I suppose I started thinking about the anonymity topic and how deceptive and harmful it can be in terms of accountability when I read numerous comments on a local forum several years ago. Those words written by an unknown source were intended to inflict pain and insult and they succeeded.
It was a forum just getting started in my hometown before the concept of Twitter or Facebook became the norm. Back when forums were the first area individuals could comment live.
The subject of anonymity is quite controversial in terms of the world-wide-web, and it is a much heated topic of discussion in my office group of co-workers, the subject is never really resolved. But it is quite fascinating and gets ones blood to boil.
Some believe that to have the option to write what they wish without being subject to their identity gives them freedom to put down what they feel—freely.
Others, such as myself believe that it has brought out a rather mischievous or evil speak from those hiding behind the anonymity safety blanket.
Going further with this there is also another slant where the writer may have a false sense of courage if they have their name attached to the online words written. This also gives way to unaccountable words. Written words that are intended to be harmful.
With the computer screen as a protective shield a writer may write whatever he or she feels without remorse because the person or people are not in their presence to hear and react to the words written to inflict pain.
If the anonymous writer had the person standing in front of them I often wonder if the writer would actually say those things, and I am inclined to believe they may not because then they would be accountable to see and hear the actual pain their words actually inflicted in real life.
Even if a person has grown hard-hearted and supposedly tough skinned, the heart is still susceptible to pain. (unless you are a sociopath or psychopath, which requires a different discussion)
Therefore I have dubbed the subject a ‘Mischievous Sprite’ because it tends to bring about the worse in people; unless of course one uses the www and social public forms with self-control and dignity.
Perhaps I shall write about self-control and integrity in my next entry…
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