fire extinguishes when exposed to a vacuum

[allie]

Last time the anonmeme came around, I suggested that if one person was called out, the rest of us hold our tongues and give that person a chance to respond, unless they asked for support or help. Personally, I like this strategy. Drama spirals out of control, especially since most anons are trolls who aren't there to listen to reason, but just to provoke. The best person to speak in a person's defense is the person who best understands the situation, and that's the person being called out (how's that for a confusing sentence?) Having other people jump in just complicates the matter, especially since some situations that don't involve us on an individual level are more complex than we know.

I know it's natural to want to defend those close to us, but it's like throwing rocks into a puddle of sludge. It just splashes all over and makes the puddle wider by bringing in accusations of circlejerking and whiteknighting that undermine anything a person might want to say for themselves.

Obviously, this is just my opinion, and you guys may agree or disagree. Thoughts? I'm interested.