Well the internet has certainly made far easier than it was before to inflict "social consequences" onto total strangers. Before, if you were a enough of a jerk, the townspeople would boycott your shop. Now, if you said the wrong thing in the past decade (or voted for the wrong candidate, or supported/didn't support the wrong/right bill/proposition/amendment), a mob composed of thousands of people from various locations thousands of miles away will call for your company to be boycotted, for you to be fired, etc. or else.