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I go back on the 'net to the days of Mosaic, and earlier on Usenet and BBSs. I'm feeling pretty nostalgic, but also saddened. Between the crooks, the government, and fun loving pranksters it seems that there is no corner of the 'net that can be considered truly secure. I now routinely assume that nothing I do is safe.
I remember when the 'net was 90% thoughtful discussion, it was about web pages, pure HTML, and the content that they served up.
Now it seems as if no forum is safe from endless idiotic, threatening, and increasingly offensive trolls and bullies. Many good smart people just refuse to participate. In its early days the whole idea behind the 'net was the free sharing of information. Now you find things behind paywalls, registration pages, or removed after threats from lawyers.
Each week seems to bring another attempt by government or business to regulate the 'net, both what you can put on-line, and what you can look at. Add to that the many geographic blocks and other restrictions that keep out some of the people, some of the time. We rely on multiple layers of flash and java and other technology, each requiring some special software to make it work on your computer. Inevitably stuff breaks.
It was only a decade or so back that the very idea of marketing on the 'net was considered ridiculous. Now we're buried alive with ads, pop-ups, and stupid YouTube ads in front of every video - unless you want to pay them to remove them.
Increasingly using the 'net feels like more of a chore than a pleasure, and I can't see it improving. Is the Internet broken beyond repair?
(Score: 2) by hubie on Monday May 18 2015, @03:16PM
The really good trolls could get someone so worked up in a lather that they fire off a 500 word emotional argument, whereby someone else who recognizes the trolling in process would reply with that simple message to let them know they've been had. A bad troll is a bad troll and is imminently obvious what they're doing. A very good troll is subtle and works his victim in a manner that they don't realize what's happening until it is too late. We all know we're too smart to be trolled, but we all have our hot button issues, so to get that message was akin to suddenly finding you have egg on your face.
To be a regular contributor to newsgroups, you had to have thick skin and be able to give as well as you took. If you could go back through those early comp.* and other newsgroups, you'll see a lot of big names you might recognize, and you'll see the boisterous tit-for-tat exchanges. The difference it seems today is that so many people seem to have very thin skin.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 18 2015, @05:37PM
> The difference it seems today is that so many people seem to have very thin skin.
I'd say it is the other way around. Too many people with thick skins and nothing else of value to contribute.
For better or for worse, people will put up with assholery if it is backed up with something valuable.
But assholes who are just assholes to be assholes? Nobody has patience for that shit.