As a heads up, I don't have expertise in this area, but I do have, likely, the same knowledge base as most people in "free speech" countries. Here in Canada free speech is pretty standard and well practiced. Today's big question is "Is free speech an illusion?" Here it goes.
So everyone has some morals. Maybe I should play it safe and say most sane people have good morals. Pertaining to their "voice" about anything really, we can say just about anything, anywhere. But as decent people in a civilized culture, we don't, out of respect and just plain decency. We as individuals don't want to look bad just because we say something we don't really mean in passing. Or even if we do say something that negatively affects us or others, we aren't penalized by it in the eyes of the law. I'm sure there are some exceptions but I think you get the general idea. However, we are negatively impacted by our peers. This makes sense. People judge based on their own opinions. And most times, an offensive voice is recognized by its speaker, but it remains to that person's opinion whether a statement is filtered, or retracted based on those around them. Again, this is a very general case.
It's all well and good in the land of the reality, but when we take to the internet, the virtual world, these free speech morals are greatly abused. Take cyberbullying for example, it exists for some people but this type of abuse is more so a targeted abuse. But no governing body stops us from posting anything we want online. For a less targeted example, take a scroll through twitter and you'll see something offensive, if not to one person directly, to a group of people, a culture, a gender etc... it's all around us and it goes mostly unnoticed or at least slips by since it doesn't really affect us, until it does. Unless its a joke. Jokes get increasingly funny as they get increasingly offensive. My math prof would call that... shit I don't even know. Probably why I'm holding on for dear life in that class.
You might be thinking, "But Jay! You just said we have free speech, especially on something like the internet!" Yes, yes I did. Thanks for paying attention.
We may think free speech is real, but if it were truly free, why does it negatively affect us? If I said something offensive, not necessarily directly to a person, but to a group of people I probably don't personally know, why am I judged for it? And to boot, this statement may be attached to my name forever. Even if it doesn't follow me around on paper, someone will remember it and I am now permanently stained in the eyes of that person. Facebook profiles are becoming reasons for people to get fired from their jobs, or preventing them from getting jobs in the first place. We don't have free speech if we constantly have to be aware that anything that is said or done on the internet will negatively affect us down the road.
So anonymity is important. Use a fake name and my words cannot be connected to my name and problem solved. Well, no, not at all. The point of the internet is for us to connect with each other. How do I do that if I don't represent myself as me!?
Everything we post is public record. There is no such thing as privacy. And some people are okay with that. Personally, I look at it like a trade off. I relinquish my privacy to these huge corporations who don't give a shit what I do on the internet for the convenience and use of their services which make my life more enjoyable and productive. This to me does not sound like free speech. The government may not collect my information on the internet themselves, but I've accepted the very likely possibility they buy my information from internet companies. One way or another they want the data, and they'll get it regardless.
I sound like a conspiracy nut I know. Just think about it.
You could always take the best approach and stop giving a shit about what other people think about you. But that is another monster entirely which comes with an assortment of its own pros and cons. Maybe this is another discussion, or maybe I just talk to myself on this blank white page.
Come back soon!
J
So everyone has some morals. Maybe I should play it safe and say most sane people have good morals. Pertaining to their "voice" about anything really, we can say just about anything, anywhere. But as decent people in a civilized culture, we don't, out of respect and just plain decency. We as individuals don't want to look bad just because we say something we don't really mean in passing. Or even if we do say something that negatively affects us or others, we aren't penalized by it in the eyes of the law. I'm sure there are some exceptions but I think you get the general idea. However, we are negatively impacted by our peers. This makes sense. People judge based on their own opinions. And most times, an offensive voice is recognized by its speaker, but it remains to that person's opinion whether a statement is filtered, or retracted based on those around them. Again, this is a very general case.
It's all well and good in the land of the reality, but when we take to the internet, the virtual world, these free speech morals are greatly abused. Take cyberbullying for example, it exists for some people but this type of abuse is more so a targeted abuse. But no governing body stops us from posting anything we want online. For a less targeted example, take a scroll through twitter and you'll see something offensive, if not to one person directly, to a group of people, a culture, a gender etc... it's all around us and it goes mostly unnoticed or at least slips by since it doesn't really affect us, until it does. Unless its a joke. Jokes get increasingly funny as they get increasingly offensive. My math prof would call that... shit I don't even know. Probably why I'm holding on for dear life in that class.
You might be thinking, "But Jay! You just said we have free speech, especially on something like the internet!" Yes, yes I did. Thanks for paying attention.
We may think free speech is real, but if it were truly free, why does it negatively affect us? If I said something offensive, not necessarily directly to a person, but to a group of people I probably don't personally know, why am I judged for it? And to boot, this statement may be attached to my name forever. Even if it doesn't follow me around on paper, someone will remember it and I am now permanently stained in the eyes of that person. Facebook profiles are becoming reasons for people to get fired from their jobs, or preventing them from getting jobs in the first place. We don't have free speech if we constantly have to be aware that anything that is said or done on the internet will negatively affect us down the road.
So anonymity is important. Use a fake name and my words cannot be connected to my name and problem solved. Well, no, not at all. The point of the internet is for us to connect with each other. How do I do that if I don't represent myself as me!?
Everything we post is public record. There is no such thing as privacy. And some people are okay with that. Personally, I look at it like a trade off. I relinquish my privacy to these huge corporations who don't give a shit what I do on the internet for the convenience and use of their services which make my life more enjoyable and productive. This to me does not sound like free speech. The government may not collect my information on the internet themselves, but I've accepted the very likely possibility they buy my information from internet companies. One way or another they want the data, and they'll get it regardless.
I sound like a conspiracy nut I know. Just think about it.
You could always take the best approach and stop giving a shit about what other people think about you. But that is another monster entirely which comes with an assortment of its own pros and cons. Maybe this is another discussion, or maybe I just talk to myself on this blank white page.
Come back soon!
J
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