Reply #26: Yes, exactly. I wrote this comment on another site...

[Darth Lenore]

...when I first read this article:

Yikes. That was a depressing read. Oscar Wilde once said something like "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth."

I've been called a cynic for saying this before, but I honestly believe that the vile behavior we see on the internet (whether it be something major like causing seizures in epileptics or something minor like a reply of "fattie!" left on a dancer's YouTube video) is those peoples' honest truth. The feeling of complete anonymity afforded by the internet means they finally express all of the things that they think and feel all the time, but usually restrain in real life interactions for a variety of reasons.

Because of that, I don't think the internet will work as a "commons" any better than any other part of society, regardless of the level of control/censorship/policing/whatever. If people want to get to the utopian vision of the possibilities of the internet that I see so many people talk about (free exchange of information, social equality in anonymity, better informed and knowledgeable users, etc.), then you really have to address the root causes of people's anger, fear, and contempt for each other. Our society is extremely atomized and stratified and it encourages people to see others as competition and/or Other. Understanding, cooperation, compassion, empathy, loyalty and care are actively discouraged.

The problem is bigger than the internet and needs to be addressed in every system of society at every level.