With more blogs and social network sites growing each day, comments are open for all to share their views and at the same time increase traffic. Expressing your spleen is one thing but vile attacks on these sites is an increasing part of the game and many are starting to screen comments vigilantly, others turning off comments completely avoiding the headache altogether. There is a small exodus from social networks like Facebook, where it’s a free for all at times when personal attacks are becoming more common. Civility is becoming a thing of the past and hiding behind a computer almost guarantees immunity . Internet abuse seems to be on the rise and not making it a pleasant place for some. Bloggers and media outlets are scrutinizing the readers and will increase even more.
The insults and abuse did not come from uneducated people. This is not surprising, really, because uneducated people are unlikely to care very much what George Bernard Shaw thought of the germ theory of disease; most of them have other, more practical things to think about. You have to have read Bernard Shaw to care, and these days at least, I think only university types are likely to do that.-Thank You For Not Expressing Yourself
Now, though, the opinion is near-unanimous, at least on the part of front-line workers: opening comments on news articles, particularly the ones which are likely to generate debate, exposes them to a rotten cesspool of human ignorance and hatred.-(The comment cesspool)