[vanillawafer]

I was reading this in the paper this morning, and I thought of Islamica. sad.

-------------------------------------

On the Web, talk is cheap, and nasty
Online sites provide forums where chats can turn mean, ugly
By Stephen T. Watson NEWS STAFF REPORTER

WGRZ.com posted a small news story Jan. 16, disclosing that KeyBank, an important tenant at the Broadway Market, plans to leave the historic market when its lease ends in April.

The first few comments on the online WGRZ Buffalo Forum aimed some gentle sarcasm at the market’s executive director and ruminated on the impact of KeyBank’s departure. Then the racism started.

“The more it gets blacker, the more decay and cancer you get,” wrote “James Z from Kaisertown.”

There was more, much worse, which The News will not repeat.

But that is what some online forums have become, where reasonable discussion can quickly degenerate into vile and nasty commentary — all behind a veil of anonymity.

“Sometimes I think, man, don’t these people have mothers? How could they say that?” said Joe Marren, a Buffalo State College assistant professor of communication. “You can post something rude and it’s not really you, it’s your screen name.”

The comment sections of news Web sites, online message boards and Internet chat rooms are growing in popularity and attract thousands of comments each day.

But they can become pockmarked with bigoted, homophobic, racist or defamatory language.

It’s enough to make a person wonder if we’re a nation of hateful people, or is there something about the Web that brings out the worst in people?

“It points out the kind of racism, and you sometimes find sexism, that is deep in this society,” said Frank B. Mesiah, president of the Buffalo chapter of the NAACP. “It’s changed. . . . But, down deep, these feelings are still there.”

“Anonymity eliminates any kind of accountability for what you say on the Internet,” said Kelly McBride, ethics group leader for the Poynter Institute, which promotes good journalistic practices.

The administrators of Web sites for The Buffalo News, Channel 2, the New York Times and scores of other news outlets are trying to figure out the best way to moderate these forums.

They want to pull in readers and encourage a free flow of discussion, but they don’t want bile and venom to overrun their comment sections.

“That’s a line that we have to walk every single day,” said Ellen Crooke, Channel 2’s vice president of news, who took down the Broadway Market comment thread last week after a reporter alerted her to it.

On the Web, if you have anything to say, it’s easy to find an outlet and an audience.

Comments turn vile

In addition to the scores of message boards and online forums, most news organizations give readers a chance to comment.

At their best, commenters share thoughtful opinions and amplify the coverage of a topic, often providing ideas worth investigating by reporters.

“It can be a very effective community connection tool for newspapers. It can be a way to draw people to the newspaper Web site multiple times a day,” said Beth Lawton, manager of digital media for the Newspaper Association of America.

Unfortunately, constructive comments sometimes are overwhelmed by vile postings, according to news reports.

In Miami, the NAACP chapter complained last October after a story on the Miami Herald Web site about the death of a black teenager prompted a number of hateful responses.

One comment said the death should be celebrated because it saves taxpayers money that would have been spent on incarcerating him.

Not every post targets blacks. The Orange County Register in California profiled an obese 40-year-old woman who didn’t know she was pregnant until two days before she gave birth to her son.

This generally positive story drew a wave of false attacks from readers on the woman’s purported laziness, unhealthy lifestyle and even claims that she made money off her story.

“Really, it’s next to impossible to baby-sit [the comment section] 100 percent of the time,” said Anthony Fracasso, founder of Buffalo NY Buffalo News Speakupwny.com , an online message board that covers local politics.

The Buffalo News: Home: On the Web, talk is cheap, and nasty

[ChotooMotoo]

I think people say things online which they wouldn't say in real life. The reason, there are no repurcusions online. What's the worst that's going to happen if you misbehave online? People will ignore you, or if you are REALLY bad, you might get kicked off that forum. Even if you get kicked off one forum, there are plenty of others to choose from where you can misbehave.

Now, if people talked in real life the way they talk online, people would lose friends, jobs, get in fights etc. For some reason, the rules of social interaction don't apply to the internet for lots of people.

That's what I think anyway.

[kellyjaz]

I'm more blunt online.

But i have many friends and they like me for being blunt and in their face.

[kellyjaz]

“Anonymity eliminates any kind of accountability for what you say on the Internet

..Muslims believe that Allah swt is watching no matter where they are, so it is rather suprising that some people perhaps ( and this is a reminder to myself so dont get on your high horses people ) lack adab in certain posts or i dont know, but we are held accountable for the things we do online aswell.

[IbnMardhiyah]

Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo

Now, if people talked in real life the way they talk online, people would lose friends, jobs, get in fights etc. For some reason, the rules of social interaction don't apply to the internet for lots of people.

There's absolutely nothing that I say online that I wouldn't say face to face to anyone.

Nothing.

And yet I do quite well at work, I have loads of friends and family, and I get by pretty well in the world.

