Summary
This article is based around anonymity and trolling on the Internet. It shows how anonymity causes trolling. The article’ Where Anonymity Breeds Contempt’ by Julie Zhuo, product design manager at Facebook, is from the New York Times 29/11/11. It gives the example of Chilean Miners and how trolls left unsociably acceptably comments “We’re just trying to make the world a better place one brainwashed, ignorant idiot at a time.” It gives other heart breaking examples of trolling today, like Alexis Pikington a seventeen-year-old girl from Long Island who tragically committed suicide. An online tribute page for Alex Pikington was set up in her memory however trollers posted insensitive comments one in particular about “hangings”. The article also refers to another case in California, another teenage girl, eighteen years old Nicole Catsouras who died in a car crash. This case was slightly different as anonymous trolls set up a false tribute page online, they posted disturbing photos of her “disfigured body”. Disturbingly they even went to the extent of emailing her dad a taunting message “Hey,daddy,I’m still alive”.
It also discusses how anonymity encourages uncivil behavior, it explains “the online disinhibition effect” this a term to describe how anonymity can even change the behaviors of people who would normally be civil dramatically. It talks about how Victims of trollish comments are now accessing “legislation”. The Legislation helps with “stalking, bullying and harassment” on computer-mediated communication, It gives examples of models such as Carla Franklin. She convinced the judge that you- tube should be forced to reveal the troll, who made a comment belittling her.
The article also discusses ways to lessen the extent of anonymity online and in effect reduce the amount of trolls on the Internet. They gave examples where some social networking sites are now taking measures to reduce anonymity and trolling. Some block anonymous users, their users must also register using their full name and correct email address. Others have introduced an “audition system” whereby new commenters have to go through an audition system in which their first few comments are checked by a mediator, only then are others allowed view. Another example is where they implemented that users rate each other peoples comments, these are then published on “clout” which is a “global reputation system”. This allows mediators control and eliminate trolls. It also gives the example of Facebook and how a user is responsible for what they do, as people have real names and their comments are published beside them. However it points out that anonymity cannot be fully ruled out as people can use fake names and email addresses. The article states that social pressure works on most trolls, as they don’t have the confidence to say their comments to people face to face.
Opinion
I feel very sympathetic towards victims and the victim’s family of trolling. I feel that the comments trolls post is socially and morally not acceptable. I agree that anonymity increases, activates and encourages trolling on the internet. I think that the online disinhibition effect is very true because we have the opportunity to act in a different manner and not be held accountable. I tend to agree with the article that we can not fully combat anonymity but that measures should be taken to reduce it so that there wont be as many trolls on the internet and in effect protect the average person using the internet. This article shows us that us that anonymity online holds the key to combating trolling.
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