I don't think "tangential" carries all that much of a negative connotation myself, though it's true that "warning" does. That being said, I haven't seen a post labeled as "derailing" or "tangential" that did not try to dismiss the original concern or criticism being raised; the only example that people have been citing in discussions seems pretty clearly not a case of wanting to talk about blue giraffes instead of pink elephants, if I may borrow your example (link here). I do acknowledge that not seeing something happen doesn't rule out the possibility of it happening. Still, posts that genuinely seem to be approaching the discussion from an entirely different angle are not given "warnings": as an example from the latest digest, "[The following link shifts focus from the ableist aspects to the problematic depictions of childhood sexual abuse in the Evelyn Evelyn project]".
"It" referring to linkspam itself, in response to your paragraph that says that the name gives a bad impression. Which I agree it does, particularly without the context of the archival work done during Racefail, but I don't think that linkspam mods particularly care about that impression.
I understand your position about labels giving free license to criticize and censure without assessing the post on its own terms. Still--and I know I am only speaking for myself here--I don't engage with posts that are labeled as problematic. On issues where I feel that I am not privileged, I don't engage because it's hostile territory; on issues where I am, I don't see any purpose in my white-knighting on behalf of others. Plus, there have been posts that I thought were great that ended up labeled as problematic; in those cases, the labels did make me think again, but I don't think they automatically changed my opinion so much as made me pay more attention to the dissenting views. In the majority of links I've read, the posts I've seen labeled as problematic on linkspam don't even have comments from people outside the poster's friends list. The m/m fiction and slash debate was the major exception because most people in fic-writing fandom had a personal stake one way or the other in the matter.
Again, I agree that you don't have to read or like linkspam, and I'm not disputing your right to complain at all. I just wanted to clarify that the warnings on linkspam have not remained the same since complaints were first raised because not everyone who's been discussing the issue lately seemed to take that into account. Granted, perhaps the points would have been better raised elsewhere, but I have to admit I felt more comfortable commenting in your journal.
no subject
Date: 6 Mar 2010 08:25 pm (UTC)"It" referring to linkspam itself, in response to your paragraph that says that the name gives a bad impression. Which I agree it does, particularly without the context of the archival work done during Racefail, but I don't think that linkspam mods particularly care about that impression.
I understand your position about labels giving free license to criticize and censure without assessing the post on its own terms. Still--and I know I am only speaking for myself here--I don't engage with posts that are labeled as problematic. On issues where I feel that I am not privileged, I don't engage because it's hostile territory; on issues where I am, I don't see any purpose in my white-knighting on behalf of others. Plus, there have been posts that I thought were great that ended up labeled as problematic; in those cases, the labels did make me think again, but I don't think they automatically changed my opinion so much as made me pay more attention to the dissenting views. In the majority of links I've read, the posts I've seen labeled as problematic on linkspam don't even have comments from people outside the poster's friends list. The m/m fiction and slash debate was the major exception because most people in fic-writing fandom had a personal stake one way or the other in the matter.
Again, I agree that you don't have to read or like linkspam, and I'm not disputing your right to complain at all. I just wanted to clarify that the warnings on linkspam have not remained the same since complaints were first raised because not everyone who's been discussing the issue lately seemed to take that into account. Granted, perhaps the points would have been better raised elsewhere, but I have to admit I felt more comfortable commenting in your journal.