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With the internet, the ability to deride, insult and be hateful became global and super simple. You could and can say anything you want about a product, service or even a person – especially anonymously- on a bulletin board, in a blog post or comment and leave it there for anyone to see. It took the public airing of snark and snide comments to a whole new level of acceptance.
We probably have all been guilty of at least one such anonymous incident. I’ve always believed (sometimes at my own peril) if one has the courage of their convictions, they sign their name to a post.
Sometimes, airing frustrations on the internet can lead to good…some companies monitor conversations about their brands and address problematic issues as they come up. When I’ve had major customer service problems I have, on the rare occasion, shared them here. Some bloggers don’t like to do that – but my house, my rules.
Now, reading Todd Defren’s blog post about the new web site called Unvarnished has made me sad beyond words. According to Todd, the site “will allow people to post anonymous and irrevocable opinions about y-o-u online.” That is the site’s main and focused purpose…not discussion, not interaction…just opinions about specific people.
The site itself says: “To help reviewers be honest and candid in their reviews, Unvarnished obscures the identity of review authors. This lets reviewers share their true, nuanced opinions without fear of repercussions.”
And yet what about the repercussions for those listed on the site who may be not-guilty of a charge anonymously leveled against them. The only answer I can determine so far is: don’t list yourself on that site in the first place.
In our world, when there is an enormous disaster, we love to help, send money, hold a telethon, have a bake sale…lend a hand.
But on a day to day basis, we each too easily criticize and judge each other needlessly and hurtfully almost as a matter of course. I do it and you do it; we don’t like to think about it but we need to.
This type of web site feeds that hatefulness and our vindictiveness to a degree we shouldn’t want to experience. It gives people who start the day as small-minded a better playground, a bigger pool in which to spread their poison. Even those who think it harmless fun might play in this new forum…not appreciating the real and long-term harm they are doing.
Freedom of speech is a right we all hold dear and that should not change. But I hope and pray that such a right, properly merged with common sense and good will, will lead to the demise of any site containing words filled with hurt and hate as its primary by-product.
Thanks for letting me vent, I’ll try not to do it too often. If you have an opinion on any of this, I hope you’ll share it here.
Tags: commentary, internet, social media by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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