Why can't we all just get along?

What makes RISC OS users argue and go toe-to-toe in online discussions? Is it that the Internet makes every conversation feel impersonal? When does criticism cross the line? Drobe contributor Mark Stephens gathers his thoughts on why people row online, and what can be done to avoid it.

Opinion - The Internet is undoubtedly a wonderful invention which allows us to do all kinds of new things, but like any enabling technology, it is very much a double edged sword. It can be used and misused.

I have rather given up on the Acorn Usenet groups and the Iyonix mailing list as they have increasingly become rather depressing places - with less interesting, useful discussion and advice and more e-firefights with bickering and personal abuse thrown around.

Is the 'net too impersonal and confrontational?

Thankfully, or sadly depending on your view, this is not just a RISC OS specific issue - so you won't escape it by moving platforms - but rather more of a general trend as the Internet populace increases. This was well summed up in an article in a recent Guardian article, available online here.

This cites how the impersonal nature of the Internet and the ability to remain anonymous has paved the way for a new era of unpleasant communication, with insults, personal comments and undisguised antagonism regularly traded over the wires. It is not uncommon for bloggers to receive anonymous death threats posted via their websites, which even as a sick joke is going rather too far.

Obviously, as RISC OS users, we can't access any websites designed after 1995, so I'll summarise the above article: the author had been inspired by the increasing amount of digital vitriol to come up with the rather clever idea for a novel plot - that there is no-one so insignificant and inoffensive that you will not be able to find some little corner of the Internet where everyone hates him whatever he says or does.

The problem has become so big that Tim O'Reilly, the man behind O'Reilly books, a key figure in the open source movement and the person who coined the phrase 'Web 2.0', has suggested there should be an online code of conduct. Freedom, after all, should come with responsibility or it becomes anarchy.

He has some suggestions which would be really good to see happening everywhere including:

1. Ignore the trolls, aka the people who delight in starting arguments for the sake of it, and will always disagree in a provocative manner with whatever you say or do.
2. Don't say anything on the Internet you would not say in person.
3. Try to resolve things privately first.
4. Ban anonymous postings.
5. Only say what you are prepared to publicly take responsibility for.

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