Twitter is trying to update it’s security capabilities to protect people from certain kinds of harassment. This is a complex undertaking, fraught with potentials for bad and/or unintended consequences, but seemingly necessary. How free is a “free press” supposed to be? That is still being worked out after appearing in our constitution a few centuries ago.
This is, yes, yet another area that online learning will have to address.
People can be transgressive, whether f2f, or connecting online. Good communication generally involves a sense of willingness to express one’s thoughts openly without self censorship or fear of dangerous consequences. To the extent people feel “socially secure” online, their ability to communicate in meaningful and useful ways increases.
But for any social construct, there are limits and limitations. The easier it is to conduct “open” communication, the easier it is for someone to take advantage of that openess for attacks and trolls. Any well designed SLC must address this somehow to foster quality community that supports learning, while keeping destructive influences at bay.
A cell membrane establishes a security exchange boundary where only what is “good for the cell” is allowed in or out. It is amazingly complex, but generally does a good job for organisms. However, it’s not foolproof, as viruses and other parasitical or destructive elements can defeat the membrane.
A cell membrane can model the “boundary” that a SLC needs, but reminds us that it will never be perfect at it’s task.
If the barrier is set to exclude movement across it too conservatively…essential qualities of the spice of life and the challenge of dealing with complexities of human condition will also be excluded. The safest category where nothing bad can happen to you is when you are already dead. Certain capabilities aren’t invoked or developed without challenges in the environment. Thus also with “vibrant” communication.
No doubt OTL and DLE design will be struggling with getting the membrane settings right, and processes to invoke when things go wrong, for some time to come.