I think it's pretty eye opening. These people are anonymous, i.e. far away from societal pressure and judgement, and so their statements are much more likely to

I think it's pretty eye opening. These people are anonymous, i.e. far away from societal pressure and judgement, and so their statements are much more likely to be exactly what they think. Think about it. These people are expressing themselves without any restraint, which leads to the question: "Do the majority of people actually think these things?" Does your average serious boss or political leader think the "unthinkable" along with these people? Is this "grossness and juvenelia" actually very common and our interpersonal facades are far from sincere? One true test of the 1st Amendment was the prosecution of Larry Flynt and Hustler Magazine. It pretty much demolished the obscenity exception to the right to freedom of speech. Pornography was a no-no back then, but now it's much more commonly accepted. This situation looks exactly the same. Sure, it's the "asshole of the internet" for some, but it's as much of a poster child as Hustler, and a test of free speech if there ever is one.