Yeah, I feel that the longer I've been on SDN the more tempted I've become to post snarky comments b/c I get more easily annoyed with certain types of threads or posters. I guess SDN makes you cynical w/ time.
The thing about forums such as SDN is that there is little to no accountability. A person can say anything they want with little fear of any repercussions, save for suspension, but Dr. I can attest to how much of a motivator
that is. Basically, on SDN many people choose to hide behind their pseudonym and say anything they like. That way, there is no one to be held responsible for the words associated with some fabricated name in cyberspace.
Personally, I think it speaks a lot more to an individual's character, what he/she says in a forum like this, where there is no accountability, than what he/she says to a person's face. It's very similar to an individual's morality when he is alone. There are individuals who act like saints when people are around and then turn very different when no one is looking. In the same degree as our actions are more telling when no one's around, I think our words are more telling when no one knows who they are coming from.
So, Dr. I, I think you may very well be aware of the impact of your words, but because there is no fear of repercussions for what you are saying, you do not restrain yourself from saying them. I certainly don't know you personally, so I could be completely off base. Therefore, I guess I'd suggest that, before you comment to someone, you ask yourself if you would make the same comment to the face of that individual.
Furthermore, I find that some people act much different in the presence of a crowd than in a more intimate setting. I have known individuals whose wit makes them a heartless crowd favorite when they are taking cheap shots at someone who is too kind and gentle to fight back. Take that same individual in a setting away from the crowd, and they turn into one of the most pleasant people you'd ever meet. The interesting part is that most of these people don't see there actions as being dishonest while they're clearly two-faced and deceptive.
Seeing as SDN is a giant audience, I'd guess the temptation to act like this would only be that much more enhanced. Again, I may be
completely out in left field, but I'd suggest you ask yourself if you would say the same thing to that person's face... if you two were alone in a room where no one else would ever hear you.
If you would say it in that situation, then I can't blame you. Your words may be harsh and cruel, but at least they're honest. If you wouldn't say it in that situation, then you probably aren't really talking to that individual as much as everyone else on the forum, so it should not honestly be addressed to them. To believe otherwise would just be lying to yourself. That is, if that's the case.
I hope that helps
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