06-26-2014, 07:42 AM
Facebook uses real names, but the readers are supposedly your actual friends and acquaintances, and you control the circle (not perfectly maybe).
In a public forum, anyone can read it including people you never know are there, people who aren't registered and can lurk. Some people feel comfortable posting their names and a lot of info about where they live, but those who choose not to do that might be more prudent.
Sure the ability to talk without being tied to your real name has enabled a lot of abusive talk on the net, but to my mind the benefits of a free discourse where people don't need to worry too much about potential retribution for speaking candidly is a great benefit.
It's a small community on the island, and people often hesitate to say what they think if they know that everyone they know is potentially listening. I personally would rather ignore the trolls in exchange for the candid discussion. Anyhow, some people are very capable of nastiness under their own name.
As for hate speech, in general I expect that to be moderated and deleted off most forums I have used.
I see the thin skin part differently than Rob, but it is of course his forum.
I don't think there is a one size fits all tolerance for personal insults. It depends on how you were raised, socialized, and when. There used to be a separate standard for what was said to women, for example. As a woman, I appreciate a lot about the way gender roles have opened up, but I was raised at a time and in a family where people didn't say nasty insulting things to each other, and yes you did mind if it happened.
Had I been raised with a bunch of brothers or in a different family, I might have thicker skin. I would hate to think though, that a reflection of Puna culture can only include those who tolerate random and unprovoked insults from people we don't know. I certainly don't experience that in my daily life here, The people I know are really polite and civil and very sensitive to feelings. So to me, a civil forum would reflect the social reality of the island better than an uncivil forum.
In a public forum, anyone can read it including people you never know are there, people who aren't registered and can lurk. Some people feel comfortable posting their names and a lot of info about where they live, but those who choose not to do that might be more prudent.
Sure the ability to talk without being tied to your real name has enabled a lot of abusive talk on the net, but to my mind the benefits of a free discourse where people don't need to worry too much about potential retribution for speaking candidly is a great benefit.
It's a small community on the island, and people often hesitate to say what they think if they know that everyone they know is potentially listening. I personally would rather ignore the trolls in exchange for the candid discussion. Anyhow, some people are very capable of nastiness under their own name.
As for hate speech, in general I expect that to be moderated and deleted off most forums I have used.
I see the thin skin part differently than Rob, but it is of course his forum.
I don't think there is a one size fits all tolerance for personal insults. It depends on how you were raised, socialized, and when. There used to be a separate standard for what was said to women, for example. As a woman, I appreciate a lot about the way gender roles have opened up, but I was raised at a time and in a family where people didn't say nasty insulting things to each other, and yes you did mind if it happened.
Had I been raised with a bunch of brothers or in a different family, I might have thicker skin. I would hate to think though, that a reflection of Puna culture can only include those who tolerate random and unprovoked insults from people we don't know. I certainly don't experience that in my daily life here, The people I know are really polite and civil and very sensitive to feelings. So to me, a civil forum would reflect the social reality of the island better than an uncivil forum.
