Awa

This post contains misinformation, but I’m conflicted about removing it. Doing so would also eliminate the valuable conversation that follows. Keeping it up allows for critical discourse and sharing of more reputable sources on the subject. The community’s commentary effectively highlights how the infographic greatly misrepresents global healthcare waits, and I fully support the community members’ contributions to this discussion.

Example: The recent post that discusses taping your mouth to decrease snoring with a “linked study”.

I personally think that is not a safe practice despite what the article says. Moreover, looking at the amount/percent of down votes and reading through all replies, I don’t see the value in a fact checking bot as the community members apply their own knowledge, critical thinking and personal opinions to the discussion, thus helping other community members form their own ideas of the “factfulness” of the initial post.

How would a bot fact check this?

As a mod, I am not completely opposed to a fact-checking bot but I do not have experience managing one, nor do I likely have the technical expertise to incorporate one (would very likely need assistance in the event the population within this community wants one).

I would like to hear more input on ideas (pros vs cons) from community members and if anyone has suggestions for incorporating one if that is the popular opinion.

Personally, I prefer to have community members freely discuss health issues, sharing facts and opinions on commentary. Health can be viewed so many ways. While scientific research is the golden standard to support facts, one must consider other aspects of life that influences health such as history, culture, and individual experiences.

Ideally, I would prefer not to have a bot but would like to hear what the other mods and community members say. Thank you for sharing this suggestion.

I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I understand that the comment is not based on science and speaks of neurodivergence in a negative manner. By removing the initial comment, I believe it would take away the effectiveness of the commenters below. People vote with the down button and the user can see how unpopular his/her comment is. I don’t wish to overly moderate a community if there is no active harm, especially when others have meaningful sub-comments that can help other casual readers understand the different aspects of what gender affirming care entails, hopefully enlightening others to see it is more than just for trans persons. I respect everyone’s thoughts on the matter, even the ones telling me I am wrong for not removing it. I am still sticking with this decision. Thank you for everyone’s input.

I agree with this analysis of the reported comment, and chose to leave it as it has provoked a constructive conversation. It does not appear to be malicious in nature. I will keep an eye on this post to make sure things remain civil. Thank you.