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It is no secret that the internet has a very vile side. Specifically, in the blogging community people will badger bloggers in attempts to get attention or voice their opinions (even if it is in a rude, disgusting, or despicable). The way Stewart Lee was spoken about was truly awful and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone but, the internet (blogging included) is a double edged sword. With a blog any blogger can write about what every they want, the same is true for its readers. This brings up the complication of censorship. Should we block those that say these things? Or.. Should we allow the internet community to defend itself. For every “troll” out there, there is a large number of regular community members that know he/she is spewing garbage and shouldn’t be given the time of day. When people comment on the inflammatory statements it gives the troll what they want, attention. The anonymity of the internet allows people to act without being held accountable for their actions. This is why there is a new breed of person that says awful things. It is the same concept of hate mail. People who don’t have to worry about their image act with no morals and feel relatively guiltless. The author talks about this in the article saying it is through the concept of deindividuation, where people, when given anonymity will act recklessly. As a solution some have suggested that getting rid of anonymity completely and link your name to whatever account you want to comment on. Sites have began to do this by connecting your comment to Facebook and making you accountable by showing your peers what you say online. I think that it will work to some degree but I don’t believe it to be the best solution. Sometimes anonymity can help people say what they actually feel without being chastised. Just because some people abuse it does not mean it should be ruined for everyone. Some good can come out of undisclosed sources.
I feel that getting rid of anonymity completely on the internet makes a dangerous precedent that could be detrimental to how people use the internet. Means of anonymous communication have been around for a long time even before the internet. Real identity laws have been enacted in South Korea, meaning that all social network accounts have been linked to their real identities. Hackers were able to obtain much of their data and steal 85% of Koreans information. That is an incredible invasion of privacy which had extreme consequences. Although I don’t like how internet anonymity is used in some aspects, I still think that it is an important part of internet freedom. This is an interesting paper from the digital freedoms website that was about this same issue.
http://digitalfreedoms.idebate.org/digitalfreedoms/mtt/paper
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Hi Jeremy!
I think that anonymity gives us a safety shield to voice our minds freely. While it does permit freedom of speech, I think it actually causes more problems than it solves. While I can’t say this for certain, I almost wonder if removing anonymity would solve some of the hateful and disrespectful comments we see on the internet.
One thing that stood out to me was where it say, “On parts of the internet it has become pretty much common parlance. Do a quick trawl on the blog sites and comment sections about most celebrities and entertainers – not to mention politicians – and you will quickly discover comparable virtual rage and fantasised violence.” I find it so fascinating that when given the opportunity to do so (anonymously), people jump at the chance to attack celebrities and other public figures. Then again, stuff like appears on sites like Facebook too. Perhaps it has less to do with anonymity and is actually due to the sheer fact that it’s distant and not in-person. People can hide behind their computer screens – names exposed or not.
It’s unfortunate that the internet works in this way but that seems to be the very nature of the beast. I don’t think it’s anything we could change even if we wanted to.
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I agree that anonymity should remain the way it is on the internet. Hateful people will not stop hurting others anonymously if internet anonymity goes away. In the case of the example mentioned in the article we read, celebrities and comedians were subject to hateful anonymous mail before the advent of internet comments. Trolls will troll in real life as well as online, and forcing identity verification would not get rid of the problem.
Another thing you mentioned was identity safety. With hacking being a huge problem, people would certainly worry about their identification information being stolen and used for malicious purposes. Also, the lack of anonymity might quell some potential revolutions in nations that have marginalized civil rights. It’s becoming a trend to use internet tools to further a righteous cause, and this would not be possible without anonymity since citizens would fear for their safety.
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Hi Jeremy!
It was really eye opening to read your stance on the article. I felt like my blog just bashed on the cons of anonymity, but I really like how you incorporated both the pros and cons. I guess I was getting too heated up. Anyways, I totally see where you are coming from when you said that the internet (blogging) is a double-edged sword because it definitely is. Through blogging, so many people are able to find out what is going on in society today and to voice their opinions or thoughts right at their fingertips. And it is true that some people might not like what bloggers posted because they might have a totally different view, which could sometimes lead to non necessary comments. But, you are right that not all comments are horrible. I see why totally obliterating anonymity would not be plausible and ideal. In a way, it is violating the free speech that we have and it is also impossible to force everyone to comment with an identity. If I were to have to make an account and comment, I personally wouldn’t do so either because it would be tedious to make an account for something I may not use and I would feel unsafe. It’s really interesting that you mentioned the Facebook sign in thing because I actually didn’t notice it until you pointed it out. All in all, I guess it really does boil down to “are you going to let a petty comment get to you?” Thanks for sharing your perspective!
