Caveman
Grandpa
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 1,580
I've been pondering this a bit lately and I thought it might make an interesting thread, especially considering how quickly this board can escalate to open hostility.
Except for the last couple of days I've primarily been a lurker on this board for the past few months. I post something every once and a while but generally I just read the stuff others post. When I started on here a couple of years ago I posted all the time but I started to notice that my internet persona was quite a bit more aggressive than in my real life. I'm an opinionated guy but I also get along well with most folks. Unless I'm delusional (not unlikely ) I never seem to find myself in engaged in any hostile confrontations as I go about my daily life. So why was it that I found myself at odds with some of you on a regular basis? I'm not talking about often but certainly more than in the real world. I decided that I didn't like engaging in verbal combat so I opted out and just lurked for a few months. I also noticed some other folks that didn't post as often as they used to but I would also see them logged on.
Here's what i want to talk about. What is it about us that makes us more contentious behind the anonymity of a keyboard? The simple answer would be cowardice. We are safe in our anonymity. I don't really think that's the case for most of us but it bears mentioning. So what is the real answer and what can we do about it? Or is it just me that takes on a slightly different personality in cyberspace? I don't think that's true either. So what is the dynamic that takes place here and why does any controversial topic quickly degenerate into a cyber-brawl? I know that I am making a concerted effort to not engage in any argumentative threads simply because I don't like the way I sometimes overreact. I find it interesting that for some reason messsage boards bring to the fore a side of my personality that I sometimes find disagreeable.
I'm convinced that most of us could discuss this stuff over a beer or a cup of coffee in a much lest contentious manner, but in here we get stupid. Any thoughts?
Except for the last couple of days I've primarily been a lurker on this board for the past few months. I post something every once and a while but generally I just read the stuff others post. When I started on here a couple of years ago I posted all the time but I started to notice that my internet persona was quite a bit more aggressive than in my real life. I'm an opinionated guy but I also get along well with most folks. Unless I'm delusional (not unlikely ) I never seem to find myself in engaged in any hostile confrontations as I go about my daily life. So why was it that I found myself at odds with some of you on a regular basis? I'm not talking about often but certainly more than in the real world. I decided that I didn't like engaging in verbal combat so I opted out and just lurked for a few months. I also noticed some other folks that didn't post as often as they used to but I would also see them logged on.
Here's what i want to talk about. What is it about us that makes us more contentious behind the anonymity of a keyboard? The simple answer would be cowardice. We are safe in our anonymity. I don't really think that's the case for most of us but it bears mentioning. So what is the real answer and what can we do about it? Or is it just me that takes on a slightly different personality in cyberspace? I don't think that's true either. So what is the dynamic that takes place here and why does any controversial topic quickly degenerate into a cyber-brawl? I know that I am making a concerted effort to not engage in any argumentative threads simply because I don't like the way I sometimes overreact. I find it interesting that for some reason messsage boards bring to the fore a side of my personality that I sometimes find disagreeable.
I'm convinced that most of us could discuss this stuff over a beer or a cup of coffee in a much lest contentious manner, but in here we get stupid. Any thoughts?
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