Anonymity - Turning Nice to Nasty?

Myspace, Facebook, Xanga, Purevolume. All popular websites for means of communicating online. Nowadays people say it is hard to find someone without a personal website. Lately, many have been discovering that online communication can be turning the nicest people into nasty rumour spreading ones. "It's mind boggling the things people will say and even the things I will say." says Catherine McIntyre, a 38 year old medical billing specialist from Houston. She explains that people who would not even think of saying something mean in real life, will continue the words in cyber space without question. On sites where people have open ended opinions such as Myspace or Facebook; it is simple to initiate an online argument and not be found because of an anonymous identity. People feel powerful behind the keyboard, they get a sense of self confidence and think that no one will find out who they really are.

Nowadays there are dozens of ways to communicate whether it be through email, Instant messaging, text messaging, phone calls or online blogging. But not only is this anonymity used over the web, it can happen in the car, home alone, through cell phones and essentially anywhere that a person is alone and can say what they want without judgement."Split personality" is the term often used to describe someone who opens up their feelings good or bad when no one else is around. "Anonymity has been known to draw out some very troubling behavior" says Cindy Helgason, a 48 year old soap maker from Des Moines, Iowa. People tend to get sucked into this world of maintaining that anonymous identity not knowing how to break the habit. Online, in the car, cell phones whatever it may be, people feel just more powerful when they are not face to face.


Some of you might be familiar with Topix.net. It's a blog site where people can comment on the latest news whether it be local, national or international. Here at RHAM, there are staff and students that post anonymously and use the site as means to stay in touch with current activity. However, some may say there are some comments that could be categorized as offensive, obscene and unnecessary - a good example of the problem mentioned above.

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26837911/