So this is where we ended up... in the Age of Mean.

[super_jayhawk]

When I first got online over a quarter of a century ago, BBS's were in their infancy, and the rules for online discourse were only starting to get figured out. There were of course disagrements and "flamewars" (although the word didn't exist yet) but in general, if you were actually online talking to someone at all, you had to be reasonably

Comments

[kinkyturtle]

Not only do schools not teach kids social skills, I think they also reinforce bad habits. Bullying is rampant and widespread, and all too often goes unpunished. The bullies learn to get away with it, and their victims feel the need for revenge. For most kids, school is a pressure cooker of LRN 2 H8.

[tigerwayne]

When I first got on-line over a quarter of a century ago
Has it been that long ago? Well not for me, I got online around 1994 which would be 15 years now. When I was in school it was before internet, even before ARPANET (sp). After that my employers were too cheap and concerns about security prevented access at work. Heck I had access before work did. Siemens was slow to warm up to the new world. Now try to exist a week without access and dial-up is NOT access. But in the end more connectivity means more information and I think that is a good thing.

[whitetail]

Amen to all that. I've become very "gun-shy" about posting stuff online mostly due to fear of negative reactions from others. I'm not so much concerned about my own LJ friends. I think I've got one of the best bunches of buddies out there. There are some LJs, though, that I dare not comment on at all because I know I stand a high probability of being flamed or otherwise stomped on by one or more of their LJ friends. Sometimes I'll wait several days before replying so that I can be reasonably certain that almost everybody has already read the post and moved on. I'm glad I've got the friends I do, though. I can't even remember the last time one of my own LJ friends flamed me for something I posted...