Thank you.
I really do hope you’ll take at least a small look at the additional aspect i am concerned about, where moderation focuses on ending conflict sometimes by threatening consequences for BOTH people if there is a conflict. While I don’t feel that users on iNat are usually outwardly malicious, it really is true that sometimes someone is wrong, and the other person isn’t. The ‘both sides’ approach really empowers bullies, abusers, and just fails to encourage better behavior. @sunguramy calling out tone policing is really on point here. I know it’s been really hurtful to me when that happened to me, and it can be downright dangerous when it is directed at multiply marginalized groups like trans people. I hope this is a step forward… but please remember, sometimes one person is just in the wrong.
There’s a disproportionate number of LGBT, neurodivergent, and other underrepresented people on iNat. I know it often doesn’t go smoothly when a lot of people with a lot of trauma or past history of being abused come together. But honestly, a lot of us are just tired of the common abuse tactics like ‘both sides’-ism. A common type of abuse directed towards autistic people is making us upset or triggering autistic meltdown behaviors with known triggers, then shaming us for being upset or dysregulated by the toxic treatment. I saw that happening in this thread to people (at least one of whom said they are autistic), not as intentional abuse, but no doubt as part of a pattern that person has experienced before… I am tired of this stuff and i just have absolutely zero tolerance for it any more. You’re in an important role where you provide a community for a lot of people who can’t find it elsewhere. Please protect it instead of turning this place (more) toxic as well.