Yesterday there was a conversation that contained several blatantly anti-vax comments. I had previously included in the community description a rule against anti-vax posts and comments, but I was not enforcing it well. I will be enforcing that rule going forward. I have also included a new rule against personal attacks. Please remember to report violations.
If anti-vaxxers wish to have a discussion, they are free to create their own community. This community is not a home for that sentiment.
There are many, many legitimate discussion topics around the pandemic. What measures are effective? How should governments proceed? I’m even fine with discussions that are not so flattering to vaccines or pharmaceutical companies. But that thread yesterday really crossed the line in terms of the fire hose of misinformation. While in theory misinformation can be countered by rebuttal, in practice it takes so little effort to make a false claim in relationship to making a rebuttal that antivaxxers can just exhaust their opponents. It also tends to derail more worthwhile conversations.