i have noticed through the years as an active member of the internet that aggression and verbal harassment occur on a frequent basis in many corners of the Web.

here at RM, it is no different. we are pitted brother against brother and sister against sister and mother against father disturbingly often. i figured it was just a sympton of the economic stagnation the country is currently undergoing but i noticed it ran much deeper than that.

i realized that, on the internet, message board users and other members of public discourse adopt 'personas.' these 'personas' are simple to manage and easy to create due to the anonymous nature of the internet.

again, at RM, this is par for the course. on countless occasions, members attack and ridicule each other because they realize there will be no consequences.

i would like to posit a solution. in many states, as well as the federal government, there is an active body that enforces civil rights. these groups defend individuals who fear they have been persecuted due to factors like race, religion, age, disability, etc. at RM, perhaps we could enact a ruling body that ensures persistently aggressive internet behavior (which i have dubbed 'internet aggression') does not occur.

i realize this would be costly and time-consuming, but what does everybody think? i spent significant time in an Ashram during my graduate studies in India and it only made me realize that we are all flotsam floating in the same stream.

i'll have four bags of whatever it was you were smoking in that ashram.

Seriously though, good idea, and if people could only monitor themselves and bestow the respect they expect for themselves upon others, all would be well. But as yo can see in my thread against the use of the word 'gay' as a derogatory and the reaction it got here, It's just not gonna happen.

Try the fuge. They're nicer & a lot brighter generally speaking.

fuck AT, you bleedin' cunt!

was that good enough?

Except when they're talking shit on people at RM.

1. The fuge sucks, it's where boring old RMers go be boring. They don't even have schticks.
2. Shut the fuck up Balki, it's my turn on the jambike.

px, the RMer's are well able for it in fairness

but how likely do you think it is that RM can establish a governing body of about a dozen individuals in charge of message board content?

It's the internet. It's human nature. When herds of people interact there will always be social bullshit.

Shut the fuck up and let me ride the jambike! Hogger!

this thread needs way more message board harassment within it

Are you talking about a democracy or a benevolent dictatorship?

Mussolini comes to mind. only because i am an honorary italian. my cousin married a woman named Francesca who bestowed me with a plate that says 'honorary italian'. it was made out of purple construction paper and macaroni noodles. my cousin-in-law Francesca is a low-functioning mentally retarded individual.

if you cant handle being harassed on rm, you should probably quit the internet as a whole

i can think of 1,006,972 things id rather do than govern a fucking message board

Okaaaaaay... ...Everything after Mussolini is sort of, well......extra right?

I was thinking, Bill Clinton.

I was lied about, quit the message boards for a bit and thought f*ck it! I've had worse people to deal with.
And also, you don't know if people are joking or not... so just ignore it or it will just add fuel to the fire. IMO

2 days into the Obama administration and Big Brother is coming to the internet...

So WHO is supposed to be this oversight? Mods? A board of non-mod users? A hybrid?

The moderators are in favor of democratic solutions, as long as the issues voted upon are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

Sounds like Cuban elections to me.

Theresa would approve this thread, i guess.