Except forum posters here do not get to control who gets to say what. Dissenting opinions are given equal footing to make their case to the common reader. Posters face each other and while they can chose to ignore people, they can not prevent others from being heard. It is an equal ground where you must face your detractors - you can't run from them.
Hold the phone right here!; you're claiming that twitter somehow does not let you be heard or have equal footing.
While they can have their little echo chambers enclosed, you can still have your own twitter open and be heard (be found by other people.. of course is a little trickier).
Regardless if they have you ignored or blocked, you can still link comments on twitter for others to see. it isn't as easy to see as on a forum with a thread system... but both for sure require a) searching (in the forum case, they have to find the forum.. in the twitter case.. they have to find the the hashtag, conversation or people they want to follow)
Now, if someone set up a tight controlled forum with moderators who think the same as them.. its equally the same (or even worse) as your Twitter echo chambers.
I have been on forums(which I left quickly) like that, that had so tight groups.... they didn't allow anyone with a different opinion ruin their "group hug" group.. by promptly banning anyone who tried to to post something the "group hug" club disliked.
But that is why these people have abandoned forums and flocked to twitter. Even though twitter was intended to be a fully public open medium - over time they have added tools to combat harassment. Tools, this group of Disney fans use to not combat harassment but instead shape the world as they want it to be seen.
They like twitter because they can be seen as public, and broadcast their views to everyone, yet still selectively decide what reality looks like. They use the tools designed to combat harassment, but instead use them to shape how they want their tweets to be seen and who they have to face.
On twitter, they mute to ensure dissent is not seen by them or in their twitter responses. They use mute or block as a way of trying to force the world to be as they want it to be. They get to selectively read and control the presentation. The result is a self-feeding cycle of only positive feedback and a view that everyone is as you do. It's a false world.
But this is true on any method that has antiarrasement tools, block of ignore functions.
Be Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, forums.. All them can be abused if allowed.
being muted from a tiny conversation group shouldn't be affecting you or your ability to talk about the same theme in parallel.
Even if you're muted you can still talk and link comments and replies (Unless they changed that recently?)
As far I know you can still reply them with your negative opinion and with your own hashtags.. they will see it? nope.. (but that would be the same as having someone on ignore in here), will others see it? OF COURSE!
They strengthen their beliefs by surrounding themselves with like minded folks and collectively shun those that would oppose them. You might say some do the same here.. but it's not the same because the forum is neutral turf and the poster can not create the sole reality they want. Their threads and posts can not exist in isolation. Posts are taken in context along with the content provided by other members - you can't isolate yourself but instead must be able to face both positive and negative feedback. You'll find a common behavior in the Disney twittersphere which is retreating to twitter to talk about someone rather than facing that someone. They'll even do it in twitter by talking about other users without tagging them. It's that exact catty, yet unable to face people that helps fuel their juvenile behavior.
Most of the Disney twittersphere are no longer active on forums. I'd speculate it is because they can't control the content like they can in their twitter bubble.
Case in point.. look at these tweets
https://twitter.com/BrianPMiles/status/473586669967265792
@BrianPMiles
On social media you control who you interact with. You are given many tools to avoid interacting with people who aren’t your cup of tea.
https://twitter.com/Illusion0fLife/status/473692393774907393
@Illusion0fLife
Today has reinforced my belief that I'm following all the right people. You guys are awesome.
I agree on this but again.. this happen with any group or system.. its not the tool that you should be blaming.
As for talking about other people without tagging: anyone can do this in private forums or restricted forums, websites..etc..
We go back to the same.. the problem is the persons, not the tools.
If they wanted, they could have made their own private invite-only forum and you still wouldn't be able to do anything against it.
Childish? yes, of course!
Can you do anything about it? I dont think so, but its not like THEY CAN DO anything to whatever you do (other than insult and be immature about it of course, but then you can do it back too).
Just to clarify, my gripe is not your rant about these people who are deluded and blinded by their own perpetuated illusion; That I agree. My issue is you blaming the tool, in this case Twitter vs Forums.
