I do my best not to block ppl on Twitter but I'm now blocking @doctortro. I know it'll cause some to call me cowardly or whatever but it's none of that. It's also not some emotional tantrum but rather the result of cool-headed contemplation. Here's a #WhyIBlock thread (1/13)
In almost 6y in Twitter, I've only ever had to block two accounts and one was temporary. I get the appeal and of course everyone does what's best for them. I just like to hold myself a high bar. I find blocking "too easy" when even strong disagreements could be explored (2/13)
I especially don't think knee-jerk blocks are for me. I've often had the temptation but after some cool-down I've decided not to. I do mute some accounts occasionally if they constantly cause my notifications to go crazy.
That's why I now want to explain this decision (3/13)
That's why I now want to explain this decision (3/13)
First of all, I'm absolutely aware that I sometimes tweet provocative and (maybe too?) sharp comments. So the "if you can't take the heat..." argument applies. And I CAN take the heat. I often expect it. In fact, I make sure I only tweet things that are defensible (4/13)
So if u see me use specific terms or make some strong claims, I do it for a reason and I have arguments/evidence to back them up. I'm not afraid to stand up to what I believe to be true. I'm also not afraid to change my position if necessary - I've done it countless times (5/13)
So @DoctorTro has a tendency to quote my tweets in a manner stating "Look at this fucking idiot". And I get that. Many of my tweets can certainly seem over-the-top, especially if you assume I haven't thought them out. So in that sense, I'm sometimes asking for trouble (6/13)
The problem is this: my comments ARE defensible and I'm happy to elaborate, but @DoctorTro essentially takes that away from me by 1) framing my comment in the worst-faith manner possible and 2) sharing it with his >28k followers. All conversation is instantly hopeless (7/13)
First, I always have to correct the straw man in order to even get to defend my actual position. With an audience that big, the conversation is quickly split into multiple threads and comments perpetuating the worst-faith interpretation. Responding to all is impossible (8/13)
If this happened every now and then, that would be fine, too. Hey, it's just Twitter. However this is not some random occurrence but an established pattern of behaviour. Over the past 3-4 months, this has happened maybe a couple dozen times and it makes Twitter suck for me (9/13)
And here's the kick, I've been OK with @DoctorTro for the longest time. We disagree but behind all that bullying, Tro can make smart, nuanced points. I don't take them lightly. Longer time ago, Tro has also commented valuing my opinions (not sure if that's true anymore) (10/13)
In a weird way, I'm honoured to be targeted by Tro's behaviour. I'm also on record at @IanCramer's podcast stating that I think ultimately Tro is a good doctor who's passionate about bringing the best care to his patients. But enough is enough (11/13)
I know blocking won't stop the most determined bullies and there are screenshots available if one really, really wants to keep going. But this thread is also here to explain why I'm not engaging with Tro anymore. Who knows if it's permanent but it is what it is right now (12/13)
To summarize, yes I'm sometimes needlessly provocative and some heat is well-deserved. Not a problem as I always tweet stuff I can stand behind. However, Tro's systematic derangement of any reasonable debate has been going on too long and I'm done with it (13/13)