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Whats good Jeremy? You make a lot of excellent points regarding comments and ragers on the internet. I like the metaphor you used when you say double edged sword but is one side more sharp than the other? I just think that although there is all this rage and hate and horrible people on the internet, at the end of the day if we as a community just don’t let it get to us then it’s fine. I know that sounds extremely idealistic but it’s definitely not impossible. If somebody is willing to offer constructive criticism or an opinion that doesn’t necessarily agree with what everybody else is thinking then it’s okay. But when we have people trolling, making threats, or just unnecessary negativity and bad manners toward others that’s where the line is drawn. Now you could ignore simply ignore these comments and move on but that can be hard for some people. So that’s why I think censorship and moderating comments is perfectly fine as long as the judgment of the moderator is good. Also I think anonymity is a double edged sword as well. Some people might not share their opinions even if they are positive comments about certain things if their name was displayed everywhere. Anonymity gives a good sense of security but it also gives others the opportunity to make such harmful comments and get away with it due to being able to be seen as unknown. It’s definitely a difficult topic and I don’t think there really is a perfect solution to all this. It’s a toughy.
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I liked what you said about blogging and other forms of internet communication being a double edged sword. On the one hand being able to talk about whatever you want on the internet is a great thing. It is nice to be able to find a group of people that are of the same opinion as you and connect, as well as learn about new things. But like you said it is a double edges sword and the bad side of that sword does involve anonymity. I think that in certain situations anonymity only causes more problems, like with trollers, while in other situations, like in countries where freedom of speech is not valued, it does have a positive place.
I liked how you linked the bad side of anonymity with hate mail. Hate mail is such a personal and harmful thing and I believed in some ways anonymity on the internet does the same thing. I hate the idea of people attacking others from the safety of their homes through writing letters or sending a hurtful message online. Perhaps the answers isn’t getting rid of anonymity all together since it does have good uses but maybe we need to approach anonymity differently having only specific sites allow anonymity.
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Jeremy,
I definitely agree with you that while it is tempting to say that internet anonymity is the problem, there are reasons why taking away what you call this “internet freedom” can be a dangerous thing. I think it would, in fact, infringe on an individual’s right for free speech. Because if someone is going to make a comment on a blog, article, etc., even if he or she is not spewing out hatred in their response, they can be focusing on a topic or issue which they may not necessarily be comfortable sharing with other people. If all comments and internet activity can be linked back to each individual, I think there is definitely an invasion of privacy taking place. But at the same time, it really is unfortunate how cowardly some people can become behind social media. Sometimes it seems like people completely transform themselves behind a computer or phone, and in the rare occasions where the anonymous commentor is publicly identified, it’s difficult to believe that that particular person would say such things. I think that this is where the internet can also be dangerous in a way. It’s an outlet for people to say things that they normally would never say. And even if they are just venting and using words, other people do not know the degree to which their comments and/or threats are meant to be taken.
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HI, There is always two sides to everything in this world. Most of time one side has more weight and that’s why you give more preference to that side and that’s what you’re suppose to do. I agree with everything that you said about hate mails. You could also look it at at a different angle. I think that hate mail are good for some part like lets say if you have a friend whose wants to tell you something but is afraid to hurt your feelings. I know this is a pretty mild example. But i’m a pretty ignorant person. so if somebody shoots me a hate mail i don’t take it personally or even bother remembering it for even a second. That’s what people should deal with this type of hate mails. I know at times it gets annoying if you have to see it every day but most of the sites have block button to deal with this kind of things.
It is quite dangerous if somebody is able to obtain your information like SSN number. luckly Rutgers is training some good computer scientist to take care of those things so you shouldn’t be afraid to loose your information to USA like Korea. 😉
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Jeremy, I like how you started off your post by comparing blogging to a double-edged sword. When we hear about blogs the initial reactions of people is that it is about a topic like food or working out, but that isn’t the case as we learn thus far. Hating and making rude comments to individuals you don’t even know behind a screen is probably one of the worst things you could do. I’ll admit sometimes I have to double check what I wrote to see if I sound like an asshole or something I like to be as honest as I can, but wont if I know ill upset someone. The question you bringing up if the comments should be allowed to be display I guess brings an important topic about how far our freedom of speech could really go. Personally, I will only block comments that are really rude or could greatly impact an individual’s life, but also who would determine that? Your conclusion I believe makes one of the strongest points I’ve heard thus far about our identities being able to get to hackers. I wouldn’t want that and I know a lot of people throughout the United States wouldn’t of either.
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Hi Jeremy,
I think you raise some really good points about the issue of anonymity on the internet. On one hand, it allows people to truly express their thoughts and opinions without worrying about being judged or criticized for having a unique opinion. However, with power comes abuse. The power to literally say anything you want on the internet is useful to an extent – until people start abusing their power. Anonymity on the internet allows people to say things they would probably never say in real life without having to face the consequences. Unfortunately, many people take advantage of this fact since there are no laws against saying certain things over the internet. However, I agree with you that it shouldn’t be a law to completely abandon internet anonymity because it does have its benefits. Another important point you brought up (that I didn’t even think about) was the access to people’s identities if anonymity was banned. Identity theft has become an increasingly huge problem in the US and throughout the entire world and to link every person’s account to their personal information would definitely increase identity theft cases and put people even more at risk.
