moseslmpg;285998 said:
I don't think that is at issue, the freedom of expression. What the problem is, is the removal of beneficial inhibitions necessary for civilization. If everyone acted like they did on the internet, society would crumble. It is a caveat more than a damnation of the Internet though.
The Internet is not the 'real world' - as I mentioned, as long as you are careful, mindful of its nature and associated trends and exercise caution with the Internet, the statistical chances of it being directly destructive to your life are slim. Children should be supervised or else taught to use the Internet properly, just as they must be supervised and taught to cross a road properly. You cannot expect the world to be made safe because it never will be - instead, you should educate people on its pitfalls so that they do not fall victim to them.
In the medium of the Internet, like the medium of language, I do support freedom for freedom's sake - because it is not the real world. Not to say it cannot affect the real world - it can and does, but nonetheless it has been shown and demonstrated already that society has not fallen apart as a result of people having anonimity, equality and potential freedom in a virtual world. It is not feasible in the real world, naturally, and there's little point dicussing whether absolute freedom can be given to all - clearly it can't, without a state of 'anarchy', which Nature will not entertain for long, anywhere.
I don't think people should be forced to act as they do in real life on the Internet for the sake of itself, either. We
could have a world where everyone is restricted by social convention - which we all know about from living in one - that extends to every aspect of communication, including the 'Net, in the hope of safety. In the hope of people not being offended? That's ridiculous. You can no more have a world that is completely safe and respectful for everyone at all times, that we can live in the clouds. A knowledge of human nature ought to tell you that, closely followed by a knowledge of the world and existence itself.
As a sentient, fairly intelligent being I consider myself capable of enjoying freedom without abusing it, and so I support it and dismiss the idea that I should be controlled along with everyone else simply because some individuals are too stupid or predatory to use it respectfully. Of course those individuals would be the price to pay. But there is a price to pay for everything in life, and freedom is one that's just too high for me personally. It's a price many people are willing to pay for the sake of their own safety and sensibilities, but not one that I am happy to. And that's just me.
What many worried governments and people are forgetting is that the Internet has existed in this chaotic and unregulated state for over ten years, and the world hasn't fallen apart. If anything, it has made many people's lives much easier. Child porn? Child exploitation has existed long before the Internet and will continue to exist for as long as human beings do, probably, much like paedophilia. It won't be 'resolved' like some seem to think by shutting down child porn sites or catching paedophile rings. There will always be some existing, somewhere. And the same with all the other unsavoury things that may be found on the Internet - it is people, not the access, that are the primary and overwhelming originators/perpetrators of these things; they supply because there is demand. Demand from human beings, not the Internet itself, and
they aren't going anywhere.
Society is changing of course, as a result - but society is always in a constant state of change. My point is, that the best thing to do is to make people smarter, not dumber, to be able to discern and navigate their path through the virtual world. Promote a healthy understanding and ability to dissect and discuss other opinons, not censorship and outrage. That's the way forward for human beings, mentally, at any rate - censoring ourselves and our expression serves to hold back society's progress toward better quality of life, as you can see in places in the world where there is so much censorship and restriction, the countries still appear to live and think in the Middle Ages. Growth is a not altogether pleasant process - and if human beings want to continue to develop and explore and improve ourselves, preventing that growth and exploration through censorship to maintain a status quo will achieve nothing. I personally feel I am still living in the 'dark ages' with the way governments and countries and indeed many people still act, and I'm all for people learning how to behave in a more civilised manner - but it won't be done through forcible restriction. People have to
want to be civilised to achieve that kind of reality, and they are better off being intelligent than not for that to occur. And censorship and intellectual enlightenment do not go hand in hand.
To finish - there will always be pricks and dangerous people in the world, and sweeping them under the carpet, punishing or gagging them won't ever stop them existing. There will always be a small % of society that is destructive, hateful and predatory, and they can't be prevented. So - no, I wouldn't consider killing the Internet as we know it just to prevent these people existing online too, as quite frankly, they are less dangerous online to someone who is smart enough.
XD
