I’ve not been online as long as some, but I’ve still been online for nearly thirty years now. And every single social platform I’ve used, from Usenet and CompuServe through forums and Web 2.0 and social media and more, has faced the same problem: sooner or later, significant numbers of people, including but not limited to nazis, will try and abuse it and weaponise it against marginalised people. The question is never whether it’ll happen; just when it’ll happen and how.
There’s a question every technology product should ask, and that is: how can this be abused? And despite thirty-odd years of social media online, all too often the question is not considered until the abuse is already well under way.
These other poeple doing this abusing. They’re your fellow human beings. That’s just what the mass of us are.
The demand that they not be allowed to be on social media is a demand, the demand, that humanity not be there.
Sure, many are cockweasels but that’s humanity for you.
But when totalitarian leftists do it, well, they’re saving our democracy.
including but not limited to nazis
Ah,”nazis”! A peace-loving, activist deviant can’t throw a stick without hitting a “nazi”.
Perhaps the entire internet should be moderated by professor potato
The blog should be titled Bigmouth Whines Again.
‘bigots need people to abuse and to orchestrate pile-ons against’
Yes, you do. Don’t you.
Boganboy
You beat me to the punch. Possibly even less self awareness than Murphy…
Teh Interwebs is just a manifestation of every other aspect of modern civilisation. Once you allow the hoi polloi ( as in city masses ) into your enclave then inevitably quality will decrease to fund a common level.
Driving cars, flying, universities, politics, porn films ( look how terrible homemade porn often is ), hospital radio – you name it . The Internet is a portal into the minds of many millions of people and lets face it there is often not much going on in there. ( To be fair, I often encounter clever stuff that I never knew ).
Might have known it’d be the geezer in a frock. Almost every word he writes is abusing someone.
’ I’ve not been online as long as some…’
There’s something to be thankful for, at least…
If he really was on those early platforms, he must have had an enjoyable time. He’s exactly the sort of person would get up people’s noses. And it was a total Wild West. He must have got flamed to hell. There were people would make sport of following people around boards & flaming them wherever they popped up. Didn’t stop at flaming either. That’s where doxing started.
BiS
Exactly !
Internet Warriors today are pussies.
In those days to survive on Usenet, you had to be like Carrie and have balls.
Gosh Ottokring, alert the meeja! I didn’t know Boris was gay…
It does explain the parties though.
Perhaps the entire internet should be moderated by professor potato
This is actually a good idea.
Would limit the damage he could do elsewhere because his entire day would be spent on moderation.
Of course I would love to see his face if he tried to moderate somewhere like 4chan or 9gag…
The early internet reminded us that small groups can be civilised, large crowds not so much. Inviting everybody in the world to the same platform makes it toxic? Quelle surprise