Usenet as Society
I stumbled across this quote while doing research on newsgroups for an article. While it’s not appropriate for the article, it seems quite timely for the blog.
From the “What is Usenet?” FAQ, Part 1
Those who have never tried electronic communication may not be aware
of what a “social skill” really is. One social skill that must be
learned, is that other people have points of view that are not only
different, but *threatening*, to your own. In turn, your opinions may
be threatening to others. There is nothing wrong with this. Your
beliefs need not be hidden behind a facade, as happens with
face-to-face conversation. Not everybody in the world is a bosom
buddy, but you can still have a meaningful conversation with them.
The person who cannot do this lacks in social skills. — Nick Szabo