Sometimes I hate the Internet

I don't understand why people can't first use their heads before they put fingers to their keyboard. Why some people can't understand that each and everything that is written on the Internet is written by a person.

A real, live human person, who has feelings and emotions and feels hurt and pain and is self-possessed and self-aware and is connected to those things and thoughts and feelings that they share on the Internet. Whether it be on their blogs, or in a forum, or even (god-forbid) on Facebook.

It shames me when I read personal attacks against other people on blogs, in forums and comment threads, and on Facebook. Attacks against someone because they posted their thoughts, feelings, and opinions in this public place. Stupid, ridiculous, name-calling. Mud-slinging. Righteous anger.

When did we forget that if we can't say something nice, we should just keep our damn mouths shut? That we should keep our condemnation to ourselves. That we should maybe take the high road and whatever was said in the first place, whatever was typed to get our thoughts inflamed and our ire up and ready to attack, it's not worth getting into a war on words for...at least probably not, based on the kinds of things I've read that seem to get the most attention and the most attacks.

Take two steps back people.

And leave it be.

I have been lucky so far, in that I command my own little tiny piece of the Internet here, and my readers are few and mostly friends.

One day I might not be so lucky.

I might type something that somebody doesn't agree with. And then I too will feel the wrath of the anonymous and vast Internet users.

We are too varied and beautiful a species to all believe in the same things. That is what makes us grand.

It is also what divides us and makes us fight with each other.

But I think we shouldn't fight against each other, but against those things that truly make our life harder, our world worse off. Those larger causes that can unite us and make us stronger.

Name calling should be left behind. Personal attacks, calling into questions someone's character, and morals, and decency. There is no place for that here. At least, there shouldn't be.

Why can't we all just get along?

And if that doesn't work, just ignore each other, like siblings have been doing successfully for generations!!

Spread the love today people, in your little corner of the internet.

Post a wonderful comment in response to a blog entry, or Facebooks status update. Be generous in your praise.

And ignore the haters...they don't need any more attention.