Anonymity is destructive: teacher
No, its not a quote from Orwell’s 1984, but part of a quote from Chip Kimball, superintendent and chief information officer at the Lake Washington School District.
In full, on blogs:
‘€œI think that they range from petty typical kind of gossipy behaviour to some pretty serious threats where students are fearful because of who they’re hanging out with or race or religious affiliations…Whenever there’€™s an anonymous situation, students take that as free license to possibly say things they wouldn’€™t say face to face. And it’€™s that anonymity that can actually be destructive”.
In my day it as toilet walls and anonymous notes, but then again, it must be the blogs fault, personal responsibility isn’t a concept understood by the blog hating brethren.
I doubt he was saying that’s all blogs are of that content, but if he was, I disagree with that. Other than that, I agree with the quote because of my experience managing communities with thousands and thousands of users. Anonymity is a problem. Anonymity is why people feel like they can do and say whatever they want on the internet.
With kids – yes, there are parents who are responsible for them and need to take responsibility. But, what about the 30 year old creating a dozen accounts on my community? He is a legal adult. He doesn’t know what personal responsibility is. It’s a different world for him where personal responsibility doesn’t exist. The anonymity of the internet enables him. “Personal responsibility” does nothing to help me deal with that situation.
The person didn’t say “anonymity is destructive.” They said “anonymity can be destructive.” I agree with that.