some time in early 2016 I defederated an IRC server I was administrating from the rest of the network because some of the other admins were getting real cozy with actual "hitler did nothing wrong" nazis 1/x

because of how irc networks function some people ended up on the wrong side of the partition. I explained that it wasn't an accident, and the nazis that landed on my server were upset that I'd "brought SJW politics into it".

They quickly removed my server's address from their client config and reconnected to the main net. The fact that they'd done it in a semi-public space was something of a mistake, though. Lots of people idle on irc and had missed their nazi comments before.

For these bystanders, the "politically neutral" main-net that I'd split from had become "the nazi network". Over the next few days people wondered where some of their usual contacts had gone, the topic came up in more and more conversations.

People started leaving the main-net because their friends were refusing to rejoin the network they were on, and they were only there as a way to stay in contact.

Others actively left the main-net because the nazis who had fled came back telling them I was censoring them for their political views. When people asked questions about what their views were they readily shared them.

At this point several people that had actively joined my server had remained on the other one so that they could share logs of the ongoing dumpster-fire. Nazis were pouring their hearts out with the expectation that everyone would take their side. They didn't.

After a while it all settled down and some of the major projects hosted by the old net moved over to my server. Some people, specifically those who thought it was wrong of me to "censor free speech" removed themselves from the communities that had migrated.

For some it was a political decision. They didn't want to leave the network despite some nasty conversations because the good people in the community meant something to them. Others moved because they weren't familiar with the dog whistles and never noticed them.

Some continued to participate in both networks for various reasons. And then, of course, there were the nazis who were never going to change their behaviour no matter how they were critiqued.

Over time some questionable new people made their way into the community, but those who had taken a stand on the other side of the line did not. Other than that, the norms had changed. "Free speech" was not a core value of the culture.

For people that haven't spent time dealing with actual nazis that usually sounds really ominous, but remember, those people were free to continue to associate on the other network. There's a relevant XKCD comic: https://xkcd.com/1357/ 

There always were other IRC networks that community members could have used, but getting all their friends to move would have required a campaign. The net-split put the decision front and center, and the nazi rants only helped speed that up.

In the process, they lost their position as the default space for discussion for a number of software projects and communities. Anyone new who wanted to discuss those projects had a less toxic venue to do so. Sure enough, different types started showing up, and sticking around.

I'm dredging up all these memories because now it seems lots of people are signing up for Gab (the alt-right/nazi/free-speech social network). Some folks are worried about it, but if the situations are anything alike I think it may be a win.

Nazis always manage to find each other. The risk was never that nazis were able to communicate, but rather that they would able to use large platforms to recruit new members. That's easier when their ideas are put on display next to everyone else's.

Lots has been written about Gab already. If you aren't already familiar the wikipedia page is a decent place to get an overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gab_(social_network)

In short, it's a shitshow.

Milo Yiannopoulos described Gab as "relentlessly, exhaustingly hostile and jam packed full of teen racists who totally dictate the tone and discussion."

My advice is that if you're in a position to de-platform these kinds of people, don't hesitate to do so. Your community will only grow because tolerating their behaviour keeps others from participating.

If you're running a business and are worried about driving away right-leaning clients, my experience has been that standing up against hate only brings a larger audience of people who respect that.

I'm not saying you should fight nazis to improve your quarterly reports, but honestly, if that's what it takes to push you over the edge I hope nobody will turn you away. De-normalization is a numbers game.

Anyway, that's it for today's story.

Ask me anything (or nothing).