Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
And. then,. because. Web. 2.0. is. all. about. interaction. and.
sharing,. there. are. the. comments. and. commentary. that.
accompany.the.ability.to.publish.anything.you.choose..This.
conversation.often.seems.to.bring.out.the.worst.in.humanity,.
and. I. have. witnessed. many. examples. of. what. I. could. only.
describe.as.the.de-evolution.of.our.culture.and.intelligence.
It.almost.seems.as.if.the.discreet.nature.of.a.cyber-based.
personality. allows. some. Internet. users. to. reveal. the. most.
bizarre. and. deeply. hidden. (and. often. most. distressfully. dis-
gusting).parts.of.their.personality.
It.has.also.been.noted.that.the.very.ability.to.create.a.com-
munity.of.any.type.of.belief.while.hiding.behind.the.anonym-
ity.of.the.Internet.has.created.a.place.where.even.the.most.
socially.unacceptable.behavior.can.now.ind.empathy.and.sup-
port.from.a.community.of.like-minded.people..This.contrib-
uted.to.a.new.environment.where.pedophiles,.terrorists,.and.
bigots.can.all.ind.a.group.of.anonymous.supporters.to.validate.
their.perversions.and.offer.them.support.and.encouragement.
That.is.one.dark.side.of.the.Web.2.0.revolution.that.can-
not.be.ignored..Another,.less.troubling.to.society.but.perhaps.
of. equal. or. greater. danger. to. individuals. is. the. very. fact. of.
being.able.to.say.or.post.anything.on.these.forums..The.dan-
ger.lies.in.the.fact.that.once.posted.there,.the.posts.are.com-
pletely.out.of.your.control..An.innocent.wish.to.poke.fun.at.a.
friend.by.posting.an.embarrassing.picture.on.a.social.media.
site.could.lead.inexorably.to.that.friend.losing.his.or.her.job,.
being.refused.admittance.to.the.military.or.college,.or.being.
otherwise.harmed.
Your.status.update.saying.you.had.a.heck.of.a.party.last.
night.and.probably.will.not.be.over.the.hangover.in.time.for.
work.could.inadvertently.end.up.before.your.boss,.or.the.HR.
manager.for.that.job.you.just.applied.for..That.picture.of.you.
at.Mardi.Gras.could.become.someone.else's.background.that.
they.stare.at.and.fantasize.about,.or.that.perhaps.is.the.moti-
vation.for.them.to.begin.stalking.you.
And.then.there.is.the.use.of.that.data.to.do.that.stalking,.
or.to.attempt.to.compromise.your.computer,.or.to.bully.you..
