**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 03:57

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 03:57

Mike Burns @mikeburns@octodon.social

May 10, 2018, 03:57

Mike Burns @mikeburns@octodon.social

on shaming people for using protective features Show more

@Shamar does this argument have space for the nuance between blocking someone because they are different vs blocking someone because they are harassing you vs blocking some because they are not directly harassing you specifically but the things they post are triggering and without CW vs other decisions like that?

(I'm struggling to think of a time when I've blocked because of "differences".)

**Shamar** @Shamar · 2018-05-10T05:18:16Z

Shamar @Shamar

on shaming people for using protective features Show more

@mikeburns

Sure. Nobody is obliged to accept harassment.

Blocks exists exactly for trolls.

And I'm not shaming anyone: the evaluation of your actions is ultimately up to you.

I just want people to reflect about what #FreeSpeech is. If you don't want to #listen you should not #talk. And if you just want to listen to people like you, you should not speak where different people may listen and respond.

But if you speak in a #public place...

May 10, 2018, 05:18 · Web · 0 · 0

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 12:39

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 12:39

May 10, 2018, 12:39

Mike Burns @mikeburns@octodon.social

on shaming people for using protective features Show more

@Shamar
I have yet to see the block feature used for anything besides trolls and harassers, TBH. Have you seen otherwise?

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 17:45

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 17:45

May 10, 2018, 17:45

Mike Burns @mikeburns@octodon.social

on shaming people for using protective features Show more

@Shamar
Looks like we've confirmed my point.

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 17:59

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 17:59

May 10, 2018, 17:59

Mike Burns @mikeburns@octodon.social

on shaming people for using protective features Show more

@Shamar
In your subtoot you implied that you were blocked because you "were different." Is that what this is? In which way?

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 19:00

**Mike Burns** @mikeburns@octodon.social · May 10, 2018, 19:00

May 10, 2018, 19:00

Mike Burns @mikeburns@octodon.social

on shaming people for using protective features Show more

@Shamar
I think that's a misreading of what is going on, though.

Birdsite and others - including some fediverse instances - are crawling with accounts that coordinate attacks against underrepresented or minority people.

Those accounts organize in public via dogwhistles. So if you come in with those same dogwhistles (e.g. "free speech"), you're off to a bad start. It's a health risk for many people to push through known dogwhistles.