EDUCATION: Online Shame

As a graduate of the University of Maryland, I have been paying close attention to how the University is dealing with the recent discovery of a noose hanging from a tree on campus. Just a few days ago, the University held a rally to encourage students to “speak out…to express their feelings about the noose and to discuss possible solutions to the racism and cultural separatism that led to it” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/13/AR2007091302262.html). What I find even more interesting, however, are the comments posted by students on the campus newspaper’s website, The Diamondback, in response to articles published.

On the morning that the first article ran, a student posted that “there better be a MASSIVE cry of outrage from ALL Maryland students.” And on the website, students have been crying out all week—but not necessarily in agreement. While some have written comments in defiance of hate crimes or to suggest peaceful demonstrations, others have posted their belief that people are overreacting or making claims that the noose was hung by black students to gain more funding for their groups on campus.

Regardless of the harsh words being exchanged, one thing to notice is that the students who write the most controversial comments refuse to give their full name. They go by “freedom” or “C Slacker” and write what they want because they can. So my question is: has the anonymity of the online world removed people’s sense of shame from the dialog they have with others? It’s interesting that even in an education environment where students are meant to learn from each other, there is a place where people can voice their most negative feelings without more than a “You’re stupid” reply as repercussion. This is not a trend limited to the education world- but is relevant for all online media. If people feel so strongly that an article is an overreaction, why can’t they give their full name? I believe that creating a pseudonym takes away from the author’s credibility, especially on heated topics. To see the comments posted by Maryland students, visit:
http://www.diamondbackonline.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticleComments&ustory_id=f630e76e-283f-4875-b516-143ab3c219a0#1f2bcbca-e21f-41cf-8f0d-445b346c7872

-Lisa Rassenti