Isolating a Person's Post

Beezer

Beezer

Well-known Member
Ever go to a party and make an offbeat comment that is taken the wrong way?

But you go home after and it was a great night over all and all is forgotten. But on the internet that one offbeat post you made can get isolated...be resurrected time after time...and in the end actually define you despite thousands of other innocuous posts you have made. You can even lose your job and livelihood over it.

Back in the day (pre internet) when you screwed up it was contained within a very small group of friends and family...then ultimately forgotten. There is just a whole unfairness to it all which irks me.

Thoughts?
 

Beezer said:
Ever go to a party and make an offbeat comment that is taken the wrong way?

But you go home after and it was a great night over all and all is forgotten. But on the internet that one offbeat post you made can get isolated...be resurrected time after time...and in the end actually define you despite thousands of other innocuous posts you have made. You can even lose your job and livelihood over it.

Back in the day (pre internet) when you screwed up it was contained within a very small group of friends and family...then ultimately forgotten. There is just a whole unfairness to it all which irks me.

Thoughts?
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Once you post, it's out of your hands and out there forever in cyberspace for all the world to see. That's something to consider before hitting the keys.
 
One thing that comes to mind is that infamous video about the grape lady. It is still on YouTube and has even been used in "Family Guy." I wonder if that woman will ever live it down. This is the video:
The last that I heard, the woman had become a recluse somewhere.:(
 
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One interesting thing about the mass media internet/cell phone revolution is that when a rumor is started in a hot spot it spreads all over the world in seconds. Even calamities that happen half way around the world, we know of within minutes...with video. That is a lot different than having a dial up phone, a church and/or the bar to spread the "news". :)
 
The problem with online communication is that it lacks the context and non-verbal elements of communication. So things can easily be taken the wrong way.

On the other hand, emails provide the black and white evidence that verbal communication will lack (which is why many companies inform you that your conversation is taped). As a college instructor, I always used emails for my communication with students, and I was quite careful in how I wrote them.
 
Beezer said:
Ever go to a party and make an offbeat comment that is taken the wrong way?

But you go home after and it was a great night over all and all is forgotten. But on the internet that one offbeat post you made can get isolated...be resurrected time after time...and in the end actually define you despite thousands of other innocuous posts you have made. You can even lose your job and livelihood over it.

Back in the day (pre internet) when you screwed up it was contained within a very small group of friends and family...then ultimately forgotten. There is just a whole unfairness to it all which irks me.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I know what you mean. It does suck. 😖
 
Very true. The internet doesn't forget. We've all heard of known people deleting posts that were found offensive or inappropriate, but guess what? It was shared and downloaded and copied. It didn't go away with their delete.

My Facebook is my cats. I haven't posted in ages.

Someone at work yesterday stated something about people can sure be mean on the internet. She didn't elaborate. But she's separated from her husband, so I don't know what's going on.
 
Be careful what you post, it ain't going away. This place is a little safer, but still don't assume its 100% anonymous. If you are careful here it would be pretty hard to figure out your real identity, but not all of us are so careful.

I kind of feel like I am protected by no one really wanting to go to the effort of figuring out who I am. Hope not anyway. There are certainly individuals here I would not mind knowing who I am, but would not want it advertised to the world.

If anyone here wants my real name and contact info just PM me, I will probably answer.
 
As a somewhat public person, on some websites from the earliest Internet era, I've been posting showing my real name. That has made me carefully consider what I post. Also as someone with Spock's attitude, elsewhere have a reputation for not being baited into emotional discussions regardless of how others may try. In the 1990s when the Internet first rose, observed the way Usenet was being used by those hiding behind anonymous names.
 
David777 said:
As a somewhat public person, on some websites from the earliest Internet era, I've been posting showing my real name. That has made me carefully consider what I post. Also as someone with Spock's attitude, elsewhere have a reputation for not being baited into emotional discussions regardless of how others may try. In the 1990s when the Internet first rose, observed the way Usenet was being used by those hiding behind anonymous names.
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Do you have the patience of Sarek toward Amanda?
 
David777 said:
As a somewhat public person, on some websites from the earliest Internet era, I've been posting showing my real name. That has made me carefully consider what I post. Also as someone with Spock's attitude, elsewhere have a reputation for not being baited into emotional discussions regardless of how others may try. In the 1990s when the Internet first rose, observed the way Usenet was being used by those hiding behind anonymous names.
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I can certainly agree with you here. Being in the military for so many years and then working at the Pentagon, a lot of people try to bait me into sharing information that is considered proprietary. When I received a document stating "Shred only in a P-7 level shredder." that was a red flag that meant to read it and forget it.
 
I think I would really like a 'P-7 level shredder' :geek: Not because I have secrets, just because I'm a geek and it sounds marvellous...
But yes, we should all be careful about what we post here and anywhere else online. I'm using my real name, which I've already confirmed in the 'nickname' thread when I first joined but have wished several times since that I chose an anonymous username. I appreciate that anyone visiting this forum could recognise the real ID of a poster just based on what they post...

@Beezer has this happened to you?
 
@Seren

I actually got into trouble with the Law on-line. I felt I was being threatened by some people and when I threatened back they phoned the Police.

I had to go down to the Station and explain myself...was very nearly charged. But the people I was dealing with didn't want to have me charged and then it all just blew over. It was an extremely stressful period of my life as my affliction was in full gear. I've been stable now for many years after finding the proper medication.
 
@Seren

Yeah, thanks. It all worked out. The Constable realized it was all just a misunderstanding and told me the file was closed. I still feel very bad about what happened. But the parties involved came to the conclusion that I was a good egg after all...just a very confused egg at the time.
 
Just my opinion, but this is why there is so much "cancel culture" these days. Pundits look back at posts that were made 10 years ago and vilify people who didn't know any better and have changed over the years. Better not to post anything that is the least bit controversial.
 
Any wrong, dubious, or embarrassing thing that ever becomes public is out there forever, for everyone to see. I think it's an awful aspect of the Internet. Maybe these things should time out after a certain period has passed?

No, it's never happened to me; I live a boringly law-abiding life. But I have seen it happen to other people.
 

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