social media and forums. think it is tarnishing our manners?
 

i'm guilty of it.

i really try to follow the mantra; if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all. this has worked for my parents generation and has served them well. i have been known to drop the ball. i know this.

i think the anonymity of the internet has taken that thought process, put it into a bucket, and we all crapped into it and lit it on fire. :)

if you did this in real life, face to face, i don't think you would develop any deep meaningful friendships.

take the ubiquitous, "Should i buy this Chevy Truck" thread (insert any truck, really). there is no GD way that will end well on a forum. (especially if it is a Ford Forum). i've seen it happen here on one of the friendlier forums. PPOT.

i think on the internet, we all have some sick facination of watching each other, hoping we fail so we can say, "i told you so".

it is a weird dynamic.

Totally agree Cliff on how easy it is to be a keyboard commando.

What has helped for me is seeing how others take the high road.

Generosity is not the easiest path for many, but it still doesn't cost anything....and the returns are invaluable.

I was an azz long before social media appeared ;). But yeah...

Funny thing: I have gone back to school and one of my classes is Cultural Anthropology. Last week's topic was language and one of our discussions was how social media has changed our language. I used this forum as my example of some of the best and worst things about social media.

The thing my classmates found most interesting about my description of this forum is how people have made friends and when they travel they meet up. Or everyone that can make it get together to convoy to a wedding or to show young kids what that was like for their parents.

No doubt people are rude and say things they wouldn't say in person but I will say, for the most part, I think the people on this forum are good people who are trying to be well behaved.

Yes, I agree with the posts so far it definitely has.

There are a lot of tough guy keyboard jockeys out there and there is little to no repurcussions for being a douche bag . Add to that a general feeling in the population that everyone owes them something and here we are . Minimal manners I can't count how many knuckle dragging goobers I see in restaurants wearing a hat while they are eating . Or how many men/women I hold a door open for and they never say thank you ! Dumbing down of society that hopefully will turn around in my lifetime .

yes.

children are taking their own lives over the awful things done online.

I'm only amazed at how stupid and ill-informed people are. At one time, A & B students cum adults associated with each other, C their own crowd, and D & F could talk in prison.

The online forums and social media are intellectual welfare states where everyone has a voice and they are considered, somewhat anyway, equal. To me that's the greatest problem with social media: It equalizes and legitimizes ignorance.

Edit: equalizes, legitimizes and promulgates. The very foundation of our developing Idiocracy.

Also tarnishing our ability to write the English language. Teachers are saying now that kids are unable to write an essay without using their shorthand...like "u" for "you". Maybe texting isn't social media, I "dunno".

I only see it as exposing proclivity.

Says you poopy-head. ;)

Fixed it 4 U

;)

This

Dementia does this as well

True. Haters gotta hate. The keyboard commandos tend to have a mob mentality also. I try my best to be nice. In person and on line. I can be a bit sarcastic but that comes from a twisted sense of humor not meanness.

I hardly ever post anything on Faceplant, I may make a comment now and then on a clever Meme. Social media is seen by all of your family, and freinds, so it's best to keep it reigned in a bit.

Forums are a different story for most, anonymity is the key for those who get belligerant online. None of our freinds, and family are seeing our posts. I still keep it all above board on forums, and don't fall into name calling, or insults.

Very interesting take on things.

He should just go hang out with Tabby and leave us maroons alone ;)

Just a word of warning, and I know most of you know the dangers of the net already it just hadn't hit home for me until now. See, I've been in the middle of a nasty divorce for the past year that I just finished up in September.

Anyway, the first thing my attorney wanted, at our very first meeting, was a flash drive of my Facebook timeline, and all the info saved by FB. The very first thing!! The second next thing was requesting a copy of hers from her attorney, along with instructions on how she could get it step by step.

Really hit home on how easy it is to paint yourself into a corner. I was suddenly very, very, glad I don't post very often. When I do it's never anything serious. Or anything I wouldn't want my mother to see or read. It just didn't really strike me as something real until that day. -WW

In my case forums have greatly improved my manners, as have online games.

I have met several users from this forum, as well as many other forums and online games.

All the forums do is allow you more exposure to sour people, but what you do with that is entirely up to you.

There are two ways to go through life. Always observing, questioning, postulating, testing and learning, and not.