[TheCondor]

Maybe the internet isn’t a good analog of the square.

I’m sure there are taverns near any reader here where one could “say the wrong things” and be asked to leave or maybe roughed up or even worse. Those consequences might be an important part of this not-really-discourse-or-free-speech-but-we-want-to-treat-it-like-free-speech.

Hard to say what the best thing is. Huge parts of our society don’t like consequences for actions.

[matwood]

For one, a real public square isn't anonymous. To add to your example, get thrown out the tavern too many times and they will eventually not let the person come back. This person can't simply create a new account and sneak back in.