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I'm not picking on you specifically for this, because many people do it, but you're actually contributing to the problem you're describing. When you make a dist

I'm not picking on you specifically for this, because many people do it, but you're actually contributing to the problem you're describing. When you make a distinction between "on-line" and "real-world," you reinforce the notion that these things are separate. They aren't. The notion that anything goes online because it's "not real" or somehow separate from "real" encourages all kinds of reckless behavior. I'm not saying we should all use our real names or anything, just that nothing about the consequences of speech changes by nature of having been transmitted to the Internet. "Comments can have devastating implications." That's the nut of it. Don't fall for the mirage of the Internet as a separate space, because it isn't. Can you be anonymous? Sure, to varying degrees of success. But the anonymity you might presume isn't guaranteed, just like putting on a mask doesn't make you immune to handcuffs. When you're found, you're found.

ColinWright 9y ago
I feel like you're actually just supporting everything I've said. I'm not claiming that the "real world" and the "on-line world" are separate. I'm saying that things you say on-line can be spread far and wide, much further and wider than pre-internet, and hence become known to a wider audience. That audience is therefore more likely to have people in it who are unbalanced. I never claimed that the internet is a separate place, but it is certainly true that you can reduce the likelihood that things you say in one place are connected with you personally. It's not 100% secure, but I never said that. In short, you seem to be in agreement with me.
- FroshKiller 9y ago
  Yeah, I do agree with you, but I was taking issue with how you framed your point. I get that you probably set up the online vs. real frame to underscore your point, but I think it actually undermines it.

ColinWright 9y ago

I feel like you're actually just supporting everything I've said. I'm not claiming that the "real world" and the "on-line world" are separate. I'm saying that things you say on-line can be spread far and wide, much further and wider than pre-internet, and hence become known to a wider audience. That audience is therefore more likely to have people in it who are unbalanced. I never claimed that the internet is a separate place, but it is certainly true that you can reduce the likelihood that things you say in one place are connected with you personally. It's not 100% secure, but I never said that. In short, you seem to be in agreement with me.

FroshKiller 9y ago
Yeah, I do agree with you, but I was taking issue with how you framed your point. I get that you probably set up the online vs. real frame to underscore your point, but I think it actually undermines it.