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[Louella Dougans]

I had a thought, but it was a bit wooly.

Anyway. What I was thinking, was about the emergence of a sort of internet totalitarianism, and how it is similar in effect to the secret police of some historical regimes.

The things with the various "hactivist" groups and their goings on, a lot of people seem to think this is great, and yay democracy and stuff.

but I'm not so sure.

There's several things that combine. There's a bit of that "Just World" thing, the thing where people on the other side of an internet are dehumanised, and some other things too. Maybe the mean world syndrome. Also, the whole idea of the internet, meaning that extremely rapid distribution of opinion happens, which possibly leads to homogenousness.

So you have a group of people, and an idea sparks, and a thing becomes a target for their "hacktivism" and so on. Things come to light, and injustices are revealed, and people go "hooray".

But the other side of the coin, is the so called "cyber-bullying", where an individual becomes a target, and their life is destroyed. Such things as posting nude pictures, nuisance calls to places of employment, and so on.

People advocating and perpetrating these acts, are of the opinion the target "deserves it". The "just world" and/or "mean world" apply here. The "Deal with it" meme appears here as well, I think.

There's not much that can be done. People dissenting at the treatment, may receive similar.

It becomes Conform, Do Not Question, Or Else.

This creates, in effect, a Secret Police. They are not answerable to anyone, and in some cases, openly deride the idea of laws applying to them.


No diversity of opinion, and a climate of fear and suspicion, is a bit One-Party-State, isn't it ? Or maybe Bandit Country.

What are your thoughts ?

[Graelyn]

I think that technology does not change Humanity.

[Aldrith Shutaq]

But humanity creates societies, which are wildly different depending on who makes them. The Internet is a very new society and its culture, rules and function are still being formed. There are no central authorities or leaders on the Internet yet, just roving bands of barbarians looting and pillaging as they please. I fee like Lou has opened a can of worms here, since concepts of internet fairness and justice are still in their infancy. We as frequent vistitors of the Internet are on the front-line of forming these concepts, but it's going to take an awful lot of thought and organization for any of them to matter.

[Silas Vitalia]

Except that nowadays it is getting easier to track this sort of thing down and put those responsible in jail.  Just look at the latest round of lolsec guys to be put away, and any number of cases of cyber-bullying/etc being brought to court.   

Don't forget how quickly your ISP will hand over your shit when the federales come asking for logs.

[Davlos]

It has to be said that social media has become the intelligence officer's wet dream. As opposed to the Cold War period when intel agencies had to deploy manpower to gather data on persons, there are mass numbers of people who voluntarily put up their likes, dislikes, addresses, people they know... all in public. And for free!

As much as social media has enabled people to air their political views and organize revolutions, Facebook and Twitter have their dark sides as well. There are governments like China who wield the internet very effectively and continue to feed their netizens misinformation. They can even get to harness the nationalism of netizens for their own purposes and gains.

Just as well, social media can be used very well for persecution and repression. Case in point for me: I used to write plenty of articles critical of the government in Singapore and I began to notice Facebook tactics employed by Egyptian police during the Arab Spring: dodgy Facebook profiles fronted by unusually attractive women in underwear adding me, enthusiastically chatting me up and asking to meet me IRL. Also, I was being told by a friend in the Internal Security agency that I was being watched.

With that in mind I began to just GTFO of Singapore. It's part of the reason why I'm in teh 'Murrica today.

[Vikarion]

With that in mind I began to just GTFO of Singapore. It's part of the reason why I'm in teh 'Murrica today.

You are? I didn't know that. Welcome! 

(Would you perhaps be in California?

[Davlos]

With that in mind I began to just GTFO of Singapore. It's part of the reason why I'm in teh 'Murrica today.

You are? I didn't know that. Welcome! 

(Would you perhaps be in California?

Maryland! :S

[Victoria Stecker]

Maryland! :S

Orly? So am I, Silver Spring. Finally had to turn on the AC last night, too. Thankfully didn't have to back in March.

[Davlos]

Maryland! :S

Orly? So am I, Silver Spring. Finally had to turn on the AC last night, too. Thankfully didn't have to back in March.

Yeah, Maryland weather is strange as fuck. I'm in Towson.

March a warmer month than April? WTF?

[Victoria Stecker]

Yeah, Maryland weather is strange as fuck. I'm in Towson.

March a warmer month than April? WTF?

Well, March was fucked up all over the country, damn near everyone set records for it being too damned warm. That was May/June weather showing up at the wrong damn time. Things have gone back to normal since then - which means I have to mow my 2-acre yard every flipping week. Blargh.

[Ghost Hunter]

Yeah, Maryland weather is strange as fuck. I'm in Towson.

March a warmer month than April? WTF?

Well, March was fucked up all over the country, damn near everyone set records for it being too damned warm. That was May/June weather showing up at the wrong damn time. Things have gone back to normal since then - which means I have to mow my 2-acre yard every flipping week. Blargh.

As someone who mowed a 1 acre lawn in Florida during the Summer months

[Tiberious Thessalonia]

Is that Nathan explosion with bunny ears?

You scare me, Ghost.

[Victoria Stecker]

As someone who mowed a 1 acre lawn in Florida during the Summer months

Well, the 50" deck on the walk-behind mower helps. But then you add in the 70+ year old neighbor with over an acre, and I'm looking at 4-5 hours of mowing to get it all done. Usually not all done in one day unless I'm feeling particularly masochistic or desperate.