Filtering even more conversations so the polarisation can be even more extreme - I'm astonished and scared what Google is pushing here... This is "opt-in" censorship - how long will it take till it is "opt-out" and then no choice at all...
I don't think this is the right way to go about the problem. I don't know the solution, but blocking it out all together from a third party is not a lasting and productive solution.
It's difficult to figure out what it considers to be toxic, but so far it seems to be cursing. The medium setting also hid a comment which was an opinion, albeit a bit harsh. Luckily you can mark comments as "shouldn't be hidden". I disagree with other reviews on here that are scared of this extension. It's not censoring either, that's just pushing it. It's just a way to silence the noise. Sometimes when I'm researching something I don't want to get dragged into discussions and people yelling at each other. This extension would be perfect for that. One very important point I'd like to make though is that it should stay in this specific form. Don't quietly hide comments, the dots that replace the comments currently are perfect. As long as it is opt-in and can be tweaked I think this extension is a great idea. I do feel there's something to be said about being allowed to post toxic comments yourself even though the filter is turned on. It hides your own comment when toxic (I tested it. Obviously deleted my hateful comment after) but I don't know if that's enough.
Folks, please don't let Google censor the internet for you. Their bias and blindspots are immense.
It's incredibly ambitious to think a real-time system will be able to effectively block vitriolic comments.
This slippery slope needs to be shutdown immediately.
I really don't like how Google tries to play internet police.