I said that, there is a framework in which, you say "rules are for other people", it starts to challenge one's benevolence in leadership. If you are a leader and above the rules, I think it would lead one to trust less.
As per "everybody knows" it's hard to blame anyone who is using a browser and trusting the domain name system and dealing with x.stackoverflow.com in the first place; so it's a balance. There's no coercion in the sense anyone can leave at any time.
I often get sidebar things in the "hot on the network" which are D&D questions where people are discussing gaming campaigns and how to deal with players who do X or Y or the dungeonmaster is doing this and I disagree, and it's funny in a sense to see it as being very parallel.
"Life is a game" in that sense, I guess.
I think meta.stackoverflow.com, as defined or understood as it is used today, is better if having a diamond next to your name doesn't mean you can post different content than if you don't. If this is the frontier of that argument - "we own this house so we will treat the Q&A feed as if it were ad space, and un-close things the community closes, even though we wouldn't let others do it" then one either makes a statement of "I think that is ok" or "I think that is not okay"
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I'd actually think that ad space, stackoverflow careers, or other places that have already been condoned as recruiting locations is fine. Because people have said "that is the tax we pay, we will do your information work for you, and may you all become very rich through your benevolence and hard work"
But that is based on a common understanding of what the lines are. And "in-band" communication--the posts we ostensibly curate and vote on and where there are rules--that's kind of the deal.
This post isn't going to make or break anything, let's not make a mountain out of a molehill, but I think often precedent becomes the rules.
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As for the gender thing, that's an afterthought here for me.
I'm an open minded person, and very liberal in a kind of extremist way. So it might seem strange I get in weird experiences with people who are very advocacy minded. I lived in California when there was the gay marriage law passed, and then something called proposition 8 to reverse it, it was a big deal. A girl was trying to get signatures for defeating the gay marriage reversal ban outside a grocery store, and I wouldn't sign it, and she kept trying to argue for why I should.
I said "I'm single and never going to be married at all, why should the government be involved in a personal decision like this at all in the first place?" And we went through it and she said "Okay well I agree, but this is just a first step." And I said "So you are trying to destroy the institution of marriage, as a government construct?" And she said yes, and I said "but that's not what you're asking me to sign, rewrite it and I'll sign it."
So yeah, I'm always going to say we need to redefine the rules so it doesn't play favorites, everyone is a minority of one in a way
Can we add Smart App Banners to the mobile website for iOS users?
Not only are mobile banners extremely annoying and of no value to both the user and SE, mobile apps are too.
I'm going my merry way along on the website, using all the features provided, then blame! SE rolls out a stupid banner and it takes up half my screen with irrelevant information advertisi...