Internet Decorum

[d-dave]

Is this something you're in favor of or against?

 

Thanks to the marvels of the current internet, we have the incredible ability to say and read exactly what we want.  We can close our selves up from things that we don't like, and we can say whatever we want in a fairly closed loop.  Sometimes though, we break out of our self imposed isolation to read and interact through other people online, and that's when things get ugly.

 

From facebook to twitter to random comments on articles, it seems like a lot of people have lost the ability to disagree with other respectfully and effectively argue.  I am a bit of a forum/comment junkie admittedly, and I read a lot of stuff that make me laugh and worry at the same time.  Like when folks write an article that expresses a Tinderbox kind of issue and opinion, and the responses very quickly go downhill fast.  

 

From meaningful and insightful critiques (rare) into the name calling and judgments (most of the time), it looks to me like we have fostered a netiquette of being giant douche bags.  This also seems to manifest itself in the "real world" just as quickly and of a similar quality.

 

Do y'all think we need to make are more conscious decision to be respectful of others opinions online (aside from our lovely tinderbox), or should we simply allow the trolls to continue to troll people in both online forums and real life (gamergate and SWATting)?  Is there a possible solution to internet douche-baggery?

 

I'm curious.  I didn't want this to descend into immediate name calling so I did not post this in the tinderbox.  If the mods feel that there is a better place for this kind of discussion, then I understand.

[PandaPancake]

Shaddup

[h0llywood]

stop beating around the bush and tell us you're doing a research paper.

[Anybodyhome]

The relative anonymity of an internet message board gives one the "muscle and might" to write poo they would not likely say in person to anyone. That being said, any form of communication that does not include a face-to-face, or at least, a voice-to-voice interaction has taken over our lives. So much so that we, as a society, have lost the ability to directly communicate with any level of respect or tolerance.

 

Quite simply, because people have opted out of actually speaking to people in favor of texts, tweets, emails, IM's, etc. they have also crippled their own ability to interact on a personal level. Electronic communications do not provide voice inflections, they don't provide for the accompanying facial expressions, gestures, emotional reactions (laughing, screaming, etc.) and the like.

 

Just a couple weeks ago I was speaking to someone I know who was interviewing individuals for a facility management position. He had found who he thought was a viable candidate and was going to interview this person for a second time. His original resume was okay- not great- just okay. But the guy spoke well, knew what he was doing and seemed interested. The candidate even called after the initial interview and followed up with an email. The email was the tipping point... it was written with every teenager's text message abbreviation imaginable. So much so the email was almost unreadable. "U" instead of "you," "2" instead of "to" or "too," and so on. He forwarded me the email and it took me what seemed like 10 minutes to wade through the email. It cost the candidate a job opportunity because part of that job description was to establish a written preventive maintenance plan...

 

I like what last night's Best Supporting Actor winner J. K. Simmons said last night- "Call your parents, don't text, don't email. Call them and talk to them."

 

 

[Jangler]

I try to come across on the internet like I do in real life. aloof, sex obsessed and know just enough to not seem stupid, unless I want to. I don't like assholes and on the internet I can call them out on it, but IRL I just ignore those people. I'd rather just try and get along than be an asshole, but some people can't help it.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

it's more about the nature of the site you're posting on and what the staff wants to moderate.  generally your behavior on websites where you can make an account that doesn't really outwardly intertwine with your real identity (meaning not facebook, twitter, etc) isn't going to have a lot of consequences off site unless you're doing illegal poo.  so i don't know if there's anything that really can be done to make people act a certain way online if the forums or whatever else they're on don't enforce consequences. 

 

there are some boards that are moderated very tightly and any kind of off topic stuff/insults/trolling will get you IP banned.  of course there are others that are loosely moderated and the mods turn a blind eye to trolling and only step in if stuff is getting really out of hand.  i think this site is somewhere in the middle.  some well known posters get preferential treatment and a longer leash but that's just how it goes.  this site has had trolls who lasted for years because they knew which buttons not to push too.

[PandaPancake]

I try to come across on the internet like I do in real life. aloof, sex obsessed and know just enough to not seem stupid, unless I want to. I don't like assholes and on the internet I can call them out on it, but IRL I just ignore those people. I'd rather just try and get along than be an asshole, but some people can't help it.

Not a degenerate gambler? I thought you were cool

[Jangler]

I have gambled enough with my life, time to stop taking so many chances.

[pstall]

I think there are skills of great conversation that can have atrophy with too much online. One thing i miss most about college was grabbing a coffee, long before one on every corner and going down below the student center and beside the library was a huge room with newspapers from all over the world. I would sit and read and people from also all over the world would chat and debate and bond. Something about seeing someone again made you navigate your argument so much better. Im afraid a generation is coming where verbal and being a great talker is rare.

Early 90's college btw.

[PandaPancake]

I have gambled enough with my life, time to stop taking so many chances.

I boo you, sir!

Sorry it took so long I was at the track.

[d-dave]

Thanks for the responses.  I'm just curious for dialogue on the issues because more often than not, I end up at a complete loss for words when I read the crap that people post online.  Facebook, forums, twitter, whatever.  

 

I guess I'm just naive and hopeful that people can agree to disagree at one point.  Or that we can respect someone's passion without being douche bags about our disagreements?  Then again, I guess that fails for the desire to be right.  To have one's henchmen slapping you on the back at "winning" an internet argument.

 

I guess I'm just a wuss.  I hope and expect that people will be better thanks to the improvements of technology in their lives, but I thinks it's just become too easy to socially regress into tribes of "me versus you" over internet "likes" as opposed to resources.

 

Yep, I'm just an over-thinking wuss =P