CommentBeauty

tl;dr: Everything The tone of voice online used to be better. Social media top dogs now determine the narrative. Plurality of opinion is suffering massively and society is hardening into two camps. Some people no longer dare to express themselves on specific topics. Ten points of orientation are intended to reactivate the fabulousness of commenting.

“He who hates evil creates more of it.” via Kati Körner

Intro

When the internet was still mainly used on laptops or PCs, netiquette felt omnipresent. Even in serious disagreements - for example before elections - the situation practically never escalated and everyone was deeply relaxed.

With supposedly better technology and hopeful promises (“Facebook connects”), smaller communities began to die. To “optimize the user experience”, algorithms now filled the timelines for maximum screen time and thus advertising profit for the operators. In addition, powerful mobile devices made it possible to surf virtually anywhere and at any time. Active participation declined continuously, while mindless consumption increased.

Today, a few high-reach accounts dominate the daily debate. Differentiated nuances of opinion often remain the exception in the comment columns. As in the dystopian novel Kallocain, the earth seems to be divided into two idiological superpowers, with the large commercial portals acting as an arena for mud-slinging.

Most people are not in the mood for this situation. Many seek escape into the private sphere, others form groups in small, closed communities. However, this paralysis of the sophisticated exchange of knowledge and opinions via the Internet prevents the future ideal of a free society.

Orientation points

Respectful interaction for a friendly, healthy and harmonious relationship requires a certain sensitivity in the choice of words, especially online in text form, i.e. without gestures and facial expressions. With the following advice on self-reflection in our own online communication, we can replant fallow virtual flowerbeds and, depending on the other person, even allow them to blossom in order to make new contacts.

• Internalize a benevolent attitude
• Prefer first-person messages
• Remember a unifying element or life goal (for example, “peace, joy, cake” of the first Love Parade)
• Avoid pigeonholing
• Do not give political topics unnecessary attention
• Discard “Friend or foe?” categorization
• Quality instead of quantity of contributions
• Do not overemphasize arguments of last resort
• Don’t take yourself too seriously
• Have the courage, it’s the Internet, you can edit it!

Digital playground

In principle, it is possible to contribute publicly on all platforms. Open systems that can be indexed by search engines, such as forums, are to be preferred. They allow maximum visibility of topic-related content, which can then be found successfully. A win-win situation for everyone involved.

By registering with a pseudonym, the desired anonymity is maintained. However, it does not protect you in the event of criminally relevant statements. The current IP address is stored by your Internet provider. So think before you post questionable things on the Internet.

Contributing

A community-driven WWW thrives on interaction. As with many other ethical projects, this site is freely available in accessible source code and is happy to be edited. Possible topics are:

• Translation
• Correction
• Extension

Write me change requests via Mail or change them directly on GitHub.

“Live and let live. The end of the game is to feel real good.” from Jean Jacques Perrey - E.V.A. (Fatboy Slim Remix - Radio Edit)