Let me preface by saying, I would love to hear counter points and am fully open to the fact that I could be wrong and totally out of touch. I just want to have some dialogue around something that’s been bothering me in the fediverse.
More and more often I keep hearing people refer to “normies”. I think by referring to other people as “normies”, whether you intend to or not, you inadvertently gatekeep and create an exclusive environment rather than an inclusive one in the fediverse.
If I was not that familiar with the fediverse and decided to check it out and the first thing I read was a comment about “normies”, I would quite honestly be very put off. It totally has a negative connotation and doesn’t even encapsulate any one group. I just read a comment about someone grouping a racist uncle and funny friend into the same category of normie because they aren’t up to date on the fediverse or super tech savvy or whatever.
I don’t want to see any Meta bs in the fediverse. I barely want to see half of the stuff from Reddit in the fediverse. I don’t want to see the same echo chamber I do everywhere else.
I do want to see more users and more perspectives and a larger user base though. I want to see kindness and compassion. I want to talk to people about topics they are interested in. I want to have relevant discussions without it dissolving into some commentary on some unrelated hot topic thing.
I think calling people normies creates a more toxic, exclusive place which I personally came here to avoid.
Just my two cents! I know for most people using the term it isn’t meant to be malicious, but I think it comes off that way.
Love to hear all of your thoughts.
I also read the comment about the racist uncle, it was a discussion of the different kind of people facebook (I won’t call it meta) will be going to expose us when they join the fediverse. The person who post it wasn’t attacking the “normies”.
About the term “normie” isn’t necessary an insult or just a person who isn’t up with technology, but instead someone who enjoy more basic things. Is OK to be a normie if that’s makes you happy.
I don’t get why is OK for them to call us “nerds” (most of the times in a not sarcastic manner) but not for is to call them “normies” (in a sarcastic manner).
Most of the times that we invite a “normie” to the fediverse they reject us, “I don’t like that”, “facebook is better”, " that’s for nerds" they say, and that happens also with music, books, even food, they are just comfortable with how things are and that’s OK.
It isn’t that we are gatekeeping, but instead that they don’t want to join us.
To me how you are talking about this is kind of exactly my point. The “normie” you are describing just sounds like an asshole and I think that’s the negative connotation and exclusion I’m talking about.
What would you categorize me as? I surf, skate, lift weights, travel, was in a fraternity at a major university, have a beautiful wife and live in suburbia in California close to the beach, started my career in finance and sales (not anymore though). On the flip side, I have ADHD, I have a masters in pharmaceutical sciences, I work with a team of software engineers, I game, tinker with my PC, I read scientific journals on particle physics and a ton of sci-fi and fantasy, I read tech blogs every day, I love the fediverse, etc.
See what I’m getting at? Like it is totally creating an unnecessary and unhelpful division in my eyes.
That you think this isn’t condescending or portraying exactly what the poster was talking about is a bit sad. Self awareness is extremely important.