Have any of you noticed the tendency of some people on the Internet to write as though they neither know nor care if there are real people or other feelings out there? It is as though being nasty to others on-line is part of the Internet experience for them. This goes beyond the misunderstandings that result from a lack of voice tone and body language in the written word. What I mean is the deliberate disregard for politeness that is far more common on-line than it is in face to face conversations.
It has been my experience that on this board people are polite to one another or at least write as though they have some awareness that there is another living, breathing human being on the receiving end of their comments. There is a feeling of community here that can be hard to find elsewhere. Members of this board ride together, get together, and actually foster friendships both on-line and off. All of which are reasons I read and occasionally write here.
But elsewhere on the Internet rudeness can be the norm. I’ve had this complaint for years. Some people don’t care about other’s on-line. Off-line they are probably reasonable and have friends. But on-line they can put on some kind of persona that gives them the freedom to write whatever they want. They can puff up their personalities and forego any attempt to relate to people – all to entertain themselves. After all it’s not real… It’s only the Internet…
Maybe they are repressed in other aspects of their lives. Maybe the Internet becomes an aggression release for them that is physically safe. After all, the common perception is that people don’t beat you up for things written on-line. Maybe all the pent up anger and frustration of their lives comes burbling out on-line, like a chain of misdirection. Maybe they are just mean-spirited people.
Ooo… That ended up longer than I had intended. OK. Climbing down from the soapbox now.
It has been my experience that on this board people are polite to one another or at least write as though they have some awareness that there is another living, breathing human being on the receiving end of their comments. There is a feeling of community here that can be hard to find elsewhere. Members of this board ride together, get together, and actually foster friendships both on-line and off. All of which are reasons I read and occasionally write here.
But elsewhere on the Internet rudeness can be the norm. I’ve had this complaint for years. Some people don’t care about other’s on-line. Off-line they are probably reasonable and have friends. But on-line they can put on some kind of persona that gives them the freedom to write whatever they want. They can puff up their personalities and forego any attempt to relate to people – all to entertain themselves. After all it’s not real… It’s only the Internet…
Maybe they are repressed in other aspects of their lives. Maybe the Internet becomes an aggression release for them that is physically safe. After all, the common perception is that people don’t beat you up for things written on-line. Maybe all the pent up anger and frustration of their lives comes burbling out on-line, like a chain of misdirection. Maybe they are just mean-spirited people.
Ooo… That ended up longer than I had intended. OK. Climbing down from the soapbox now.