are members of marginalized groups who have been elected as republicans. Like there’s black republicans. Is voting for them ‘blatantly racist’? If you overuse language it loses some of its meaning

          • shaggyb@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            8 days ago

            When you need to resort to “but I have black friends” to defend racism, you’ve lost.

            • untakenusername@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              1·
              8 days ago

              I’m not resorting to that. I’m not saying that. I’m saying that the idea that voting Republican is inherently racist, is wrong. This really isn’t that complicated.

              • shaggyb@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                8 days ago

                You are incorrect. The republican party is the party of bigotry and cruelty. To vote for them is an explicit endorsement. Adults are accountable for their allegiances and their actions, and we have had decades to learn.

  • Alaknár@lemm.eeEnglish
    33·
    8 days ago

    I’ll add: “be supportive and helpful if you can, and just shut up if you can’t”.

    Fediverse is sometimes suffering from the same kind of people that Linux has - “oh you have a problem? Well, here’s the GitHub repo and a project Wiki, figure it out”.