What happens when online communities create “hate sites” particularly on testimonial sites of those who have passed on? Does saying “I wanna kill him” mean anything online? What happens when we are shocked by someone else displaying other value systems than we have ourselves? Should Facebook become a global policeman or are they just Australia Post?
I’ve been asked to do a number of press interviews – actually quite a lot – about the anti Allyn John Slater pages on Facebook and other online communities. I don’t want to get into the alleged crimes – involving the murder of a very young girl – but rather the community reactions on Facebook, and other social media sites. Oh and my interview on ABC radio AM program is here
Pixel Threats in social networks
I guess the first point is that calls for the death penalty and the “I want to kill him” statements are “pixel threats”. By that I mean, if you were to get a gun, put it in the person’s hand, you’d find out it was all bravado. Except in a few instances where there are real nutcases out there. And there are – the internet collects together into communities those on the fringes, including the unbalanced.But in the main, it’s like yelling at the TV or chatting at the pub – “if I could just get my hands on him, I’d show him what-for!”. We normally say it where we are safe – or after a few beers. Facebook in the main makes us feel safe. We see other people that mirror back (echo back) our values so we just come out and say it.
To think it and not say it, is inauthentic. But it is politically correct. In other words, part of the ritual and rules of community living, online or off.
We collect people who share our value systems in social networks
There ain’t no way, no how, that the people on ComplaintsBoard are going to act the same way as when they are on EssentialBaby or even LinkedIn. But it’s worth reflecting on the fact that large social networks such as Facebook (400million active monthly users, 8 million of ‘em are Australian), often swarm down into small groups that share our values. Continue reading »
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