The idea was that what is normal on Twitter is cited as not harassment because it is common on Twitter. If that's the case, that is not a defense for harassment, it just implies Twitter isn't doing a good job of maintaining a welcoming diverse public space (should that be a goal of theirs)
Yeah. We should not let 'but it is what is normal on (Twitter, Snapchat, etc)' be the basis we define our morality on. That said, obviously different communication services/media have different common standards of communication. While 'SEND NUDES' may be a valid conversation opener on Grindr or Tinder, that does not mean it's OK in other contexts.
The presumption on services like Grindr or Tinder is that they are dating/sexual communication services. At some point in a conversation on there, you'd rightly
be offended if you had not been propositioned for risqué photographs. However Twitter, Snapchat, and SMS are
not those sorts of media -- they are standard, platonic communication channels like a telephone or postal mail.
That's not to say you cannot have intimate conversations on generally platonic services, but the socially agreed upon standard is non-sexual. You can send naughty missives through the US Mail to a lover, but it's generally frowned upon if you include
lewds in with your water bill payment.
I suppose my point is that some people don't seem to see (or want to acknowledge) these distinctions -- they say
'but this behavior is A O.K. in this context I just cited', and then go on to claim that because it is OK there, it must be OK in nearly any other context.
People whine about PC culture, and online 'safe spaces' --
safe spaces just mean that people want to be
treated as people by default. People have a right to define the nature and scope with with they are treated,
even online. A woman does not waive away her right to be treated as an actual person just because they are logged on a computer.
"It's her fault she was harassed on XBox Live -- what did she expect? Everyone knows that's how people act on XBox Live" -- this kind of position infuriates me. Does Microsoft advertise XBox Live as "The best place to play online, while being harassed by assholes!"? If so, I've not seen those advertisements. XBox Live is not a service designed for harassment, or for finding sexual partners. Anyone claiming harassment on a service is OK or not bad because the service is known for that is just using that as an excuse to be an asshole.
Is it OK to say to a woman on XBox Live, "you're a dirty slut and I want to violate you"? No.
Is it OK to say to a woman on 'Doms+Subs Dirty ~SEX TALK~ 24/7!!!!!' Discord channel? Pretty likely.
Just because it is OK in one context does not make it OK in another.