The Internet gives freedom. In particular, freedom of expression: write what you want. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to use this freedom with dignity.
The last few weeks have been generous with sad news. And I read the news online. And out of habit to read what is written, after the news I turn to user comments. And sometimes I regret it.
Why? Well, for example, why. A large and very high-quality online publication reports the death of Margaret Thatcher. And almost the first comment is: “What good news from England! First Berezovsky, now Thatcher!” And then another dozen or two like that.
Two bombs are detonated at the finish line of the marathon in Boston. “The damned Pindos will know how to dictate their orders to the whole world!” — another commentator hurries to note. A factory in Texas exploded today, dozens are reported dead. I forced myself not to read the comments on this news. I do not want.
In fairness, it must be said that there are also enough such commentators on foreign resources. True, it seems to me that it is still less, but perhaps I don’t read so many foreign resources.
And the matter is not limited to comments either. A day after the explosions in Boston, more than 200 sites were registered using the mention of the tragedy in their Internet addresses. Many of them have already begun to collect donations, US regulators warn of the threat of fraud. And e-mails are circulating with titles like «Details of the Boston bombings.» In the letters — a link to a site with a supposedly unique video. The video there is poor, but while you are watching it, a Trojan is downloaded to your computer, which quickly collects information about all your logins, passwords and credit card data.
Nothing new, of course. Marauders have been around as long as the tragedies themselves. But here’s the thing. Tragedies, fortunately, do not happen to us and around us every day. On the contrary, almost every day we live an ordinary, normal life. In an environment that we create for ourselves, passing through the filters those with whom we, at least, do not mind being around. For the majority, this means: those who do not rummage through the corpses in search of golden dental crowns and do not rejoice in someone else’s grief. And there is a stable illusion that the world is inhabited by generally good people.
The Internet is changing things dramatically. Whatever and wherever an event occurs, in its first echoes, the voices of scum will sound right under your ear. Moreover, to hear them, you do not need to look for some kind of semi-underground forums of the marginalized. I’m glad not to hear it anymore, but what, you order to read respectable and respected online resources, covering with your palm that part of the screen where the comments follow the article? The Internet is becoming more and more like a sewer, where too many users willingly pour out of their souls the very substance for which the sewer is intended.
Of course, I am aware of both trolling and paid commentators who, for 85 rubles per post, shit on the pages of objectionable publications or carry the general line of their masters to the world. But I absolutely do not care why so many abominations appear on the network — for money, for a stupid joke, or for the sincere call of the heart. This does not change the fact that the persistent illusion that the world is populated by decent people is being replaced by a completely different feeling.