Several years ago, I was finding this in our neighbourhood group. Even among people calling out the racists and the fascists (racist-facists), there was a lot of piling on that was designed to inflame. I also started my own group, on WhatsApp which I had learned around that time was more frequently used among socio-economically marginalized groups because you don't need data to connect. I made it a micro neighbourhood group, just for people who live and play in and around the park across the street from me.
Wonderfully, this group has brought tons of anti-facists to the fore. Routinely, if someone suggests involving cops in something, a chorus of anti-police voices will gently offer alternatives. And these alternatives have helped others see that a world without cops actually makes sense and is possible.
We've rarely had conflicts in the group, because the majority of members see eachother at the park and interact, so even in conflict people keep it on point. Our group overwhelmingly supports Palestine (and the few Zionist members have kept quiet.)
Yes this is mostly a brag about my awesome neighbours, but also about the potential political power of these groups toward a more just world. Our neighbours openly talk about building stronger connections together in order to fight fascism. And when we do post 'surveillance' type things, they are treated as a heads-up but also a joke, and we all jump in with outlandish theories on what could be happening (like the time a few people were carrying a safe down our dead-end street?!! Wild and hilarious.)
We're only 95 members, and that feels really big. But it also feels really good, and many cups of sugar have been exchanged along with actively training folks to de-cop our park.
Great piece. This paragraph really resonated with me hard:
"I don’t imagine I was much different than any teenager when I was a kid. But we stole, set things on fire, set up secret camps in the woods, tresspassed, broke the law — we did all the stuff that a normal society should tolerate as part of allowing youth to learn their surroundings, their boundaries and practice safety without the rubber padding of surveillance."
Same. I was fortunate enough to be a teenager before smartphones were a thing. My friends and I definitely made some old men angry with the dumb shit we did, but I'm glad there were no Facebook groups for people to try and destroy our lives. I don't know what happens to people to make them forget that they too were once children and to try and have a bit of empathy.
This captures my experience so perfectly. There's two competing groups in my neighbourhood and I swear 10% of the posts in each are complaining about the moderation in the other group.
I was part of an email list for about two blocks in vancouver a few years back, and I've never seen such a degree of surveillance culture since. People would send out notices whenever they spotted an unknown car parked for more than a day, and once encouraged calling cops/bylaw a person living in a van - despite everyone acknowledging the person hadn't disturbed anyone and was quite nice when spoken to!
But, you're right - given my own limited community connections, it's basically THE way to keep up to date with neighbourhood activity, which I like!
This resonates deeply. Especially when you glance at NEXTDOOR a Facebook group competitor but tied to your neighborhood.
I liken peoples experience on Facebook to being in traffic in your car. You have so much to say to others but all you have are brake lights, turn signals, and a horn, and so many people just like to lean on the horn as if they’re being articulate when really their just saying fuck you. Facebook has the same kind of separation and isolation and people love leaning on the horn.
FB exists to grow and profit from the worst in people as well as the best. Maggie Thatcher must have been thrilled to see social media as the ultimate commodification of social relations. Every chat group is a dark cave, an exclusive club, a members-only space until somebody adds a whistleblower or a snitch. Community ain't nothin' but a tv series these days. And that's gotta change hard.
Very thought provoking article as we witness examples of the culture of fear of “the other “ bloom in ways closer to home . I love the concept of a community forum. - and when it works to everyone’s benefit ( ie promotes positivity and support and information sharing ) However these toxic feelings are swelling from within our smaller neighbourhoods - in direct alignment with the nasty conservative swing to the right of our “leadership. “Recently I opted out of Facebook for reasons you have mentioned . Besides the unwanted nonsense of stupid advertising and videos etc - and the minimized exposure to my own followers - there has crept a mean minded perverted neighbourhood watch type content into our local small town discussion group . It mostly focuses on the unhorsed being a blight to “our town “
This deviates into naming the “druggies “ as unwelcome . As we have a growing south Asian community into this dominant white culture I I have horrible visions of them being a focus of intolerance also .. I hope we can one by one switch this narrative to a more humanistic one - face to face - meanwhile Facebook will not be something I participate in .
Dear Nora, I have a project for you. Upon return from Italy after 13 years, I decided to settle in Penticton. It had been transformed, of course. Many many retirees from Vancouver and Calgary and Regina. Very, very white. And like elsewhere the corporate takeover of all rental apartments means that housing is not possible for the "unwashed." Thus, many unhoused. They have to use shopping carts as a kind of mobile home. This outrages the new, wealthy, white transplants, and their voices are loud.
The major complaint? Sometimes the carts ARE NOT RETURNED TO THE SAFEWAY.
Not a word about the cost of housing, why it might be too expensive, how we could make it better - just the carts.
WHY CAN'T THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROBABLY DRUG ADDICTS AND ANYWAY THEY NEVER SEEM TO BATHE!
Could you come out here to start a Facebook group? Investigate?
