As some of you may know, I am an avid user of Twitter and over the months I have found it to provide a keen insight into human behaviour. On one hand it has proven to be an effective forum for discussion and the sharing of ideas. On the other hand it has also allowed for the occasional development of ugly mobs and the speeding of intolerance through the so called "trolls".
I, like many people, enjoy a good debate and as long as it remains respectable, I have always enjoyed the debates I have had with people on Twitter. This has included debating issues such immigration, the EU and HS2 to name but a few. However, with Twitter we have also seen the rise of the "trolls", people who use the anonymity that comes with using the internet to try bully, harass and intimidate others. So the question is what role and to whom does Twitter serve and what can be done about the "trolls".
Personally I believe Twitter should remain, and rightly so, a forum for free and open debate and a place to talk and interact with new people. However, I also think the systems Twitter has in place to deal with the "troll" problem are feeble as best. You can block people, but these blocks are so easily got around that they become largely pointless. You can also report people, but that's only useful in the most serious of cases. These issues lead me to seriously question certain aspects of the culture that surrounds Twitter, both at the corporate and user level. Although I agree with the idea of the right to free speech, this should not be used as an excuse or get out clause for bullying or intimidating behaviour and this is something that Twitter as a company simply fails to grasp. Another flaw is Twitter's failure to accept the idea that "blocked" means "blocked". At the moment you can get around being blocked by simply logging off Twitter and then looking at someone's profile that way. The only way around this is by making your account private which to many people ruins the appeal and spark that makes Twitter so popular.
Although I have been critical of Twitter, I also think it has proven that despite its flaws, the benefits are worthwhile. These benefits including, but not exclusively, being able to talk to new people from across the globe, politicians being better able to interact directly with their electorate and the spreading and discussion of new ideas. However, Twitter should consider putting systems in place as not to allow the "trolls" to ruin the Twitter experience for the rest of us.
Thanks for reading,
Jason
I, like many people, enjoy a good debate and as long as it remains respectable, I have always enjoyed the debates I have had with people on Twitter. This has included debating issues such immigration, the EU and HS2 to name but a few. However, with Twitter we have also seen the rise of the "trolls", people who use the anonymity that comes with using the internet to try bully, harass and intimidate others. So the question is what role and to whom does Twitter serve and what can be done about the "trolls".
Personally I believe Twitter should remain, and rightly so, a forum for free and open debate and a place to talk and interact with new people. However, I also think the systems Twitter has in place to deal with the "troll" problem are feeble as best. You can block people, but these blocks are so easily got around that they become largely pointless. You can also report people, but that's only useful in the most serious of cases. These issues lead me to seriously question certain aspects of the culture that surrounds Twitter, both at the corporate and user level. Although I agree with the idea of the right to free speech, this should not be used as an excuse or get out clause for bullying or intimidating behaviour and this is something that Twitter as a company simply fails to grasp. Another flaw is Twitter's failure to accept the idea that "blocked" means "blocked". At the moment you can get around being blocked by simply logging off Twitter and then looking at someone's profile that way. The only way around this is by making your account private which to many people ruins the appeal and spark that makes Twitter so popular.
Although I have been critical of Twitter, I also think it has proven that despite its flaws, the benefits are worthwhile. These benefits including, but not exclusively, being able to talk to new people from across the globe, politicians being better able to interact directly with their electorate and the spreading and discussion of new ideas. However, Twitter should consider putting systems in place as not to allow the "trolls" to ruin the Twitter experience for the rest of us.
Thanks for reading,
Jason
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