Social media but not civil

Ten years ago, I wrote a piece called “4 degrees of impersonal communications.” In it, I describe how people say things in emails that they would never say to someone over the phone. And, over the phone (especially in a voice message), we seem willing to speak in ways that one would never consider saying face-to-face.

I wrote that piece before the popularization of social media which can, in some cases, be somewhat anti-social.

Yesterday was a good example. I was asked if I was “congenitally incapable of accurately representing ppl’s views that you don’t agree with“, in response to my observation that a witness was evading answering a direct question from the CRTC.

This followed a pattern of abusive tweets that I have generally ignored for many months. He seemed surprised to have been blocked, throwing in a jab or two in response.

The miracle of modern communications allows me to follow the CRTC Differential Pricing hearing from halfway around the world, commenting and engaging with others in real time – chirping from the sidelines, as some might say.

Other than fundamental disagreements on a number of issues, I don’t know what I did to set off a history of ad hominem tirades. I have met this person exactly once, a number of years ago as we were both guests of the CRTC at a dinner in Ottawa. We sat at different tables, so I am pretty sure that I didn’t accidentally use his bread plate, or take his napkin.

There are many people with whom I engage, without either party resorting to personal attacks about each other’s integrity. I cannot and will not tolerate such.

Let me digress for a moment. As many frequent readers know, I enjoy watching football, especially the Denver Broncos. I don’t follow the sport as much as I would like to, but there are aspects of almost every game that keep me coming back every Sunday in the Fall and early Winter. At the end of each game, I like seeing the players from both sides gather on the field, shaking hands with opponents and in some cases hugging and sharing long conversations. Moments earlier, these gladiators were ferociously attacking each other, clawing with their fingernails for every inch of the field. But when the final whistle blows, they are able to remember to be civil.

There are no referees on the field in Twitter; no red flags for unsportsmanlike conduct; no personal fouls.

Some have quit Twitter after getting bullied by anti-social behaviour – it is a recognized problem on that platform. But encouraging words from some and inspirational words from others will keep me coming back, sharing my observations, adding up those inches to make a difference.

Some people may need to cut down a little on their caffeine intake and try eating more bran.

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