Online anonymity is slowly becoming a hard fought right in the United States. Are we really entitled to be completely removed from our actions online? It would seem as if the internet, is the final and true frontier. If the champions of net neutrality succeed we will always be able to find some corner of the internet to ride off towards, into the sunset.
With this area of "lawlessness" one can only expect a certain amount of unfriendly behavior. Instances such as the Jessi Slaughter debacle we discussed in class are quite common, and it only takes a brief look into imageboard sites such as 4chan to see that if any discretion is left, its hidden behind the porn.
Like other articles we have read throughout this class, we see that the internet, like the radio and news print before it is a place where anyone can publish their ideas. Unlike the forms of media that have proceeded the internet, there is a massive pool of support working to preserve the the free nature of the internet. Yet the anonymity of the internet is not yet entirely defined.
It should be known that anything posted on the internet can eventually be traced back to its origin. That being said, the illusion of anonymity on the internet is strong enough to convince others that their actions, cannot solicit reactions. Suddenly, sullen loners and basement dwellers have an outlet to vent the disparities of life, free from the vilification and resentment of the school yard.
Like all frontiers, someday we will reach the horizon. For now trolls will propagate anytime someone takes the internet too seriously, or steps out of line until the day the internet becomes regulated and restricted, and it will someday. For now however, we can feel safe in knowing, we were there when it was great.
No comments:
Post a Comment