When the internet meets real life poorly.

[simple schoolboy]

I'm a sucker for comments on news stories. Whether it's those poorly sourced hot takes stories or those after the fact op-eds dressed up as news stories, I often end up going down the rabbit hole. The comments are almost all poorly informed, but there's something about getting the pulse of the street and the back and forth that goes on.

It seems completely reckless to publicly sign your name to an opinion online unless it is the most vanilla PR conceivable. Presumably in pre-internet times, one could pen one or two less than glowing letters to the editor without fear of public censure. Now ask Brendan Eich about that, and he probably didn't expect his name to be publicized.

There's a conflict between establishing the personal as political and living a public, easily accessible life. I don't like either aspects of this, but combined seems like a terribly unworkable system.

If this is the new normal, I do kind of get where the European right to be forgotten comes from. It's dumb of course, but I guess it's more workable than asking people not to go out of their way to destroy the personal and professional life of those that dare to disagree with them and yet will never meet face to face.

[stip]

I was once someone opposed to the anonymity that the internet offers, believing that if your name was attached to what you said you would take more responsibility for your comments and that conversational norms are more likely to be upheld. But the backlash culture that has exploded has me rethinking that position.

[Green Habit]

I was once someone opposed to the anonymity that the internet offers, believing that if your name was attached to what you said you would take more responsibility for your comments and that conversational norms are more likely to be upheld. But the backlash culture that has exploded has me rethinking that position.

Interesting you say that, because I feel like the trend has been the opposite for most people's opinions on the subject. In the past, anonymity was considered something that could help disadvantaged people reach out without fear of reprisal. But those tunes have changed now that we've seen the worst of assholes say horrible shit masked behind anonymity.

Still, I think, like most things in live, anonymity can be used both for good and evil, and is intrinsically neither.

[McParadigm]

I share this fascination with comment sections, 100%.

[LoathedVermin72]

So do I, but I have tried to stop, because it's usually just pointlessly depressing.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I share this fascination with comment sections, 100%.

It appears as though only racists and love-everyone hippies post in these sections, though.

[BurtReynolds]

.

[Sgt. Crackpot]

Just make a fake account. Then you can post all the hateful/racist/paranoid/SJW bullshit you want! That's what I do!

Same, this is my fake account: http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/memberl ... ofile&u=99

[simple schoolboy]

I share this fascination with comment sections, 100%.

It appears as though only racists and love-everyone hippies post in these sections, though.

I really have to wonder about those that continuously respond to comments on news articles and the like. I presume there are email updates and all, but still... Who has time to respond to every post in this sort of thing?

[E.H. Ruddock]

I share this fascination with comment sections, 100%.

It appears as though only racists and love-everyone hippies post in these sections, though.

I really have to wonder about those that continuously respond to comments on news articles and the like. I presume there are email updates and all, but still... Who has time to respond to every post in this sort of thing?

[Simple Torture]

I have a cousin who frequently "likes" posts and pages of porn stars, and whenever one shows up on my Facebook feed, there are thousands of comments: "oooh baby i'd make love to you"; "nice ass wish i was there"; "you are great tits." I can kind of understand the sort of comments people make on websites where anonymity is possible (if you've never visited http://pornhubcommentsonstockphotos.tumblr.com/ do it now), but what possesses people to make comments like this that everyone can see? It's just a mindset I can't wrap my head around.