Well you can make that argument if you want but it's not a fact that someone is a weak child just for self-modding. Sure, it's not great for an open debate and doesn't look good as they should be able to debate you openly but maybe they just don't want to get involved or are tired with certain people and they are free to do that just like you are free to call them weak or childish. If someone on the street challenges me to a fist fight for whatever reasons and I decline and walk away it doesn't necessarily mean I am weak or scared or can't beat them; maybe I just don't want to get involved with such shenanigans or pettiness and avoid that situation. If the other person wants to call me a weak child then they can do so but that would just be their opinion which may or may not be correct.
Please reread what I said, you seem to be conflating separate comments. No one is forcing anyone to engage in the Politics & Society subforum, everyone is free to have as much or as little participation in that section as they like. The preservation of this platform as one of the very few remaining outlets for free speech very much outweighs the petty annoyances you describe.
Well ok. Yes, you are free to make the argument that self-modding makes people scared little children that need a safe space and also free to shame them for it, but as I said, I don't think just because someone self-mods a thread makes them so for the reasons I've already stated. Does locking and re-opening threads in Meta make you a scared little child or weak? I wouldn't say so, but others may make that argument, but to me it just looks like you're tired of certain people chiming in and maybe that's what's happening with people who self-mod threads in P&S. So yes, ideally people should be able to openly debate without feeling the need to potentially censor anyone and it doesn't look good for them when they do, but either ignoring discussion or self-modding threads doesn't inherently mean they are weak or can't make a valid or strong argument, but I would take it on a case by case basis.
EDIT: FYI- this was posted in Politics & Society originally. Considering it is addressing not only the forum subsection but the nature of free speech itself, I don't see why it was moved to Meta, but the local moderator there enjoys interfering with my activities there as much as he is able to. As usual, any chance he gets to act upon my posts are taken advantage of immediately while almost all the reports I make there go ignored.
Just seen this edit. It was me who moved it here based on a report. Any discussion about specific boards or features of the forum do belong in Meta, but I can see how you can make an argument it belongs there. I would say it's not merely addressing free speech though, but free speech within a specific subboard and the confines of forum features hence why it belongs in Meta.
Threads in Meta are not purely for discussion at all times. There are instances when either notices, public announcements, or general information needs to be posted without interference from 3rd parties looking to slide the topic to something other than what the OP is for. Additionally locked threads don't allow for selective removal of a discussion to manage the general perception of consensus within it as self moderated threads do. Self moderated threads allow for a deceptive perception of consensus to be synthesised by removing any opposing view points or valid criticism the OP can not logically argue against, or refuses to respond to. Politics & Society is purely for the sake of discussions and debate of ideas, ones that are often contentious. There is a very big difference.
I welcome anyone challenging my ideas in Politics & Society, and I see that largely as the point of the section. I find it interesting you accuse me of being tired of hearing the opinions of others while I am quite literally advocating for the ability of everyone there to speak freely without interference. You accuse me of not wanting my own ideas to be challenged, and you seem to find this repugnant, but at the same time you project this perception on to me as if I am the one perpetrating it and not chastising it.
Regardless of the intent, normalizing self moderating topics in the section is dangerous for the reasons already stated above. If people are tired of having their ideas challenged they have pretty much the entirety of the rest of the internet to have nice safe space walled moderated gardens where they are protected from ideas they don't like. This platform is a rare instance where people are not prevented from speaking freely, and that is important to preserve regardless of the petty annoyances that may result.
Regarding the move to Meta, I assume it is one of the usual reporters of my posts hoping one will stick just to get their kicks from interfering with my activities as much as they are able to. I am not advocating any changes in forum policy but simply discussing the culture of the subsection itself. I disagree with your logic of moving it to Meta, especially since the entire purpose of it was to effect the culture of the subsection, and moving it to another section largely negates that ability.
