Read a very interesting blog post recently.
Imagine if you would an Archie Bunker type fellow, a dad, talking to his son about what he'd just read on the Internet. (I'd post a link to it but it was rather profane.)
Seems the son is a writer and the dad read an anonymous comment questioning his sons talent. The comment used some rather colorful metaphors.
It bothered the dad, but not the son. Son says "no big deal, Dad, it's just the Internet".
Well, dad goes off on a tare about how he's glad that he'll be dead and gone before one of those little jack wagons that would post comments without fear of repercussions becomes President someday. He rants at length about how words shouldn't come without consequences, i.e., in "his day" you couldn't say just anything you wanted because it was likely to get you a boot up your... well, butt.
Been thinking about that little.
He's right. The world today is absolutely chocked full of folks who speak (and type) without thinking or speak to harm and then suffer no real consequences for it, because it's anonymous. Thus, there is no reason to hesitate before doing so again. And, again.
My wife used to read the online forums in the local paper. She even got me to read them for a VERY short period of time. It became painfully obvious that the same folks either agreed with or flamed out every single post. It was just a circular exercise in futility. Not one of those folks would every say those things face to face for fear of the fore mentioned boot.
I'm all for free speech. But the anonymity that the Internet provides is a curse.
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