> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: Horn, John [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Verzonden: donderdag 30 mei 2002 16:49 > Aan: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' > Onderwerp: RE: An idea
> This is FAR beyond the realm of normal, civilized, "nice" behavior. > This is NOT performance art. This is obnoxious behavior. This is the > virtual equivalent of the guy who has to butt into every conversation > in the office whether he is welcome or not. Or else the virtual > equivalent of Tourett's Syndrome (sp?). Sorry to make this on-topic, but what you describe has been mentioned before. In his essay _Gaia, Freedom and Human Nature -- Some Ironies on the Way to Creating the Network of the Future_, David Brin uses the term "Net-Tourettes": "Instead, what you see is people behaving like they have Tourette's Syndrome, the mental ailment which causes its hapless victims to suddenly, uncontrollably, burst into fits of extravagant cursing. These "Net-Tourettes" -- or flamers -- are a bane to the new commons. They are a threat to our ability to create a citizenship, a sense of polis, out of the burgeoning information community. Something must be done about it." What we could use here is what David Brin calls a "courtesy worm" in his novel _Earth_. Quote from the same essay: "In my novel, Earth, I describe something called a "courtesy worm." It is a guerilla program, an illegal virus, that goes around targeting people who are too angry and vituperative on the Net. Attracted by unsavory, scatological, and ad hominem phrasings, the worm gets into the flamer's system and announces, "Hello. You have been infected by the program, Emilypost, because your presence on the Net is impinging on the rights and enjoyment of others. If you'll check your credibility ratings, sir, you would soon realize nobody is listening to you, anyway. We suggest you try behaving in a more grown up manner. If you don't, you will soon discover certain features of Emilypost which..." Jeroen _________________________________________________________________________ Wonderful World of Brin-L Website: http://www.Brin-L.com Tom's Photo Gallery: http://tom.vanbaardwijk.com
