The Climate Cocoon
Do your web habits and political leanings make for an online diet that reinforce your biases? Probably not, if you’re a regular reader of this blog. 🙂
Well, actually, such intellectual cocooning is something we all need to watch out for, as I discuss in my latest post for the Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media. If you’re inclined, please tell me over there how you avoid this pitfall.
I think people cocooning themselves is an issue. Moreover, I think some bloggers actively encourage the cocooning in various ways.
Funny, I came here soon after visiting WC’s blog and where I noticed he’s busy fortifying his cocoon, writing
“I’m close to giving up KK for a bit; too many trolls.”
In that comment, he linked to your post discussing Zeke’s contribution at Yale Climate Forum. (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/2011/09/14/what-was-that-about/) So, presumably he has diagnosed those-other-than-he who commented on that blog as “trolls”.
Those wishing to see WC’s comment in its full context, it’s here: http://scienceblogs.com/stoat/2011/09/more_misc_1.php”
=== Now transitioning a little to what individuals might do. . In your own YF post, you quoted:
“”So perhaps the only way forward is for each of us to struggle on our own to work out intellectually with sparring partners whose views we deplore. Think of it as a daily mental workout analogous to a trip to the gym; if you don’t work up a sweat, it doesn’t count.””
I bloggers can contribute by trying to keep comments civilized, moderating relatively lightly, and trying to avoid moderating those with differing points of views more heavily than those who share our views.
All three are difficult challenges, particularly as some commenters really are trolls and/or adopt commenting strategies that try to skirt moderation while also trying to monopolize a forum.
Obviously, if one blogs frequently, they should also visit blogs with a range of views. I try to do so. There are certain blogs I try to visit and at least skim every post once a week, others once a month. Some I visit every day. Obviously, I can’t visit every climate blog every week or day. I at least try to put the higher traffic blogs on the list. (I read WUWT and Romm with roughly equal frequencies. Both post prodigiously.)
Whether I comment is often dictated by their method of spam control but also the depth of comments lists. I almost never comment at Curry’s merely because there are 2 billion comments by the time I get there. Captchas, delay moderation etc. inhibit me from posting. Also, often I’d rather comment by writing a post. Then I get my visitors views on the post I read also. In principle this might expose my readers to a blog they otherwise rarely read.
I agree on the need to look at the other side’s case. You don’t have to believe it, but you need to know what they are saying to counter it effectively. I seek that out. If you are only talking to the choir your arguments do not survive challenge well.
But part of the problem with these internet discussions is that people start taking debate as a personal assault. Not everyone got training like I did in defending your case, which made you stronger and better prepared. In our lab the first line of challenge was your own colleagues–because if you get out there with crap it looks bad on the whole group. So you could debate in lab meeting, and have lunch right after, and go out drinking after work. Some people don’t understand this and start lashing out personally with namecalling and other diversionary tactics. What can you do then?
I’ve found of all things, twitter to be a useful medium to engage with a broad ranger of views from environmental journalist and writers to IPCC scientist, etc…
people will respond where they will have time to engage in blog commenting
Most of the sites I frequent have links to sites across the spectrum and I try to visit them on a regular basis. There are some sites that I just do not comment on–many for the reasons given by lucia–many because I’ve seen the nature of give and take on the site and just can’t waste the energy. I’ve started to comment here because–although I’m a little right (whatever that means) of Keith–I think that my comment will stand and any criticism seems real from an individual with a different point of view. …but that’s just me…I’m naive!!! 😉