I know. It's the collective self discipline I'm questioning. I don't insist on the notion, I'm just not sure. In real life, people have different connections, e.g. the people at lunch are people you work with every day, may socialize outside of work with, have more opportunities to help or hurt you in various ways etc. They're also more likely to share at least a broadly similar cultural background. I think that in many ways, the online experience doesn't replicate that.

If anything, the online ethos, both positive and negative is seeping into the real world. I have no idea what the long term consequences of that will be. Some would say that the migration from the farm to cities and then to surburbia lessened the sense of community and increased isolation. The internet could have a similar impact - in either direction.

I do think that peer pressure can be effective, I'm just uncertain as to how well. If nothing else, those who spend hours in front of a computer playing with make believe people may not constitute the healthiest, most rational sample of mankind :-)

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken