MS. Genovese was not anonymous, but the witnesses were. Moreover because of
the anonymity they abrogated responsibility to others. There is a
difference.

larry

--
Larry C. Lyons
ColdFusion/Web Developer
Certified Advanced ColdFusion 5 Developer
EBStor.com
8870 Rixlew Lane, Suite 204
Manassas, Virginia 20109-3795
tel:   (703) 393-7930
fax:   (703) 393-2659
Web:   http://www.ebstor.com
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done.
--

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 4:15 PM
> To: CF-Community
> Subject: Re: A good thing
> 
> 
> True, but that's personal anonymity. In the Genovese case, she wasn't
> anonymous, the people hearing her being killed were. They had 
> the choice and
> chance to call the cops and didn't. Her identity wasn't a 
> factor. It was
> their own fears and sloth (I guess it is a deadly sin) that 
> helped kill her.
> 
> > The interesting thing is the anonymity aspects. A similar 
> thing is watch
> > people in their cars in traffic (only if you're not driving 
> that is :).
> They
> > think they are fairly anonymous. Thus you get all sorts of private
> behaviors
> > that you don't normally see in public - nose picking etc.
> >
> > anonymity is a real disinhibiter.
> >
> > larry
> >
> > --
> > Larry C. Lyons
> > ColdFusion/Web Developer
> > Certified Advanced ColdFusion 5 Developer
> > EBStor.com
> > 8870 Rixlew Lane, Suite 204
> > Manassas, Virginia 20109-3795
> > tel:   (703) 393-7930
> > fax:   (703) 393-2659
> > Web:   http://www.ebstor.com
> > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done.
> > --
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > > Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 12:09 PM
> > > To: CF-Community
> > > Subject: Re: A good thing
> > >
> > >
> > > I remember the case (psych major here) and while anonymity
> > > was a factor, I
> > > think that the factors of indifference to others and fear 
> of getting
> > > involved were more important. As foolish as it may sound, the
> > > city was a lot
> > > darker then and there was a lot more fear around. The people
> > > who heard the
> > > attacks knew her, they just didn't do anything till after 
> she was dead
> > > (almost 50 minutes after the first attack).
> > > For those who want to know what we're talking about, do a
> > > search on "kitty
> > > genovese".
> > >
> > > If you want to go through the archives and write a profile on
> > > me, have fun.
> > > :)
> > >
> > > > Anonymity is also quite dangerous. People are far more
> > > likely to be engage
> > > > in unacceptable behaviors when anonymous than if they 
> were publicly
> > > > identified. In the 1960's there was a case where a woman
> > > was brutally
> > > > murdered in New York in a development with quite a lot of
> > > people looking
> > > on
> > > > from the surrounding apartment blocks. When investigated
> > > later, most of
> > > the
> > > > people reported that they thought someone else would be
> > > contacting the
> > > > police. In an experiment in the 70's the researchers put
> > > pictures of the
> > > > residents beside their apartment balconies. The researchers
> > > found that
> > > this
> > > > lack of anonymity resulted in far more pro social and 
> pro community
> > > behavior
> > > > than before.
> > > >
> > > > > If a psychologist went through our
> > > > > posts they could probably build a rather accurate picture of
> > > > > each of us. The true us.
> > > > BTW Michael, as a former psych person you want me to go 
> through the
> > > archives
> > > > then?  ;)
> > > >
> > > > larry
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Larry C. Lyons
> > > > ColdFusion/Web Developer
> > > > Certified Advanced ColdFusion 5 Developer
> > > > EBStor.com
> > > > 8870 Rixlew Lane, Suite 204
> > > > Manassas, Virginia 20109-3795
> > > > tel:   (703) 393-7930
> > > > fax:   (703) 393-2659
> > > > Web:   http://www.ebstor.com
> > > > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > > Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done.
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > > > > Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 9:34 AM
> > > > > To: CF-Community
> > > > > Subject: Re: A good thing
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > The fact that the anonymity gives the people involve the
> > > > > ability to interact
> > > > > before any bias can come up is the good thing. Even if it
> > > > > does later on,
> > > > > hopefully it will result in the 'TV-like morality lesson'.
> > > > > Even one person
> > > > > treating another like a fellow human being is a good thing.
> > > > > And as for being sanitized, I think its quite the other way
> > > > > around when it
> > > > > comes to email. We post our thought without much editing
> > > for content,
> > > > > grammer or social ques. The slips, rants and other things
> > > we post tell
> > > > > others a lot about who we really are. If a psychologist went
> > > > > through our
> > > > > posts they could probably build a rather accurate picture of
> > > > > each of us. The
> > > > > true us.
> > > > >
> > > > > > Is it a removal of bias when you deal with someone
> > > > > anonymously? On the
> > > > > > surface, it seems like it works, but as I see it the bias
> > > > > hasn't been
> > > > > > removed, only obfuscated.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The interaction is able to take place without a
> > > > > preconception or prejudice
> > > > > > based on appearance, and that can certainly be good. But
> > > > > that doesn't
> > > > > really
> > > > > > mean that the bias doesn't exist. To take an obvious
> > > > > stereotype example:
> > > > > if
> > > > > > you put a prejudiced white person in a room with a
> > > prejudiced black
> > > > > person,
> > > > > > the bias is there. If they interact online with no
> > > knowledge of skin
> > > > > color,
> > > > > > the interaction may proceed normally, but what happens if
> > > > > they then meet?
> > > > > We
> > > > > > want to believe that a TV-like morality lesson will be
> > > > > learned and that
> > > > > the
> > > > > > racist person will realize that the other person's skin
> > > > > color doesn't
> > > > > > matter; however, in my experience the bias comes rushing to
> > > > > the forefront
> > > > > > and the racist person may become even more incensed feeling
> > > > > they have been
> > > > > > betrayed and lied to by the other person. It's not
> > > > > rational, but I've seen
> > > > > > it happen.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I'm not saying that obfuscation is all bad. As Patrick
> > > > > said, it may help
> > > > > > break down the "Us and Them". However, does it have a flip
> > > > > side? Do people
> > > > > > intentionally hide their color/race/religion/culture in
> > > > > order to interact?
> > > > > > Do those aspects become like a dreaded albatross and
> > > > > something people come
> > > > > > to wish to shed in order to become a nameless, faceless
> > > "sanitized"
> > > > > person?
> > > > > > If we are sanitizing, does that cast those troublesome
> > > qualities as
> > > > > "dirty"?
> > > > > > Where is the line drawn between being proud of our
> > > > > differences and being
> > > > > > hindered by them?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Kevin Graeme
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > 
> 
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