Where Anonymity Breeds Contempt
Julie Zhuo,
New York Times,
Nov 30, 2010
I love the irony in this: this article discussing the impact of trolls on the internet is itself a troll, lovingly disguised as New York Times article but no less trollish than a one-line comment like "These guys are frauds" posted after a YouTube video.Trolling is "the act of posting inflammatory, derogatory or provocative messages in public forums." I thought it odd that the author didn't comment on the proliferation of signed trolls as well, or raise the subject of paid trolls, shills employed by a political or advertising agency to harass or intimidate. But the discussion went another way. The proposition is, first, that trolling has become a major problem on the internet, and second, that anonymity promotes trollish behaviour. And in any case, anonymity is relatively recent; "when someone spoke in public, his audience would naturally be able to see who was talking." Thus, the author argues, web sites should stop posting anonymous comments. "Content providers, stop allowing anonymous comments. Moderate your comments and forums." Or consider, he says, "using comment services to improve the quality of engagement on your site." That's why his company, Facebook, has designed a public commenting widget "to replicate real-world social norms by emphasizing the human qualities of conversation." Troll!
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