<snip> I am actually in agreement with you about extremes. Both 4chan and Safe Spaces represent symptoms of two extremes in a deteriorating social fabric. Neither should need to exist, but they do. 4chan is in effect a relief valve of unchanneled anger and misplaced creativity. Safe Spaces are both a political vehicle of a reactionary sort to the very perceptions (right or wrong) of the type of person that inhabits 4chan in everyday society... <snip>
Interesting that you state this so well tonight, Dyna. Today I had to take a 60-screen online course and quiz required by the university where I teach courses now and again, some in person and some online. They have established a new policy on sexual misconduct, relationships and stalking; a policy on consensual intimate relationships, a policy on non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy and complaint procedures (this last, one for faculty, one for employees, and one for students, and some others as well.
These are meant to create a Safe Space for everyone. Some of what they spell out was very clear and very good. But some of the obligatory reporting was, to me, draconian (you would be obligated to report if a student asked for confidentiality and told you they had been sexually molested, for example, years before being at the university, and that they were now of age and were ok, didn't want anything to be done, they just wanted to talk about it. MUST report that? That would squash any opportunity for a student to feel comfortable asking for advice or guidance faster than a speeding bullet!
Fortunately there was a place to comment (in the spirit of academic free speech) on what you thought about the policy, and I did. There will be no repercussions from that, my bet is they won't even read my comments.
But that was very sobering and scary to me, way too authoritarian and not really creating a "safe space."
Again, I agree with you, both extremes are damaging, and I prefer to cruise somewhere in the middle even as the precise place on the scale may vary from post to post.
+1 to you for taking the time to write that post, thank you.