I agree feeling targeted does not necessarily mean one has been targeted, and I do think that sometimes the feeling of being targeted is the result of past expe

I agree feeling targeted does not necessarily mean one has been targeted, and I do think that sometimes the feeling of being targeted is the result of past experience (comparable to post-traumatic stress disorder). Though SO usernames are often pseudonymous, they are not always anonymous. For example, some SO profiles contain photographs of the user. Mine does. Also, sometimes I search for information about users with whom I interact. I imagine others do the same. We both agree "being targeted" is different than "feeling targeted". A third thing that is different than both of these is "being affected". That is, even if someone from a marginalized group is not being targeted for being a member of a marginalized group, the negative effects of perceived hostility may be larger on people from marginalized groups than on people from dominant groups. Not always, but sometimes, and this is what SO seems to be taking to heart. A few comments have suggested one solution is to improve the climate for everyone by welcoming new users with all their inexperience rather than discouraging them by enforcing standards of contribution achieved by elite longtime users. I wholeheartedly agree. By encouraging newbies who don't yet know much, SO stands to grow its ranks and help newbies become experienced contributors. As a former educator, I know encouraging students in the directions they are doing well is much more pedagogically effective than tearing down students when they make mistakes. Communities like SO would improve if they not only discouraged negativity but also encouraged non-elite participation. HN is one such community that does this well and the quality of the content here speaks for itself. EDIT: reword first sentence; change "old-hands" to "experienced contributors"; add comma in second sentence.