VanLUG Email Archive
Davor Cubranic (cubranic@cs.ubc.ca)
Thu, 03 Dec 1998 01:45:48 -0800
kenm@pc-1861.bc.rogers.wave.ca said:
> I'm curious as to why people who would normally exercise restraint in
> a face to face situation would drop all pretense of politeness in the
> online posting environment, as all too frequently seems to happen.
I have just now finished reading an interesting article that among other
things mentioned some interpretations in the social sciences literature for
frequent flaming and in general increased rudeness in computer-mediated
communication (CMC), so here are some of the hypotheses:
- you can't see others and their immediate reaction to communication so you
become less socially inhibited and more likely to be rude
- a form of relationship enjoyed at an emotional distance, even a
group-defining ritual
- flaming as a "chest-thumping display of on-line egos", suggesting that it
may be gendered :-), and noting that in one predominantly female Usenet
newsgroup the taboo against flaming was one of the strongest behavioural norms
Interesting, eh? I think it might also have a lot to do with the speed at
which you can fire back a response and not have to think through how it will
be interpreted by its reader(s). How many times have you regretted sending
something off without taking a breather and rewording it a bit?
Davor
Disclaimer: as you can see from my address, I'm in the UBC's CompSci
department. All this social sciences stuff is purely a side interest of mine:
my opinions and interpretations of it are quite likely completely wrong :-)
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