Several years ago, I was finding this in our neighbourhood group. Even among people calling out the racists and the fascists (racist-facists), there was a lot of piling on that was designed to inflame. I also started my own group, on WhatsApp which I had learned around that time was more frequently used among socio-economically marginalized groups because you don't need data to connect. I made it a micro neighbourhood group, just for people who live and play in and around the park across the street from me.
Wonderfully, this group has brought tons of anti-facists to the fore. Routinely, if someone suggests involving cops in something, a chorus of anti-police voices will gently offer alternatives. And these alternatives have helped others see that a world without cops actually makes sense and is possible.
We've rarely had conflicts in the group, because the majority of members see eachother at the park and interact, so even in conflict people keep it on point. Our group overwhelmingly supports Palestine (and the few Zionist members have kept quiet.)
Yes this is mostly a brag about my awesome neighbours, but also about the potential political power of these groups toward a more just world. Our neighbours openly talk about building stronger connections together in order to fight fascism. And when we do post 'surveillance' type things, they are treated as a heads-up but also a joke, and we all jump in with outlandish theories on what could be happening (like the time a few people were carrying a safe down our dead-end street?!! Wild and hilarious.)
We're only 95 members, and that feels really big. But it also feels really good, and many cups of sugar have been exchanged along with actively training folks to de-cop our park.
Let's teach kids spycraft and counter-surveillance! ✊
Great piece. This paragraph really resonated with me hard:
"I don’t imagine I was much different than any teenager when I was a kid. But we stole, set things on fire, set up secret camps in the woods, tresspassed, broke the law — we did all the stuff that a normal society should tolerate as part of allowing youth to learn their surroundings, their boundaries and practice safety without the rubber padding of surveillance."
Same. I was fortunate enough to be a teenager before smartphones were a thing. My friends and I definitely made some old men angry with the dumb shit we did, but I'm glad there were no Facebook groups for people to try and destroy our lives. I don't know what happens to people to make them forget that they too were once children and to try and have a bit of empathy.
This captures my experience so perfectly. There's two competing groups in my neighbourhood and I swear 10% of the posts in each are complaining about the moderation in the other group.
I was part of an email list for about two blocks in vancouver a few years back, and I've never seen such a degree of surveillance culture since. People would send out notices whenever they spotted an unknown car parked for more than a day, and once encouraged calling cops/bylaw a person living in a van - despite everyone acknowledging the person hadn't disturbed anyone and was quite nice when spoken to!
But, you're right - given my own limited community connections, it's basically THE way to keep up to date with neighbourhood activity, which I like!
This resonates deeply. Especially when you glance at NEXTDOOR a Facebook group competitor but tied to your neighborhood.
I liken peoples experience on Facebook to being in traffic in your car. You have so much to say to others but all you have are brake lights, turn signals, and a horn, and so many people just like to lean on the horn as if they’re being articulate when really their just saying fuck you. Facebook has the same kind of separation and isolation and people love leaning on the horn.
FB exists to grow and profit from the worst in people as well as the best. Maggie Thatcher must have been thrilled to see social media as the ultimate commodification of social relations. Every chat group is a dark cave, an exclusive club, a members-only space until somebody adds a whistleblower or a snitch. Community ain't nothin' but a tv series these days. And that's gotta change hard.
Very thought provoking article as we witness examples of the culture of fear of “the other “ bloom in ways closer to home . I love the concept of a community forum. - and when it works to everyone’s benefit ( ie promotes positivity and support and information sharing ) However these toxic feelings are swelling from within our smaller neighbourhoods - in direct alignment with the nasty conservative swing to the right of our “leadership. “Recently I opted out of Facebook for reasons you have mentioned . Besides the unwanted nonsense of stupid advertising and videos etc - and the minimized exposure to my own followers - there has crept a mean minded perverted neighbourhood watch type content into our local small town discussion group . It mostly focuses on the unhorsed being a blight to “our town “
This deviates into naming the “druggies “ as unwelcome . As we have a growing south Asian community into this dominant white culture I I have horrible visions of them being a focus of intolerance also .. I hope we can one by one switch this narrative to a more humanistic one - face to face - meanwhile Facebook will not be something I participate in .
Dear Nora, I have a project for you. Upon return from Italy after 13 years, I decided to settle in Penticton. It had been transformed, of course. Many many retirees from Vancouver and Calgary and Regina. Very, very white. And like elsewhere the corporate takeover of all rental apartments means that housing is not possible for the "unwashed." Thus, many unhoused. They have to use shopping carts as a kind of mobile home. This outrages the new, wealthy, white transplants, and their voices are loud.
The major complaint? Sometimes the carts ARE NOT RETURNED TO THE SAFEWAY.
Not a word about the cost of housing, why it might be too expensive, how we could make it better - just the carts.
WHY CAN'T THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROBABLY DRUG ADDICTS AND ANYWAY THEY NEVER SEEM TO BATHE!
Could you come out here to start a Facebook group? Investigate?
Thanks. 👍❤️