-or- Hiding behind the net
In my years of navigating the ofttimes murky waters of the net I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. It is one that can be seen at just about any forum, BB, Usenet group, IRC channel, and so on. In fact it only takes a quick glance over a random sampling of threads here at good old Joe User to see this phenomenon in action. And it is such a simple principle really.
Anonymity breeds arrogance.
It most certainly does. Hiding behind our screen names we have the power to construct for ourselves elaborate, intricate personas. These may be true to life, slightly sensational, or even fantastically false. And this fabrication can be wonderfully fun and therapeutic. We can act out some of our fantasies, speak our minds on issues we find important, and craft an identity for ourselves that those who know us in real life might not be familiar with. We can also strive to be honest, be ourselves, and gain acceptance through that honesty.
But we can also be emboldened by the invisibility.
The fact that those with whom we interact often do not really know who we are can lead us to embarrassing levels of arrogance. People rise up with indignation about the slightest offending comment. We spout off ill-conceived opinions at random because, even if they are ignorant, who really cares because who really knows? Comments that would be offered with tact and care in person are often vomited forth with reckless abandon on the net. And why?
Because we can comfortably hide behind our camouflage.
Overbearance often becomes the order of the day. Respect and tact are forgotten in an effort to "express our opinions". We step on toes because we never really see them, so how can they hurt? And we refuse to put our foot in our mouth because we can always respond with 1,000 posts about how we were misinterpreted, how the sarcasm or humor didn't translate adequately to the written word, how we didn't really do anything wrong. And all because we feel we can.
Not all do this, but I believe we are all subject to the temptation to do so. I know I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion. Hopefully though, being aware of the possibility can help to prevent a certain multitude of sins.