Set-up

[s~Z]

"Everything about the act of writing fiction is an exercise of absolute and
despotic power. There's no point in deploring this, or wishing it were all
nicer and kinder, or gentle and caring and inclusive. It's a tyranny, and
that's that."

"Democracy comes in at a later stage, when we start reading. Reading is
democratic all the way through. But that's another story."

from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/opinion/31PULL.html?pagewanted=2

If writing is tyranny, and reading is democratic, what is
"online-discussing?"