Cybercivility: The Golden Rule Revisited
This morning I received a message from Andrea Weckerle.
Andrea wrote, “I promised I’d tell u about my new project: CiviliNation/cybercivility 
See WSJ op-ed I wrote w/ JW. Would love ur thoughts & support!” Of course I went straight away to see what she said.
I read it and think Andrea hit on something that’s incredibly valuable, so much so I wanted to not only share what she wrote but some of my own thoughts on this as well.
Class: Whatever happened to it?
We’ve become a crude and crass global world. It’s as though we’ve stepped back in time and all become what once was called the lower class. Cue the music for the song that was cut in the musical Chicago. The words are definitely raw, but in a sort of tongue and cheek way, they hit the nail on the head.
From the musical Chicago – Class
Click the words above for the rest of the song, but you get where I’m headed.
No longer does anyone stop and consider how what they have to say may impact others. Which is rather ironic because our individual reach has grown and as our arms have gotten longer, we have used less decorum. It’s almost as though we’re determined to hurt others as much as possible. Or are we?
I’ve thought about this a lot and I’m guilty of saying things I regretted later. Andrea makes a really great point when she says this:
I’m not entirely convinced we want to hurt so much as we want attention. Any kind of attention, but attention none the less. I’m reminded of children and how in an environment where they are not given enough positive feedback or boundaries they frequently rebel and become aggressive. Is there a corollary? Is it possible as a society we have stopped behaving well because there are no longer well defined boundaries, or is it something else?
Enter video.
We’ve been dragging our feet to adopt video, but what video has the ability to do is remove the barrier to those visible cues Andrea talks about. I think video might be a tool that has great potential to influence our relationships with those from other cultures, and even those in our own who would otherwise misconstrue our words.
It’s interesting that one of the topics of academic boards is how our kids are failing at language skills. Yet, most are involved in communication daily online. How do we give them the tools to communicate and be understood, so what is written is actually not misinterpreted? Video.
I don’t want to get so long winded you all no longer have the energy to go read the article by Andrea. I merely wanted to put out a couple of thoughts, incomplete though they are and stimulate some thoughts or dialog from others.
If I have one suggestion, it would be to treat each other kindly and with respect. That you have a voice or the ability to think and type out words doesn’t give you the right to be cruel. Be thoughtful. Maybe think of that as a New Years Resolution? I am terrible with metaphors and quotes, but treating others as you would wish to be treated isn’t such a bad idea, is it?
Technorati Tags: Andrea Weckerle, Jimmy Wales, WSJ, Cybercivility, CiviliNation, Sheryl Breuker
on December 31st, 2009 at 11:05 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ken, Sheryl Breuker. Sheryl Breuker said: Cybercivility: The Golden Rule Revisited http://bit.ly/6hfU17 My article and SUPPORT of @aweckerle !!! [...]
on December 31st, 2009 at 11:42 am
Sheryl, thanks for reading the WSJ op-ed and weighing in on this important topic. As you point out, due to technology “our individual reach has grown” – which is a wonderful way to share our ideas with others on a previously unimaginable level, if done in a rational and responsible way.
on January 1st, 2010 at 11:12 am
As we have previously commented with each other before Sheryl, technology mainly amplifies the message and increases our influence.
It’s a real turn off when you see people in this space not being able to disagree civilly…it’s kind of baffling actually. Because cyberspace should not be a place where you feel uninhibited (but it happens), it’s a place where your personality and your points of views get shared and displayed as a consequence, so we should think about what we write before doing so.
Also let’s not forget, if you are a jerk off line… guess what? But the intentional jerk is one kind… however there is also a lot of built-in emotion and rage that some people just don’t know how to air out and cyberspace misguidedly so, becomes at times the place where an alter ego can actually have a voice.Having this voice regardless of how it’s perceived it’s the main need for these folks. I don’t agree, but I understand why in these cases.
Andrea’s point in the article are right on the money though, there should be grass roots awareness developing on the issue, if not already, and, there is never an excuse for foul behavior and the kinds of flare ups we’ve all seen at times. Great topic to bring up and I can’t think of a better time…
I’ve always had a policy not to engage, and it has served me well. If everyone would follow your last piece of advice in this post Sheryl it would make for a smoother ride for all of us.
…and just as with the World, in the end the Internet is what we make of it!
Later
on January 3rd, 2010 at 7:15 pm
And CiviliNation.org is refusing to post the stories about online attack that they asked readers to contribute. What a waste of a site.
http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?showtopic=27998
on January 4th, 2010 at 3:55 am
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