Self-policing communities
Mar. 24th, 2010 02:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
holly_evolvingI'm rather ashamed of myself. Something happened a few years ago that, while not traumatizing, was something I didn't like. And I didn't tell the appropriate people about it.
And now it comes out that I'm not the only one, and there are probably quite a few others who never told the appropriate people. The person behind the something might not even know that it was something people didn't like, because no one ever spoke up. That this person should have known is beside the point; sometimes there are mental quirks that prevent people from understanding.
If we don't take steps to protect ourselves in an appropriate and timely manner, how can we expect our community to protect us? How can we send a message about what is acceptable and what is not? We each owe it to them and to each other to do our part.
What's already happened may be past the point of addressing, but I won't let it happen again. You have my word.
And now it comes out that I'm not the only one, and there are probably quite a few others who never told the appropriate people. The person behind the something might not even know that it was something people didn't like, because no one ever spoke up. That this person should have known is beside the point; sometimes there are mental quirks that prevent people from understanding.
If we don't take steps to protect ourselves in an appropriate and timely manner, how can we expect our community to protect us? How can we send a message about what is acceptable and what is not? We each owe it to them and to each other to do our part.
What's already happened may be past the point of addressing, but I won't let it happen again. You have my word.