What happens if we extend this notion beyond online conversations?
Does it lead to gated communities? The segregated townships in South Africa? Ignoring people because they're not part of your fragment? To the extent that we make people into "others" we reduce their humanity. And it might be that full populated fragments would reduce any tendency you'd have towards reaching out and making an "other" someone in your fragment.
There was a meme some time back about the way that cable TV changed the nature of water-cooler conversations because no one watched the same stuff anymore. I'd argue it is even worse now, because you can hop over to TelevisionWithoutPity and have a substantive conversation with people that DO care about the retcon in the 8th season of Buffy. And you'll still have nothing to talk about at work.
Do we want things reduced to limiting possible cultural touchstones to sporting events?
Does it lead to gated communities? The segregated townships in South Africa? Ignoring people because they're not part of your fragment? To the extent that we make people into "others" we reduce their humanity. And it might be that full populated fragments would reduce any tendency you'd have towards reaching out and making an "other" someone in your fragment.
There was a meme some time back about the way that cable TV changed the nature of water-cooler conversations because no one watched the same stuff anymore. I'd argue it is even worse now, because you can hop over to TelevisionWithoutPity and have a substantive conversation with people that DO care about the retcon in the 8th season of Buffy. And you'll still have nothing to talk about at work.
Do we want things reduced to limiting possible cultural touchstones to sporting events?
I don't have answers, I'm just asking questions.