Quote Originally Posted by Anonymouswizard View Post
To give an example, The Playground actively moderates topics of discussion, as do other forums, but I've seen it abused in other places much more than I have here. I suppose it's either good luck as to who got picked as a moderator, or increased accountability, but at the same time the places on the internet I've seen with no moderation ended up becoming more echo-chamberesque due to either design or a generally off putting attitude (although this may be just my experience).
That (particularly the 'off-putting attitude' part) is basically expected so long as the community in question is of a reasonable size. It all comes down to the paradox of tolerance - if you welcome anyone and allow them to talk about anything, then that includes welcoming people who and allowing conversation which make other people uncomfortable. The uncomfortable people leave, the community over time becomes more of an echo chamber for the people who drove them away.