Internet Anonymity

[Wiseman_2]

A brief explanation:
The internet as we know it is a haven for those who want to hide behind a mask while still making their views heard in public. It is possible to post whatever you want with no real backlash; to quote myself:

"And again on the other hand, the internet means that everyone can be the anonymous jerkass they want to be and insult everyone without regret or consequence"

So clearly, it can be a good thing (you can pretend to be someone else with no negative intentions) or a bad thing (I refer, of course, to trolls).

Cyber-bullying has sometimes led to suicide of the victim in extreme cases, thanks to anonymity.

Some countries, such as Korea, have already introduced measures to reduce the level of anonymity afforded to users. This could soon spread to other countries.

The question I put to you is:
Should internet users be allowed to remain anonymous? Or should governments start taking some control of it?

Inspired by this article.

 

[duyen]

yes come find me

___

Anyhow I think if you commit suicide over someone who could be anyone you deserve to die as you are obviously mentally impaired.

 

[UndeadDragon]

Anyhow I think if you commit suicide over someone who could be anyone you deserve to die.

That's a bit harsh isn't it?

 

[duyen]

That's a bit harsh isn't it?

Perhaps.

 

[esb]

The truth.

 

[BlowingKush]

Anyhow I think if you commit suicide over someone who could be anyone you deserve to die as you are obviously mentally impaired.

I agree.

If you can't handle some ASCII characters in front of your fucking face, maybe you should blow it off.

 

[esb]

Well, that's for things that come from people you don't know, and don't matter. What about when you're getting anonymously getting threatened and harrased? (by someone that knows you but you don't know)?

 

[Zakyath]

>Anyhow I think if you commit suicide over someone who could be anyone you deserve to die as you are obviously mentally impaired.

Yes. let's kill everyone who may be having a hard time, was born with a mental illness or just is weaker. It's the law of the jungle: survival of the strongest. The rest are inferior and not worth as much as we are.

 

[esb]

Actually it's Social Darwinism. I guess it applies here.

 

[duyen]

>Anyhow I think if you commit suicide over someone who could be anyone you deserve to die as you are obviously mentally impaired.

Yes. let's kill everyone who may be having a hard time, was born with a mental illness or just is weaker. It's the law of the jungle: survival of the strongest. The rest are inferior and not worth as much as we are.

I ment mentally impaired as in they're going to kill people and eat their victims brain.

Anyhow you exaggerated and twisted my statement. I never said anything about worth. They're worth the same as us.

And I never implied killed as a punishment, dunno where people get these strange ideas

 

[Zakyath]

>
I ment mentally impaired as in they're going to kill people and eat their victims brain.

Anyhow you exaggerated and twisted my statement. I never said anything about worth. They're worth the same as us.

And I never implied killed as a punishment, dunno where people get these strange ideas

Oh, sorry, I must have misinterpreted your "deserves to die". I just assumed that if you think someone deserves to die he's worth less, i.e. he's not worth to live and you are.

And yeses, I guess I exaggerated it. I'm sorry about that.

 

[EatShrooms]

Trolls don't kill people, people kill themselves.

Also, obligatory behind 7 proxies, etc.

 

[Wiseman_2]

Ok, say that the measures introduced prevented people from accessing the internet at all without using their name and code, etc.
Oh, and that this also involves the closing down of proxy sites.

I know there are those with the intelligence to bypass that sort of thing anyway - and I daresay many are on this forum - but how would this affect the average citizen?

And what of the freedoms that may be reduced with such measures? After all, while it might help catch those who regularly post on known Terrorist websites, it might also prevent the average, law-abiding citizen from accessing legitimate sites that might contain information that could be deemed "Of use to terrorists".

Should governments be allowed to police the net in such a way?

 

[Seb!]

Should governments be allowed to police the net in such a way?

They shouldn't be allowed to police any such creative venture in "such a way."

 

[w/e]

Governments should stay away from the internet.

 

[Dr.Jack]

Guys please try to raise this debate's quality. It is an excellent topic, but a few of the posts really do deserve to be deleted. In a debate, a reply with 1-5 words is usually useless.

As for my opinion. 'Trolls' as they are, are no real threat. They are asses nothing more, usually they should be ignored, or, if possible, banned. Even if they were a serious problem, dealing with them is hard. "You are arrested for being an ass on the internet"... I smell a counter-sue. Really freedom always come with people who abuse it, I'm rather surprised the internet isn't in a worst condition.

As for other reasons to allow personal tracking on the internet. This is a whole new debate (expect a new thread soon?). Basically, I'm against it for whatever reasons. The internet, with more government interface will just not be the internet anymore.

 

[duyen]

I think the problem would be over if you simply don't feed the trolls.

 

[EatShrooms]

Guys please try to raise this debate's quality. It is an excellent topic, but a few of the posts really do deserve to be deleted. In a debate, a reply with 1-5 words is usually useless.

As for my opinion. 'Trolls' as they are, are no real threat. They are asses nothing more, usually they should be ignored, or, if possible, banned. Even if they were a serious problem, dealing with them is hard. "You are arrested for being an ass on the internet"... I smell a counter-sue. Really freedom always come with people who abuse it, I'm rather surprised the internet isn't in a worst condition.

As for other reasons to allow personal tracking on the internet. This is a whole new debate (expect a new thread soon?). Basically, I'm against it for whatever reasons. The internet, with more government interface will just not be the internet anymore.

Well you answered it yourself. Ignoring/banning kills off any troll.

I don't really see this as a very great debatable topic. Trolls are just that, someone that's an asshole basically. I don't see how you could defend it as though it were good intentions. If someone has good intentions, then they probably aren't a troll.

 

[esb]

How about the people that are harrassing and threatening others through the internet? Lets say it's someone close to you, but you don't know who?

 

[New_U.S.]