Comments on: It’s not the mask, it’s the platform

By: Kristin A.

Kristin A. — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:50:10 +0000

Yes, I agree. When I was growing up, I was taught that there was a level of behavior that was expected in civil discourse. If someone refused to meet that level of civility, terminating the conversation was an acceptable response. Why should it be any different in cyberspace?

By: Lee Kottner

Lee Kottner — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 03:16:48 +0000

I agree that the people making these kinds of comments are in need of some serious help–socialization at the very least. But it’s also true that they are aided and abetted by the culture and the opportunity presented by a site as stupid and juvenile as meankids. Why is it acceptable to trash-talk about anybody (like, say, the Rutgers women’s basketball team)? It’s an expression of a deep insecurity, for sure, but that doesn’t excuse the act. Why any adult would set up a site specifically for that purpose is beyond me. Sadly, it’s easy to “pick on” women this way, because we’re all socialized to be so non-confrontational. We need to change that. And while I wouldn’t see our anonymity on the net removed, I do think it’s a shield for some people, one that gives them a false sense of power. I’m not sure what to do about that except to make blog owners more responsible for policing their content. There is definitely a line that should not be crossed in interactions on the net.

By: tekanji

tekanji — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 23:11:54 +0000

Or am I missing something?

If you are, then I am too. Because I feel the same way.

By: cyperus_papyrus

cyperus_papyrus — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:46:47 +0000

I had a long discussion with my husband about this and related things, and he said something I’ve not seen anyone else say. The people who were writing these hateful things are really messed up.

That reminded me of a monologue by Craig Ferguson that made the internet rounds not long ago, where he talked about how we laugh at people who do strange things (it was Britney Spears this time), but these are people who are in trouble and need help. He speaks frankly about his own struggles with alchoholism.

I think that’s what’s going on with this situation too, that here are some really messed up people and rather than call it how it is, people are laughing at it and finding amusement in it. How callous is that? Don’t we owe each other better than that, to both the victim and the messed-up perpetrator? The A-list bloggers are like the comedians, getting mileage out of it, but look at the cost of the mileage.

The Colin Ferguson clip is a must-see: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7bbaRyDLMvA