Angry Online
Posted by Danielle Bean in News on Monday, August 25, 2008 11:45 AM
Anyone who participates in or reads online discussions will find this recent article very helpful.
I’ve seen my fair share of internet discussion explosions, and I have often wondered what merit there can be in having “discussions” or “debates” that so quickly get heated, ugly, and personal—even on Catholic sites.
Too often we lose sight of the fact that there are real people behind our computer screens. Writers are real people who put hard work into their efforts. Blog commenters are real people too, with all variety of personal experiences that color the way they respond to conflict. This is why I found the author’s suggestions for making discussions worthwhile to be especially enlightening.
“Before disagreeing with people, tell them where you agree, and that you can see how they’d reach that conclusion. Then explain why you have come to your differing conclusion. This gives them some insight into your line of reasoning and may lead to a reply that opens your eyes — or theirs — to new possibilities.”
Yes! Basic knowledge of human nature tells us that for any discussion to be fruitful it needs to be respectful of all parties involved. Even the “wrong” ones.
I’ve seen it happen all too often: One person takes a personal jab at another or says something not-quite-fair, then another person responds with more of the same, maybe even ratcheting up the angry tone. It all snowballs from there and the non-confrontational phlegmatic in me gets a stomachache.
So much better to remember that if your goal is to reach people’s hearts and minds you should not turn them off to your message with ugliness. It won’t work, however “right” you might be.
There are lots of other intelligent suggestions in the original article. It really is worth reading the whole thing.
Do you enjoy online discussions? What are some rules of conduct you wish more bloggers and commenters would follow?
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