I’m pretty much fine with how this comm is moderated. Sometimes covid denialism shows up in the comments here and stays up for a bit, but I understand that it’s a pretty low activity comm and most of the people here are burned out, so it makes sense that covid denialism won’t always be caught right away. Usually that sort of thing is removed once it’s been reported and someone is able to take a look at it, so no complaints from me there.

As for the rest of the website, I would like to see covid denialism be taken more seriously, even more casual forms of it. It’s very frustrating that there are so many people on this website, and on the left in general, who have obviously given up on masking (or taking any precautions at all) and think that they are still my comrades. For instance, I used to post in the trans megathread regularly, but have avoided it for a long time now because it is obvious from the posts many people make about their lives in there that they aren’t masking, and that lack of solidarity makes it clear that people like me aren’t welcome. It says to me that trans lives only matter if they aren’t immunocompromised or otherwise at risk, or if they can delude themselves into believing covid won’t harm them or the others around them. It says to me that a eugenicist mentality is acceptable here as long as you are passive about it. I single out /c/trans because it’s the community I cared the most about and feel the most betrayed by because of it, but this feeling extends to the rest of the site’s community as well. I pretty much only use this site now because it’s just about the only place to talk about video games on the internet that doesn’t tolerate nazis, otherwise I would have just left completely by now.

The normalization of ignoring covid and allowing everyone to be repeatedly infected, and the widespread death and disability resulting from it, is one of the most devastating forms of class warfare we face currently. To ignore it shows a complete lack of principles among the communists here, and I know they know better. I cannot take anyone seriously who tells me “a better world is possible” while languidly allowing this behavior to slide, when being cautious and protecting ourselves and each other is so much easier than any revolution will be.

I guess to reiterate, I would like it if a more active approach was taken to discourage casual covid denialism on this site. I think beyond moderation, that would require a change in culture on the part of users here as well. I’m not sure what that actually looks like or how we get there, maybe taking a similar approach to veganism, where carnist behavior is generally shamed here. Sorry for the rant and thanks to anyone who read this far. I hope I got my point across ok, it’s hard to talk about this without letting my temper flare and losing my train of thought.