Road rage happens because you're anonymous. It's easy to flip someone off when your victim doesn't know who you are. You wouldn't be as likely to cut someone off or give them stink-eye if your name, photo and phone number was published on the back of your car.
Web rage happens because you're anonymous too. People are generally civil in person, but they morph into belligerent blow-hards when they post anonymously on web message boards. Seth Godin calls them Monkeys with Megaphones. Just spend time reading the aggressive posts on YouTube and news sites to see what I mean. Anonymity creates a smash-and-grab mentality.
Perhaps someone's already thought of this, but it would be good to start a second Internet. One where no one is anonymous. Everyone knows your real name and your home town. Message boards would take on a much more normal tone, there would be no spam and we'd all try to get along....just like real life.
Web rage happens because you're anonymous too. People are generally civil in person, but they morph into belligerent blow-hards when they post anonymously on web message boards. Seth Godin calls them Monkeys with Megaphones. Just spend time reading the aggressive posts on YouTube and news sites to see what I mean. Anonymity creates a smash-and-grab mentality.
Perhaps someone's already thought of this, but it would be good to start a second Internet. One where no one is anonymous. Everyone knows your real name and your home town. Message boards would take on a much more normal tone, there would be no spam and we'd all try to get along....just like real life.
