Animosity and Anonymity

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It is amazing that in comment sections* that people tend to say the most horrible things that they could possibly imagine; they say things which they would normally, at least hopefully, not say in person to another person. So much animosity, a virtual conflagration of blind vindictive hatred! Even though it is primarily people talking past each other and regurgitating phrases they've heard elsewhere, it is still amazing, even incredible, how vicious people can get when they feel secure in their anonymity.

*Note: This refers primarily to youtube and yahoo comments sections, where I have seen such horrid behavior. In WP this phenomena is less prevalent currently.

Does anonymity increase the tendency to display animosity?

Welcome to the internet.



You do not understand and may never understand.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

That's what I love about the internet, I can say things I wouldn't normally say to people in real life.

Of course there's always going to be boundaries even on the net when it comes to rules and regulations.

"A man is least himself when he speaks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will show you his true self." -Oscar Wilde

I have mixed feelings on anonymity myself, on the one hand I like the way that it forces debate to focus on what was said rather than who said it, but as has been amply demonstrated it also lends itself to stupidity and cruelty. Like most things, I think it's appropriateness is situational.

what goes 'round, comes 'round, in ways sometimes unexpected. most folk would just whistle past the graveyard rather than ponder this seriously. meanness doesn't just affect the initial target/victim but spreads and multiplies in countless directions, like the action of marbles in play. the person you insulted might insult his wife or children who in turn insult folk they meet at work or school and it just goes on from there, eventually making its mean way back to the original offender who would have no idea what brought this onto him/herself. it is so much better to make this a virtuous chain instead, by spreading love instead of hate. pay it forwards instead of hating it forwards. just my 2-cents' worth.