Oh, yes. I've reached the point of periodically hiding people to avoid getting drawn in. (While mentally repeating "I will not do politics on Facebook. I will not do politics on Facebook." as I nigh-physically restrain myself from posting.) But almost all of them are people I want to read if I could just filter the political stuff.
(For the most part, I wouldn't even mind discussing politics with them-- most of the people I'm friended to are people I enjoy talking to whether or not I agree with them. I just don't want to get into it with their random acquaintances and family members, in front of mine. Particularly in a forum that I have to assume will wind up searchable by prospective employers and the like forevermore.)
On the main subject, defining enemies and demonizing them does seem to be an inherent part of team/community building on some level. Likewise searching out the worst of them to reinforce it, without much regard to verification. I don't know if there's a way around it. I'd like to at least see people recognize that it's worth using the mighty powers of the Internet to verify the latest meme heard round the world before passing it on. But confirmation bias seems to make that the least likely when it would be most needed.
no subject
Oh, yes. I've reached the point of periodically hiding people to avoid getting drawn in. (While mentally repeating "I will not do politics on Facebook. I will not do politics on Facebook." as I nigh-physically restrain myself from posting.) But almost all of them are people I want to read if I could just filter the political stuff.
(For the most part, I wouldn't even mind discussing politics with them-- most of the people I'm friended to are people I enjoy talking to whether or not I agree with them. I just don't want to get into it with their random acquaintances and family members, in front of mine. Particularly in a forum that I have to assume will wind up searchable by prospective employers and the like forevermore.)
On the main subject, defining enemies and demonizing them does seem to be an inherent part of team/community building on some level. Likewise searching out the worst of them to reinforce it, without much regard to verification. I don't know if there's a way around it. I'd like to at least see people recognize that it's worth using the mighty powers of the Internet to verify the latest meme heard round the world before passing it on. But confirmation bias seems to make that the least likely when it would be most needed.