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In reply to the discussion: The chilling effect of misogynistic trolls [View all]Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)I just cited the article to show that the world hasn't ended at Fark because they put some standards in place. I'll copy and paste the section I was thinking of:
"Curtis tells us, however, that so far the response has been nothing but positive, and that there has been no uptick in commenters testing Farks new policy.
Its been surprisingly smooth, he says.
As a story at Vice recently put it, Fark banning misogyny actually facilitates free speech, because it means women can be more comfortable expressing their thoughts without worrying about the dregs of the Internet threatening to rape them or otherwise harass them.
Farks move could indeed provide inspiration for other online environments to take similar action, and thats one of the reasons the site has gotten some national news coverage for it.
Gawker also recently cracked down on users posting rape GIFs on its Jezebel site, though only after Jezebel called out the company itself in a blog post. This story also put the spotlight on the Internets rampant misogyny.
These moves from Fark and Gawker arent going to solve the whole problem, but theyre certainly positive moves in a better direction. Any other sites inspired to follow suit will just serve as additional steps."