Not to mention that Rollins' piece is a good sign that feminist ideas are affecting people that are interested in society and social change, particularly a person who has been influential to young people for quite a long time. I think it's great to be critical of the status quo when appropriate, but criticizing society at large for a meager amount of article sharing and Rollins for being part of a system that he exists in through no real choice of his own is as ludicrous as criticizing Elvis for popularizing black music. Rollins is a much more visible figure than many of those women writers mentioned (though conspicuously unnamed) just as in Presley's time, he was much more visible to white audiences. It's simply unfair to judge people for not being aware of the things you personally know and care about. I was guilty of that myself when I was younger and I admit that even now I sometimes do it by reflex. Anyway, hubski is about sharing alternative views and the things we're each interested in exploring and I really hope it stays that way. I also hope that this doesn't become a community where pithy, offhand comments or second-hand opinions become the norm. I for one am enjoying "a thoughtful web."
The bigger this place gets, the harder it'll be to avoid brushing up against some low-effort, low content posts. Seems like there are some neat deterrents built in ("ignore," for one) to curb at least some of those interactions. Ultimately, though, I can live with the less thoughtful stuff so long as Hubski remains more or less civil. For instance, if everybody keeps treating everybody else more or less like humans around here, and if submissions are given due diligence, low-content posts (and, by proxy, their posters) are less likely to be summarily shat upon and more likely to be followed up with calls for clarification or more effort in the future. Case in point- I don't particularly agree with Hiss's original point (or, I guess, Hiss's friend's original point), but a) it still seems to be generating some discussion, and b) it should be noted that Hiss has been really even-keeled in his responses, which in turn have helped keep this thread from turning into a massive flamewar. Any other social site (I refuse to name names), and this thread would have devolved into a series of personal attacks and shitty recycled Family Guy one-liners about five and a half hours ago. So there's that. I hope Hubski keeps that.