Spiral Knights - Why is the Internet bad as a social media? (Title edited.)

Why is the Internet bad as a social media? (Title edited.)

9 replies [Last post]

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 10:28

Raisinfist

Read the title.
I'll put in as a starting point:

As it is nearly impossible to know who is behind that name in purple over my head, you therefore have no idea who I really am.
As typing is easier to undo than saying, therefore I can put myself across as a totally different person to whom I really am.
This means that someone who you originally feel to be trustworthy may in fact be manipulating you for their own advantage.
It is much harder to notice if someone is manipulating you online as things such as 'body language' don't exist there.

Do you feel creeped out now? Here's a bit more.

The vast majority of people are selfish at heart, even if they manage to overrule it. This is due to essentially animal instinct, as genes are selfish.
People who are intelligent enough are able to disguise that.
People who are intelligent enough are even able to overrule selfishness, although it's generally easy to tell because actual kind people have a different body language.

OK, how secure do you feel now on the Internet?

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 19:59

Klipik

I feel completely secure, as long as I don't download any identity-stealing viruses. I could care less who you are in real life. As I learned from Kirito of SAO (which everyone should go watch), who you are on the internet reflects who you are in real life. It might not be directly, but in some way it is true. Do I care if you're actually a 45-year-old sociopath, instead of the ten-year-old kid you're pretending to be? No. Why would I? You act a certain way on the internet, that is how I judge you. Let's say you decide to post a terrible suggestion in the suggestions forums with terrible detail and atrocious grammar, and then act hyperdefensive when anyone criticizes your idea and basically hate everyone for no reason. (no names.) Do I care if you're actually a college professor doing a social experiment, or a 20-year-old who decided trolling this group of try-hard no-lifers over the internet would be funny? No. I'm going to assume based on your actions that you're a spoiled, immature, impatient human being who is most likely a child.

P.S. Why do I feel that this is so much more important than my U.S. history homework that I felt the need to type it at 10P.M. instead of finishing the homework? 0.o

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 03:35

Iamnoone

Thank you Klipik.

That was such fine wording for how I feel. "who you are on the internet reflects who you are in real life" or who you want to be and what intrigues you. The fantasy role taking on by the other is a deep look into that persons mind and soul. We see what they think about. In some ways, you could get to know a person better. Not everyone reveal their inter-workings like that in real life. Being in that fantasy role doesn't usually change they way they are or act. Maybe at first on a passing blow but if you spend any time talking with them or interacting with them in any way, how they act does clearly come across irregardless of what name, age or sex they have labeled themselves with.

Yes, some people can play the game well. Some can lie, trick and deceive us taking advantage of us. There are evil people out there in the world and on the internet. Don't believe for one minute your safe just because you signed off and went out into the real world.

And for the record, I hate "real world". The internet is real. It isn't something you dreamed about last night. It does exist. It is here. Others are on it and using it. SK does really exist along with those who work on the site and those who use the site. It is as real as the tunes coming out of my radio or the cartoon that is being shown on the cartoon network. It does exist in the real world.

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 07:20

Glittertind

"Why is the Internet bad for the human race in general? Discuss." -Raisinfist

I really don't think of Internet as a bad thing as long as it works as a information highway with free information flowing. As soon governments start messing around with censoring and whatnot the quality of the Internet as a whole will start to degrade.

Anyhow.
Internet is a lovely thing. It helps people connect with each others on a scale that hasn't happened since the telephone became big. Of course it has its bad sides, but ultimately, I think we've gained a lot since it was invented.

"OK, how secure do you feel now on the Internet?" -Raisinfist

As long as I don't give anyone anything that can be used against me, I don't really have anything to worry about.

"P.S. Why do I feel that this is so much more important than my U.S. history homework that I felt the need to type it at 10P.M. instead of finishing the homework? 0.o" -Klipik

Ah. The smell of productive procrastination.

'Cause when all is said and done, your room is clean, your laundry is folded -- but you haven't started your English paper.

"And for the record, I hate "real world". The internet is real. It isn't something you dreamed about last night. It does exist. It is here. Others are on it and using it. SK does really exist along with those who work on the site and those who use the site. It is as real as the tunes coming out of my radio or the cartoon that is being shown on the cartoon network. It does exist in the real world." -Iamnoone

I agree. People tend to separate the two a bit too much I think (who haven't heard the "but that's not in real life" before?).

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 08:46

Iamnoone

Ah, the telephone. Nice one

Ah, the telephone. Nice one Sir Weedalot. "a information highway with free information flowing", "As long as I don't give anyone anything that can be used against me, I don't really have anything to worry about." I bet when people first started getting phones there were those who though it was a bad thing, feared it and thought using it as the tool it was was not being in the "real world" too. I won't "give anyone anything that can be used against me" either on the net, on the phone or in person. But "information highway"? What about my favorite toy/game?

<3 SK

Wed, 02/27/2013 - 09:55

Raisinfist

Hmpf.

The Internet itself is a wonderful tool if used exactly as Tim wanted it to be - a 'mine of information' in his own words - but what about the use of the Internet as a social media?

I strongly disagree about the Internet reflecting exactly who you are. It brings out the worst or best in some people, but mainly, sadly, the worst. Since body language - actual body language, not emotes - isn't reflected, then the context in which you take people's words is different, so people may be saying something incredibly, deeply sadistic but you might not catch on. Sarcasm doesn't reflect in text, just tone of voice and context.

You might not care, but your actions are still reflecting upon the rest of the world. Let's take the 20-year-old social experiment example: Say he takes those findings and uses them as a foundation for a 'map' of reactions and personality types, then uses that to eventually make a 'smart' computer which detects which type you are and, from there, do certain actions which you would have done anyway autonomously. At least, that it thinks you would have done anyway.
You couldn't tell from the original terrible suggestion that the professor made that that was going to happen, but it just did. There. Your actions just made a whole load of people make really bad choices.

Do you see what I'm getting at? What if someone wants to influence lives badly for their own sadistic reasons? All it takes is trust - and what is trust on the Internet, where there is neither context nor body language?

Thu, 02/28/2013 - 10:27

Fleet-Miss-Gun

Because people likes to

Because people likes to troll.

Or because human's nature is violent.

Ethier way it's because you can hide behind the computer without fearing anything.

Thu, 02/28/2013 - 15:46

Klipik

If you wanted to build a computer that did bad things on purpose, you wouldn't use a survey for it. If you wanted to do a survey and then build the program after, it wou'dn't be sadistic on purpose. Your example is invalid.

And either way, the positives of the internet (communication, entertainment, livestreaming, online gaming, etc) far outweigh the downsides of specific situations.

Thu, 02/28/2013 - 16:44

Fleet-Miss-Gun

Yeah agreed with you.

Fri, 03/01/2013 - 10:35

Raisinfist

@Klipik

It wouldn't be sadistic because the designer intended it to be, but because of possibly incorrect information - if you were to do anything other than act truthfully, and I know the example is unrealistic and exaggerated, it could have large consequences.

I'm going to refine the original title (editing soon-ish): Why is it bad as a social media? As long as the Internet's restricted to information, it'd be OK. Otherwise, I guess it's only a matter of time before someone comes up and says 'I<3WIKIPEDIA HURR DURR', or words to that effect.

If anyone's going to quote that just to spite me, that person is incredibly immature.

EDIT: Edited title (for posterity, it used to be 'Why is the Internet bad for the human race in general? Discuss')

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Why is the Internet bad as a social media? (Title edited.)