There was a time in my life where I laughed at people who blocked others, and I still do when it comes to blockbots (though if one came out that auto-blocked anyone with pronouns in their bio, I can't deny I'd sign up...). But looking back, that was when I was wasting time on the internet and only looking for a fight. It's what I did, it's what I enjoyed. So someone blocking me denied me the fight I was looking for, and obviously I didn't like it very much. I understand the mindset because I used to be there, but at the same time I also understand that they're only looking for a fight and you lose nothing by ignoring them.

Now though, when I have productive things to do and don't have 10 hours a day to waste dunking on cucks anymore, I see it completely differently. Bad actors only looking for a fight screaming at me are irrelevant. What do I care if they think I'm a pussy who's scared to defend my hot takes by debating someone whose mind won't be changed anyway for 6 hours in front of nothing but MY OWN audience, when I have productive things to do instead? What exactly do I get out of it? If you keep showing up to someone's house and screaming at them, why are you surprised when they slam the door in your face and never open it for you again?

On a much greater level though, I find it funny how "our side" keeps misunderstanding what free speech is. Freedom of speech doesn't mean you have the right to go where you're not wanted and force people who want nothing to do with you to listen to you. Just as you are free to speak, others are free to plug their ears (blocking/muting), slam the door in your face (community bans), etc. Would you allow someone who hates you to enter your house and talk shit to you all day as you just try to live your life? Probably not right?

Then why do it with communities you run? If you had a community centered around a specific fandom, why would you tolerate outsiders coming in and just shitting all over it? There's a difference between constructive criticism and obviously hostile bad actors just trying to destroy everything you love. You're not suddenly a hypocrite if you kick them out, and you sure as hell know they would kick YOU out of all their spaces in a heartbeat, so why treat them any different? This just goes back to what Rippa keeps saying, "our side" keeps losing because the other side NEVER supports us, yet "we" continue to support them whenever they "do something right". This has to stop.

The internet is a big place, if they don't like what you're doing they can make their own, like we are. Unless you're specifically running a debate forum or a general platform like Twatter, don't let toxic people convince you to let them in by appealing to the same free speech they want to shut down. They only pretend to care about your values when they are trying to use them to attack you. Learn to gatekeep. You don't need to compromise with social terrorists, kick them out. And given all the options we have out there nowadays, stop settling for 99% when there are so many others that give you 100%!