OK. So that may be overstating the case just a little. Nevertheless, the well-placed worldwide attention that has been placed on the hate-speech that permeates the Internet (and other media) has us wondering whether the Internet is in some ways the 21st century equivalent of dual-edged sword that atomic power brought.
It takes a village idiot: The jerks of online forums
Just as nuclear energy can be a tremendous source of empowerment for good while having a “dark side,” the Internet has empowered all people with the ability to reach out. But in that power to reach out, there’s also a potential for harm.
With the scores of years that we’ve been writing and providing analysis, we’ve developed pretty thick skins. We’ve learned that there are always a few people in the audience who will write responses that are extremely pointed and not really thought through.
In the early days of the Internet, when the primary means of communications was much less technically sophisticated, “flaming” was a common practice. About 10 years ago, Joanie Wexler and Steve wrote in this column about the lack of civility in e-mail communications. And the problem – from “flaming” to today’s intolerant posting on blogs, FaceBook pages, and tweets – is that the Internet provides a level of anonymity that leads some people to post statements to and about others that they would never say to a person with whom they had a personal relationship, let alone that they were speaking with directly.
As an example of this phenomenon, we’ve both experienced numerous cases where we have hosted panel discussions at trade shows, online chats, and Web-based discussions where fierce competitors are reluctant (at best) to say publicly and directly to the other participants the same things that they readily say behind their backs. In fact, these discussions sometimes become overly polite.
At the same time, the opposite seems to be true in shaping the political environment, in the U.S. and even worldwide. The creation of a medium that allows everyone with an Internet connection to share their thoughts also allows them to bash others (and especially to repost irresponsible and hateful rhetoric of others). And in doing so, loose communities of collective hate can thrive.
President Obama recently said “We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us.” This applies to “Netiquette” as well, and it’s simple. Just don’t post or e-mail anything that you would not be willing to say directly to the person – as a friend.
