Interesting way to put it in reply to me – my last argument here was a repeat about video aspect ratios. A lot of conversation here is in some way a waste of time, and energy to the extent it is spent, save only that people here felt like engaging in it. I doubt I am the only one who sometimes comes here with the intent of wasting time. I rarely see it criticized in other cases.
This is the exception, when people bother to confront misogynists, racists, or various other dishonest types who stand up for them. I’m not sure why. Is it supposed nobody could enjoy taking time to stand up for other people, or at least to yell at posters who are plainly going to be horrible about them? Or is it supposed nobody should, that calling them out is so inherently unmeritorious that anyone who indulges in it deserves to be called out for it?
Well, see what you say yourself:
In other words, ignoring them doesn’t actually do anything to discourage them in the long run. And in the short run, we are looking at the usual sort of one-off accounts that rarely endure beyond a single topic, responded to or not.
So the worst case is that if people choose to spend some time engaging with them, we might end up with a few more idiotic posts left shredded and mocked, instead of a few less left to stand unchallenged. I don’t think this is such a pernicious result. To the contrary, I agree with @Nelsie and @marilove, it helps keep this place welcoming to the sort of voices they would drown out.
So yeah, I think it’s worth us calling out this sort of disingenuous nonsense as we see fit. And if you instead think it’s a waste of time, well then fine, nobody’s making you do anything.
