Read on Twitter
so, I guess, let& #39;s talk about chain blocking.
I& #39;m seeing a lot of confusion as to what it means, and how / why it& #39;s used. Maybe this will help clear it up?
I& #39;m seeing a lot of confusion as to what it means, and how / why it& #39;s used. Maybe this will help clear it up?
checks notes, always start with a definition. A chain blocker is a piece of software that allows you to block a large number of users at once. This means that you can block, generally, anyone who follows a particular account, for instance.
Why might you use such a thing? Well, there are accounts of both size and celebrity (tech, gaming, politics; we all know some) that have followers that let& #39;s say are, somewhat toxic. Part of a larger conversation about fandom culture, I suppose. Out of scope for this one.
"That& #39;s not danger, Eric; if you make an opinion online you should be able to deal with the fallout"
ok I hear you.
Not everyone leaves these debates online. Some people follow women at conventions. Some people send threatening mail to people& #39;s houses. Visibility is danger.
ok I hear you.
Not everyone leaves these debates online. Some people follow women at conventions. Some people send threatening mail to people& #39;s houses. Visibility is danger.
If you& #39;ve been the subject of harassment campaigns, it& #39;s often safer to chainblock certain accounts, which lessens (note: does not eliminate) the increased risk of harassment from their followers.
Why is this necessary? Twitter isn& #39;t great at enforcing their rules around harassment, hate speech, and the like. Trust me on that one. Facebook is worse, but, that& #39;s out of scope for this conversation.
So. You& #39;ve gotten blocked in a chainblock.
Your first reaction is almost certainly confusion or frustration, which scans.
Not everyone vets their following, and I get that. Some people follow accounts (esp. certain major political figures) as an accountability thing. I also get that. That& #39;s your prerogative. We all use this hell site differently.
Generally speaking, it& #39;s not usually a judgment on you! It& #39;s a safety procedure taken by people in vulnerable groups / victims of prior harassment. In their situation, a false positive (non-harasser blocked by software) is FAR better than a false negative (harasser not blocked).
I also use a chainblocker, but generally only on specific instances of accounts delving into anti-black racism. It& #39;s usually safer.
And political misinformation accounts, but, y& #39;know, 2020.
And political misinformation accounts, but, y& #39;know, 2020.
