by Sarah Copeland

Created on: May 21, 2007

A forum is defined as a gathering place for people to discuss topics of interest with others. Internet forums are a popular way to interact with people from all over the world, to share thoughts and ideas, to voice opinions. But, is the anonymity of the internet contributing to hostile forum environments?

Many people seek out human interaction online, and forums are a great place to find just that. All a person has to do is search for a forum whose discussion focuses on things that they are interested in. One would assume that the other forum participants are going to be like-minded and that communication will come easily, but that is often not the case.

Discussion forums are made up of people from all different backgrounds and personality types, and differing personalities tend to clash. Some people have a hard time accepting the views and opinions of others, especially if they differ from their own. This can lead to personal attacks, flaming, and other forms of abuse that could easily be avoided if people could agree to disagree.

Going back to the issue of anonymity, online forums can sometimes breed deception. This is most often seen on dating related forums. For example, a man joins the forum and lies about his profession, age, weight, or other personal attributes in order to seem more attractive and appealing to others. When people feel that there is little to no chance of being caught, are they more inclined to be dishonest?

I feel that most of the negative aspects of forums come from the fact that you can not readily see the person you are speaking to. Much of what is said is left up to interpretation due to lack of body language, facial expression, and vocal inflections that we would normally take into consideration when talking to someone face to face. In forums, this can easily lead to misunderstandings and confusion.

The point here is, keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you when using online discussion forums. Be a courteous contributer and take attacks with a grain of salt. If you are one who is usually the attacker, try to think of others' feelings when posting. Take the high road and agree to disagree - there is no reason to ruin the experience for everyone else.

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