The problem with judging people's online statements is that you are missing out on over 90% of their intended message. Only 10% of effective communication is comprised of what is said or written. The remaining +90% is composed of voice dynamics and body language, which includes facial expression.

Ergo, you think someone is getting angry or blowing up at you when in fact they're not.

[ChotooMotoo]

Originally Posted by kellyjaz

“Anonymity eliminates any kind of accountability for what you say on the Internet

..Muslims believe that Allah swt is watching no matter where they are, so it is rather suprising that some people perhaps ( and this is a reminder to myself so dont get on your high horses people ) lack adab in certain posts or i dont know, but we are held accountable for the things we do online aswell.

That's true. I think it's also easier to get carried away online than it is in real life. I mean, you're just writing, they are just words, so you don't stop yourself when you should.

[kellyjaz]

Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo

That's true. I think it's also easier to get carried away online than it is in real life. I mean, you're just writing, they are just words, so you don't stop yourself when you should.

Although, it depends largely upon the community for e.g. the islamica community here allows allot of threads to be discussed whereas in other "islamic" forums they would not be discussed at all and the people would find it "hayaless".

And it also depends on the persons undrestanding of islam.

[shadha]

Ibn: There's absolutely nothing that I say online that I wouldn't say face to face to anyone.
Nothing.
And yet I do quite well at work, I have loads of friends and family, and I get by pretty well in the world.
The problem with judging people's online statements is that you are missing out on over 90% of their intended message. Only 10% of effective communication is comprised of what is said or written. The remaining +90% is composed of voice dynamics and body language, which includes facial expression.
Ergo, you think someone is getting angry or blowing up at you when in fact they're not.

Agreed.

Though, I think ChotooMotoo is more or less talking about how people display their disagreements or anger with one another compared to how they would in person. The name calling, the threats, the low blows-- would they say the same if they were face to face with the other person?


shadha-

[IbnMardhiyah]

Originally Posted by shadha

Agreed.

Though, I think ChotooMotoo is more or less talking about how people display their disagreements or anger with one another compared to how they would in person. The name calling, the threats, the low blows-- would they say the same if they were face to face with the other person?


shadha-

You'd have to be more specific in what you're referring to - particularly if any of my comments recently or since whenever.

Low blows [below the belt] online are personal attacks, or insulting someone's mother or parents.

That stuff I don't do except extremely rarely, [like make fun of a person's physique] and in any case no matter how angry I am I will never insult someone's mother or parents.

Same goes in real life F2F conversations or exchanges.

[the_only_one]

Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo

That's true. I think it's also easier to get carried away online than it is in real life. I mean, you're just writing, they are just words, so you don't stop yourself when you should.

actually, ive the opposite problem, i dont seem to care much to prove my point online whereas in real life, i argue/debate until the correspondent agrees/postponds/proves me wrong. i guess real life is different whereas you know people will take you seriously since they'd know you and your personality in comparison to our online-status-quo, we dont seem to know each other well enough, so we take everything said in a jest or consider it yet another flying thought from open space!

[shadha]

Ibn: You'd have to be more specific in what you're referring to - particularly if any of my comments recently or since whenever.
Low blows [below the belt] online are personal attacks, or insulting someone's mother or parents.
That stuff I don't do except extremely rarely, [like make fun of a person's physique] and in any case no matter how angry I am I will never insult someone's mother or parents.
Same goes in real life F2F conversations or exchanges.

No, I wasn't directing that at you personally, I was just stating. Though, I do find it funny that you consider personal attacks limited to only a persons physique. Anyway, I'm not trying to start anything again with you--- I was just pointing out what I think ChotooMotoo meant by her post. I think unless you know the online member in person, it's hard to judge whether or not thats how they are F2F. One can only make assumptions. I personally have never said anything online that I wouldn't or rather haven't said F2F to someone. I think making snide remarks about a relative of the person you're arguing with is so stupid, shows how they aren't able to make a worthwhile rebuttal, and immediately invalidates anything that person has to say.


shadha-

[MossadConspiracy]

Originally Posted by vanillawafer

I was reading this in the paper this morning, and I thought of Islamica. sad.

salam

every internet community is like that though. The lack of accountability on the internet brings out the worst in people, like the article said. Childish behavior is extremely rampant in any internet community except those that are connected to specifically defined real-world communities. Some people use the net to indulge their racism and have an audience for that, like your article mentioned. But its also a place where people indulge in vanity, sexual harrassment, forms of bigotry other than racism, and just general childishness like name-calling and so on. Some people go to even freakier lengths and become stalkers and stuff like that. I dont know if Islamica has that type on it, but it wouldnt surprise me

ws

[vegetables]

Some people go to even freakier lengths and become stalkers and stuff like that. I dont know if Islamica has that type on it, but it wouldnt surprise me

whooow whooow wait a minute. just because i save and print out everyones pictures and hang them on my wall with candles underneath makes me a stalker?

[Revert]

I'm actually more reserved online than i am in real life..