Acrimonious Exchanges on the Internet

acrimonious exchanges on the internet? no way!

A friend of mine just mentioned this in an email, and it reminded me of something I wanted to say on my weblog: this is the forté of the internet.

...Not that this is a startling revelation: I suspect we are all keenly aware of it. But I felt like explicitly stating it. The internet really lends itself to conflict. I believe that after enough time passes on the internet, you will inevitably see the formation of thousands and thousands of micro-societies, as people schism further and further by "realizing" they "don't have to deal with" alternate attitudes.

On one hand, this is empowering. People of like mind, separated by insurmountable geography, are coming together. This is fantastic.

On the other hand, our tolerance for our neighbors slips away. This is depressing.