Thread by @robfordmancs

Good thread. As it is likely impossible to end online anonymity, we need better social and institutional mechanisms to address its disinhibatory effects. That is hard to do, but it needs doing.

https://twitter.com/PeterRNeumann/status/1449673600466890752

I feel this will have to be a collective effort. We need to build a social media "immune system", with multiple lines of defence, to shut out toxic actors and violent, prejudiced and hostile discourse. Ultimately, its going to be a job for all of us.

Of course, social media platforms should reforms systems which promote toxicitiy. But there are also many ways we are users could help marginalise bad actors ourselves. What happens to people who behave offline like bad actors behave online? They are socially shamed & shunned

We need to develop effective mechanisms for policing behaviour online too. In terms of shunning, there are of course the block and mute buttons. These should be used, I think, more readily in response to hostile discourse. I give one warning then block these days.

We should also all report toxic output (and promote the fact we have done so, and promote failures by Twitter to act) - @sundersays has been a powerful campaigner on this.

There are other more subtle things we can do. "Nutpicking" - quote tweeting the most unhinged claims of your opponents, usually from an obscure troll account, is something far too many high profile twitter users do. Everyone should cease this practice.

"Nutpicking" rewards toxic replies, and incentivises people to generate them. Getting quote tweeted by a high profile account is a massive signal boost for trolls. Don't give it to them.

Similarly, engagement with hostile or abusive tweeters - high profile accounts should just not do this, all it does is reward abusive behaviour. Block and report.

Someone, I forget who, offered great advice to me on this once - imagine your twitter account is a pub, and you are the landlord. People in your replies are the customers. You can bar whoever you want. Why would you want your pub to fill up with abusive idiots? Bar them.

For those keen to learn more, here#s a great report on how to counter social media hate from @Imi_Ahmed and @DrLinda_P of @CCDHate

counterhate.com/dont-feed-the-…

One other tip from my personal experience - look at people's accounts before making a judgement. Some people are good faith responders who simply express themselves poorly. Others are regular promoters of misinformation and hate. Usually takes less than 30 seconds to judge.

For example, I just had a replyer accusing high profile politicians of being some of the worst promoters of abuse. I asked for examples, and they just listed a string of the most high profile Labour MPs (red light #1).

A look at their TL revealed, within the past week, retweeting or engagement with Islamophobic content, vaccine scepticism content and climate change denial content. Not difficult to judge that this was a bath faith discussant unwelcome in my Twitter pub.