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Comment by yaseer | Hacker News Reader

> An adult getting abused online is like getting third degree burns because you laid your hand on a hot burner and refused to take it off

This analogy is broken on quite a few levels. When did the internet become a hot burner?

The internet is not designed to get hot - it's not a cooking device. If your laptop consistently got so hot it burned your lap, you'd try to fix it, not say "of course it does that".

> If people saying mean things to you is disturbing your groove so much you're calling it "abuse" maybe you should stop reading them

There are laws governing abusive behaviour in person. Our society does not just advice people to "just not listen".

Why would you expect different principles to apply to online and in-person behaviour?

https://www.cps.gov.uk/crime-info/verbal-abuse-and-harassmen...

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Why would you expect the internet to be governed by different laws to in-person behaviour?

Because you can't instantly erase someone from your perception in person to person interaction. Online you can even proactively protect yourself, such as by adding words and phrases you don't like to your blocklist. Suppose I decide I don't ever want to interact with someone who still uses the word "retard". My computer can preemptively block those people on my Twitter, my email, even pages containing the word on my browser. It takes only seconds to wipe entire categories of people and opinion from every facet of your online experience.

> instantly erase someone from your perception in person to person interaction.

As easily as you can block a message, so too can abuser create a new account.

Online harassment can be as persistent as in-person harassment - there's countless stories of people being continuously harassed. If it were so easy to block people online 'cyberstalking' wouldn't be such a big problem in the same area.

That's when you create a new account. The obsession with linking your real life to your online life is the most toxic change to internet culture since the web started.

Thank you. I see so many people here who seem intent on linking their online identity to their real life identity, a trend popularized by social media and which is in direct contravention to the common sense advice we used to give people: don't upload PII on the internet.

I understand many people rely on social media for professional networking but there's absolutely no reason why you have to use this professional networking account to trade verbal jabs with people on contentious topics, or confront trolls, or start political debates, etc. Make an alt if you want to slum it in the comments section. Again, this was common sense 20 years ago, and now seems like it's lost knowledge.

Exactly. I can't count the number of people whose professional output I greatly admire but who destroyed themselves in my eyes by being fuckwads on Twitter.

all ephemeral, leave no trace or context

> The obsession with linking your real life to your online life is the most toxic change to internet culture since the web started.

Seconded.

As the saying goes; "What is the difference between posting something on the internet and a tattoo on your arse?..... It's easier to remove the tattoo."

Because that personal information you posted or 'offensive' joke you posted when pissed will stay around forever to haunt you.

> If your laptop consistently got so hot it burned your lap, you'd try to fix it, not say "of course it does that".

Not if the fix isn't worth the price and will be abused to stiffle competition and for governments and companies to get control over interpersonal communication.

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