There is less risk in being honest when I'm online. If I voice an opinion around my coworkers or family that they strongly disagree with[1], there is a chance t

There is less risk in being honest when I'm online. If I voice an opinion around my coworkers or family that they strongly disagree with[1], there is a chance that could change my relationship with them for the worse. Some people hold grudges for a very long time over minor things. On irc, if someone decided to hold a grudge I can simply add them to the short list of people I've put on permanent /ignore. In real life I have to deal with them on a daily basis. There is also the added benefit of irc having scroll back and delays in communication. I can read what I've said before so I don't forget what I'm talking about. I can also walk away for 5 minutes to grab a drink and cool off if the debate gets heated. It would be very difficult to do either gracefully in a live conversation. 1: Example topic: The death penalty. One of my coworkers has voiced a strong opinion on putting to death anyone that kills another human being except in a clear cut case of self-defense. I disagree with his opinion in the strongest way but I keep my mouth shut because inviting a civilized debate over that topic is a good way to ruin an otherwise enjoyable lunchbreak. On IRC, I would be happy to invite debate because the cost of the debate going bad is far less.