Gatekeeping

In the real world, while interactions with strangers are typically neutral and occasionally delightful, the negative interactions we have with strangers (despite their rarity) have an outsized impact on our feelings of safety and belonging. Online, as in the physical world, the loud and destructive voices of a small number of users can negatively skew the experience of a digital space, particularly when users have uniform access to spaces and means of interaction.

In the context of online communities, "gatekeeping" emerges as a practical and effective strategy for safeguarding individual users and communities of users by limiting the set of folks that users can interact with. This concept, a specific aspect of graduated features, involves setting restrictions on user interactions to create spaces with less possibility for interaction with folks not associated with the space. Gatekeeping imposes boundaries that closely resemble our real-world interactions, where certain engagements require pre-established relationships or permissions.

A simple example of gatekeeping is restricting users from commenting on posts unless were a followers of the poster at the time that the content was posted. This simple yet effective rule can drastically reduce instances of online abuse, such as Feedback Bombing or Brigading, which is only possible from accounts outside of one's established network.

Gatekeeping has several advantages : It is straightforward to implement from a technical perspective, and it is easy to communicate to users. By limiting the rapid, often anonymous interactions between strangers online, gatekeeping allows for more organic engagement, akin to how relationships develop in the physical world. It gives individuals and communities the autonomy to shape their interaction spaces and decide who can contribute, significantly reducing unwelcome or harmful content. While it's not a panacea for all forms of online abuse, gatekeeping provides a first line of defense, making online spaces feel more personal, respectful, and, above all, safe.