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Hi, Jeremy! I like the point you bring up – the Internet is basically at war with itself in deciding to be totally anonymous or totally transparent. We’re at a really interesting point in time where the development of technology opens a moral debate. While things are easier remaining anonymous, people are definitely too comfortable in believing their actions have no consequence. And of course, this goes beyond cyber bullying. This includes posting about the likes of illegal activity or sensitive debatable topics. I mentioned in Juliana’s post that it’s difficult to be respectful through social media, especially since the point of it is to allow people to view (and essentially judge) your life. I do agree with you, however. Animosity is a huge part of the Internet that I don’t think could be so easily given up. It’s a part of the online experience, for lack of a better term. I think the negative aspects of it could fixed with a better sense of social morals. The only time I think animosity should be questioned is in life or death situations, which of course is as extreme as it gets. But privacy online should also be of the upmost importance for those on social media.
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Hi Jeremy!
Just wanted to start out by saying your meme and links really give this post a lot of character. It’s so true though! A dog could be on the Internet and no one would even know it because of the fact that anyone can post ANYTHING! I thought it was great how you tied in some real world facts about South Korea. I never knew what their rules were in terms of Internet anonymity. Because we talk so much about what it would be or could be like if there was no Internet anonymity, it’s interesting to see the results in a different country. It’s scary knowing that their information was stolen as a result of monitored Internet interaction. I agree, it’s a huge invasion of privacy. So then where do we draw the line? How do we monitor or regulate the Internet just enough but not too much? It’s hard to tell. Blogging is definitely a double-edged sword. As a blogger you could say one thing that didn’t seem offensive at the time and it could totally ignite a rage by an angry onlooker. You just don’t know in this crazy world of the Internet age that we live in.
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Jeremy,
I agree that no more anonymity would definitely stir the social media pot up. It would be weird because anonymity on websites has been around for so long and it is convenient for a lot of people. When it comes to forums and webpages of asking questions and receiving quick answers, sometimes making an account takes too much work. On weblogs, a lot of people get courage to talk about things that they never were able to in person or before and getting rid of their anonymous right would silence their voices. I believe that each individual should act responsible on the internet and take responsibility rather than leave it up to any regulation.
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Continuing on my previous point, I also believe that while we need to regulate ourselves on the internet if we are choosing to be anonymous, those who use the internet should also be weary and prepared for the harsh way people act. Opinions always cause tension and uproar and sometimes we need to have our guard up. If anonymity is a problem, I believe we should have the option to let anonymous comments be posted or not.
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I must say I really enjoyed the meme and its validity to this post! It looks funny but in reality we never know who is really on the other side of the screen via the internet. I also liked the metaphor your used regarding how the internet/blogging is a double edged sword. Everything is like has its pros and cons. I think sometimes anonymity is needed and sometimes it is done to intentionally hurt someone. It is needed when a person cannot freely express them self in an area that doesn’t enforce rights. I think anonymity is negatively utilized in situations like catfish. It’s not so much that the person is being anonymous via the internet but they are portraying themselves as another person. They are hiding behind a computer screen pretending to be a person they may have never met themselves.
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Hey Jeremy,
There are pros and cons for there being anonymity. Being anonymous allows for some people to find their voice and speak positively about different topics. That is great because sometimes people are scared to speak on their true feeling towards a certain topic. Majority of the time people do not want to get harassed based on their opinions. On the other hand a lot of the time it lets people use being anonymous as a way to be hurtful. It is truly sad that the amount of negativity on the web outweighs the positivity. You made some good points such as how things would drastically change on the internet if anonymity ceased to exist. There should be some type of system that is set to control what people can and cannot post. I really liked the picture that you included because that shows the truth about the internet. People can be whomever they’d like to be while behind a screen. This topic is a really tricky one because at the end of the day what can really be done? Hopefully a solution will appear in the near future.
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Hi Jeremy! I agree, anonymity gives people the freedom to say whatever they want to whomever they want, allowing people to voice their opinion, be it good or bad, regardless of how it is going to impact the person they are speaking too. I believe that if people had to connect all of their other social accounts to their Facebook accounts that the social cruelties would definitely decrease, but I personally would not want to have to do that. Only because my Facebook is deactivated more often than not because I feel it is an unnecessary distraction to me when I hardly ever use it. Anonymity is a tough issue to solve though, hopefully one day, with the rise of social technologies, there will be ways to censor users words and prevent cyber bullying in the future.
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Hey Jeremy,
I agree with your final point about removing all anonymity in the Internet. Anonymity isn’t always dangerous or nefarious, but has definitely risen in being that way in recent years especially. One specific example I can think of right now is GamerGate, in which people started by uncovering game creators who were using contacts to get good game reviews, and has basically turned into a smear campaign featuring threats of violence, especially towards women in the gaming industry. This, combined with other anonymous social media and blogging platforms, certainly poses a problem, being that anyone can make an account (or multiple) and be whoever they want to be. While it seems like freedom, it can definitely have a dark side.
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