Spotted this one linked on Drudge, and thought that I'd post it here.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080319/ap_on_hi_te/campus_gossip

I took a brief look at the website mentioned in that article.  Un-be-lievable.

Online forums need rules & moderation in order to continue to function over the long term.  True 'no-rules' sites eventually eat themselves alive: one way or another.

Yup, you can see similar nastiness all over MySpace and LiveJournal.

To some extent this is caused by today's absolute prohibition of any public
and adult-level discussion in those areas of life.   Those kids haven't been
able to learn the fine points of implication and delicacy, because entire
subjects are totally off-limits.

When discussion of looks and sexuality is outlawed, only outlaws
will discuss looks and sexuality.

While I agree 100% that political correctness has "blessed" (read: cursed) us with things like enforced college speech codes, and that PC-ism has "helpfully" informed us that being honest about certain subjects constitutes "hate"..........on the other hand I don't see the type of behavior that's on display at this website as a derivative of particular topics being "off limits".  I rather see it as the result of children who haven't grown up, and who are therefore acting like unrestrained 5-year-olds: with active hormones thrown in to boot.  Yes, political correctness contributes to this type of thing: but that fact doesn't therefore excuse it.

Certain standards of speech have always been necessary in order to maintain at least a veneer of civilization.  For example, while it might be true that someone is overweight -- calling them "fat" to their faces all of the time stems from nothing more than pure sadistic cruelty.  Children are naturally like that -- which bespeaks volumes about the realities of human nature.  But by the college years: you'd expect at least a hint of maturity to be peeking through.  However, in today's world: perhaps such expectations are simply setting the bar way too high.

In any case, I'd say that anonymously posting someone's address and telephone number on the web -- coupled with personally hateful comments about them -- goes well beyond the boundaries of what's right.......and what should even be legal.

all these OT threads here and in poser forum remind me of the old days here, e.g. the OT
forum,  the C&D forum, the tavern and whatever else they hadda stop doing, due to our users'
inability to moderate their own speech.

They allow a certain number of OT threads -- so long as those threads don't get out of hand.  And those threads should be marked as "OT".

I don't consider this thread in the CC forum as being, strictly speaking, OT -- due to the fact that the topic has to do with online communities, and behavior in such.  On the other hand, it would definitely be OT if I'd posted it in the Poser forum.

Quote - they hadda stop doing, due to our users'
inability to moderate their own speech.

Yep.  A little self-control can go a long way.  A thick hide helps, too. 

"..they hadda.."

Personally I just wish people who obviously can write proper English in forums would do so (if only for the benefit of international viewers), but I'm just feeling cranky tonight :laugh:

In what areas, incidentally, does the average libertarian feel that boundaries should be imposed?  And by whom?