Internet users learning netiquette the hard way
Observers say recent incidents where people got burnt when their
comments were put on Net show need for discretion By Ken Kwek &
Aaron Low
A SEEMINGLY innocent comment posted on his schoolmate's blog left
Mr Gerald Poh with fewer friends and a lesson about the Internet's
real-life impact. He criticised her over a post she had put up
about other people in their junior college a few years back.
'Before I knew it, people were taking sides over my comment,
escalating into a war between friends. Many of our friends still
don't talk to each other because of that,' said Mr Poh, 21, a
biology undergraduate now.
'Many people underestimate the power of such communication, until
they get burnt.'
Such incidents over the Internet have made news lately. Exchanges
within limited circles can suddenly widen at the click of a button
and even spark national controversies.
Take, for example, the case of Second Lieutenant Li Hongyi, 20, the
son of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
STOP TO THINK
'To persuade others, you have to step into their shoes and be
mindful of social norms. All this requires reflection, and
unfortunately reflection isn't a practice that's encouraged by
today's Internet tools.'
DR CHERIAN GEORGE, a journalism lecturer at Nanyang Technological
University.
He sent a letter to senior military chiefs last month, complaining
about the misconduct of a fellow officer. He made the mistake of
broadcasting it to other servicemen, earning him a reprimand.
The Singapore Armed Forces, not known for publicising internal
matters, was forced to engage the matter after the e-mail found its
way into blogs, online forums and the local and foreign
press.
Observers say it is time Internet users learnt real-world realities
like the need for discretion.
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong said Singaporeans are using
the Internet to broadcast complaints and musings well beyond the
relevant recipients.
'I get lots of e-mail from youth, which are cc'ed (carbon-copied)
to the President, PM and all the MPs,' he said. 'I'm not sure they
are well thought through.'
In the age of always-on broadband connections, the medium is so
easy to use that people are 'posting faster than they can process',
said Dr Cherian George, a journalism lecturer at Nanyang
Technological University.
'To persuade others when you blog, you have to step into their
shoes and be mindful of social norms. All this requires reflection,
and unfortunately reflection isn't a practice that's encouraged by
today's Internet tools,' he said.
Another controversial case involved the daughter of Ang Mo Kio GRC
MP Wee Siew Kim. Miss Wee Shu Min, 19, posted a comment on her blog
last year denigrating the unemployment worries of a 35-year-old
worker.
Miss Wee unwittingly became a symbol of elitism in a debate that
even reached Parliament.
Mr Wee said that 'it was a hard lesson' for him and his daughter.
'(I learnt) that it is so easy for people to take phrases out of
context and whip up a maelstrom out of it,' he added.
Other incidents include the resignation last November of opposition
politician Goh Meng Seng from the Workers' Party, after posting
online comments that he admitted gave the party 'a bad
image'.
He said he was then not sufficiently aware of the Internet's power
as 'a double-edged sword'.
Mr Goh, who has since joined the National Solidarity Party, added
that he is now more careful online.
Dr Daniel Goh, an assistant professor of sociology at the National
University of Singapore, noted that the medium creates 'perfectly
recorded Internet transcripts' that can be used against the
writer.
A blogger himself, he said he takes pains to think about those at
the receiving end. 'My wife complains that I take too long to
compose my words, even for a simple e-mail.
'That is because when I write, I am also imagining those people who
may be implicated, as they would be if I were actually in a
face-to-face conversation.'
Dr Lim Sun Sun, who teaches media literacy at National University
of Singapore, said many people still do not realise that the
Internet is a place where one's hidden thoughts may be open for all
to read.
'The Internet may allow a person to be more open or less inhibited,
which is a good thing. But there must be a certain level of 'public
self-awareness' as the Web is not a wholly private medium,' she
said.
But while mishaps resulting in negative publicity may occur at
times, parents should not be 'paranoid or take a censorious
approach', said Dr Lim.
Housewife Ann Lee, 50, has tried to educate herself by doing what
her 15-year-old son is doing online, like blogging and watching
videos.
Said Mrs Lee: 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. At least, I
experience what they do and can guide them on the steps to take to
protect themselves.'
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Anybody remember little miss wee?
