I like to read advice columns and my favorite is Ask A Manager because I really like Alison, the woman who writes the column. She’s pragmatic, but also compassionate. And she’s a rabble-rouser who used to go to protests naked to protest animal abuse. She thinks unions are great, especially now when employees have more power than they have in a long time. The commentariat is thoughtful and erudite, looking at things from many different angles. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the best commentariats on the internet. That said, I can often tell who is saying a comment without even looking at the username if it’s a regular. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not a good thing, either.
It’s just a thing. It makes sense, too, because most of us have pretty consistent beliefs that we express over and over again. Say something about family to me and you’ll hear three or four well-worn spiels about family dysfunction. Mention Dark Souls to me and get an earful about three or four topics–one being how magicks is NOT the easy way , no matter what the onebros say.
It makes sense, really, Most people has a core that doesn’t change easily. And online, especially, you want to give context for your points. That’s why people repeat their stories, me included. That’s why I get bored with–well, everything after some time. Websites, especially. Because the feel of them rarely change. I started following politics in 2008 because of Obama. It was also when I started using social media, also because of politics. I used to visit a few progressive websites, but I noticed that I got impatient with them after a year or so. It was because the content never changed nor did the commentary. Which is both the strong point and the weak point of the internet. It’s a great place to discuss issues, but it’s not a great place for changing hearts and minds. When I used to visit progressive websites, the point was to get moral support and to bolster my own beliefs. Granted, many organizations in real life are also like that, but at least when you have in-person discussions, there’s a give and take that doesn’t happen as easily online. I don’t think it’s outrageous to say that it’s better to have an in-depth discussion in person rather than online.
It does happen in general, too, though. We are creature of habits. We’re going to do/say/think the same thing on the regs. I mean, if I’m a staunch progressive, I’m not going to suddenly think guns, sexual restriction and gender binaries are great things, am I? That’s just not how we work.