Poll: Should Deniers Be Allowed To Post In E&E?

[defacto7]

43. Let me count the ways....

"And I don't see how exclusion serves any useful political or educational function. "

Total exclusion does not serve any political or educational function. This is not exclusion, it's using the proper filing system. I don't need to learn the ABCs before reading every book. First graders should go to the first grade class so High schoolers have a chance to discuss Steinbeck without the noise.

"refusing to respond to their abuse is one sure way to get the message across in an open forum."

It's a waste of time to even have to refuse to respond. It also gives a platform for non-science graffiti to be painted over and over. Refusing to respond is a call to arms for people who are only interested in dogma and not interested in learning anything.

"If the dysfunctional are forbidden to the public discourse,"

They are not forbidden public discourse. They would be given the opportunity to listen and learn instead of disrupting. If they still don't get it, there is still 99.9% of DU left to plaster whatever they want.

"then the public doesn't learn how to deal with the dysfunctional."

If the subject is Learning Internet Etiquette 101, then sure. It is not. Lots of other places for that. File them elsewhere.

"So I recommend some smarts here."

I think we covered that... There is no exclusion, just a better file system.