Internet users learning netiquette the hard way

Internet users learning netiquette the hard way
Observers in Singapore say netizens must use discretion when expressing opinions
or risk inciting widespread controversy

The Straits Times
Wednesday, July 25, 2007

By Ken Kwek and Aaron Low

A seemingly innocent comment posted on his schoolmate's blog left Mr Gerald Poh
with fewer friends and a lesson about the Internet's real-life impact.

He criticised her over a post she had put up about other people in their junior
college a few years back.

"Before I knew it, people were taking sides over my comment, escalating into a
war between friends. Many of our friends still don't talk to each other because
of that," said Mr Poh, 21, a biology undergraduate now.

"Many people underestimate the power of such communication, until they get
burnt."

Such incidents over the Internet have made news lately. Exchanges within limited
circles can suddenly widen at the click of a button and even spark national
controversies.

Take, for example, the case of Second Lieutenant Li Hongyi, 20, the son of Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

He sent a letter to senior military chiefs last month, complaining about the
misconduct of a fellow officer. He made the mistake of broadcasting it to other
servicemen, earning him a reprimand.

The Singapore Armed Forces, not known for publicising internal matters, was
forced to engage the matter after the e-mail found its way into blogs, online
forums and the local and foreign press.

Observers say it is time Internet users learnt real-world realities like the
need for discretion.

Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong said Singaporeans are using the Internet
to broadcast complaints and musings well beyond the relevant recipients.

"I get lots of e-mail from youth, which are cc'ed (carbon-copied) to the
President, PM and all the MPs," he said. "I'm not sure they are well thought
through."

In the age of always-on broadband connections, the medium is so easy to use that
people are "posting faster than they can process," said Dr Cherian George, a
journalism lecturer at Nanyang Technological University.

"To persuade others when you blog, you have to step into their shoes and be
mindful of social norms. All this requires reflection, and unfortunately
reflection isn't a practice that's encouraged by today's Internet tools," he
said.

Another controversial case involved the daughter of Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Wee Siew
Kim. Miss Wee Shu Min, 19, posted a comment on her blog last year denigrating
the unemployment worries of a 35-year-old worker.

Miss Wee unwittingly became a symbol of elitism in a debate that even reached
Parliament.

Mr Wee said that "it was a hard lesson" for him and his daughter. "[I learnt]
that it is so easy for people to take phrases out of context and whip up a
maelstrom out of it," he added.

Other incidents include the resignation last November of opposition politician
Goh Meng Seng from the Workers' Party, after posting online comments that he
admitted gave the party "a bad image."

He said he was then not sufficiently aware of the Internet's power as "a
double-edged sword."

Mr Goh, who has since joined the National Solidarity Party, added that he is now
more careful online.

Dr Daniel Goh, an assistant professor of sociology at the National University of
Singapore, noted that the medium creates "perfectly recorded Internet
transcripts" that can be used against the writer.

A blogger himself, he said he takes pains to think about those at the receiving
end. "My wife complains that I take too long to compose my words, even for a
simple e-mail.

"That is because when I write, I am also imagining those people who may be
implicated, as they would be if I were actually in a face-to-face conversation."

Dr Lim Sun Sun, who teaches media literacy at National University of Singapore,
said many people still do not realise that the Internet is a place where one's
hidden thoughts may be open for all to read.

"The Internet may allow a person to be more open or less inhibited, which is a
good thing. But there must be a certain level of 'public self-awareness' as the
Web is not a wholly private medium," she said.

But while mishaps resulting in negative publicity may occur at times, parents
should not be "paranoid or take a censorious approach," said Dr Lim.

Housewife Ann Lee, 50, has tried to educate herself by doing what her
15-year-old son is doing online, like blogging and watching videos.

Said Mrs Lee: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. At least, I experience what they
do and can guide them on the steps to take to protect themselves."

Date Posted: 7/25/2007
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