W6. How important is to be civil online on the Internet ? - Solène Huille

Why would people be less polite online than in reality?

Hidden in front of a screen, it is easier to be less correct and to criticize your peers and it is also easier to speak rudely because you don’t have the person in front of you. That’s why there are many negative comments on the Web.

But, it is really important to respect others, especially in the case of Wikipedia, to respect the work and the collaboration of each user.

Moreover, everyone can use the Internet and stumble upon offensive or violent content, so it is necessary to be careful with the most vulnerable people. On the internet, it is often written texts or videos, and it is still visible and accessible.

I also think that when I want to check something on the Internet and I click on forums or blogs, and I see aggressive or unpleasant responses, I change of sites, because I don’t want to read this kind of comments, even if the elements may be relevant.

Concerning Wikipedia, respect other users is paramount. Good faith collaboration is as important as the principle of neutrality from the point of view.

Indeed, there is a code of conduct to follow, which is one of the 5 pillars of Wikipedia: respect the other Wikipedians even when you disagree with them.

I think it is more important to respect them because there are people with different cultural backgrounds, different stories and you don’t know them personally.

This code of conduct helps to avoid conflicts and personal attacks and to act in good faith, be open and to help people who need help.

If you are not civil, I think it is the end of virtual communities

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To conclude, my question is: In which kind of virtual communities people are more civil? In my opinion, be more civil online permits to all to be more careful about what people want to say, to trust them more and to have more interesting content.