Recent happenings in IIT Hyderabad and the boring thought of approaching midsems have managed to force me into writing a blog post after a long time. A string of mails on the student mailing list and the recent outrage of anonymous confessions have only gone to show the flip side of Internet anonymity .
Internet anonymity has been a long debated topic with its own advantages and disadvantages. In forums like Quora, some of the most interesting and informative answers are given by anonymous users. On the other hand, anonymity can also lead to malicious verbal attacks as one is not held responsible for what one says. I am sad to see quite a display of the latter in the past few days. People in IITH have used anonymity to throw verbal bombs at each other. Some of them have even dared to name the other person trying to defame them publicly out of mere hatred or jealousy. These acts are not only demeaning but also a show of cowardice. With increasing craze in social networking, it wouldn't take a Zuckerburg to track down these posts. I am sure my parents could follow these posts sitting at home. I am sure that some of these people brag about their so called 'IIT tag' back home in front of their friends and family. What is the point of being an IIT graduate claiming to have received a degree from one of the best colleges in the country if you do not have basic moral values? I was reading an article and came across an interesting question I would like to ask these people. Are you so insecure about your own character that you’re too terrified to face the people you don’t understand and ask the hard questions out in the open like a grown-up?
Confessions in some cases are good, as they in some way take the load of a person's chest who is unable to publicly discuss his/her feelings. But it all gets ugly when they turn into cheap display of name calling and tantrum throwing. We are no doubt among some of the brightest minds in the country. But clearly we are not among some of the cleanest minds as shown by these posts and mails.
The fact that these posts are anonymous directly links them to the institute as a whole rather than an individual in particular. As an upcoming institute with the media waiting to pounce on us, we should do everything we can to at least not be known for the wrong reasons if not heard for the right ones. At least I am happy to see that some of the pages have been taken down before becoming public.
With power comes responsibility. It is up to us to act responsibly when vested with this power of anonymity- a double edged sword. As pioneering batches, it is us who should be setting trends to be followed by the upcoming batches. I don't want IITH to be associated with such demeaning acts. Do you?
Comments welcome.
Internet anonymity has been a long debated topic with its own advantages and disadvantages. In forums like Quora, some of the most interesting and informative answers are given by anonymous users. On the other hand, anonymity can also lead to malicious verbal attacks as one is not held responsible for what one says. I am sad to see quite a display of the latter in the past few days. People in IITH have used anonymity to throw verbal bombs at each other. Some of them have even dared to name the other person trying to defame them publicly out of mere hatred or jealousy. These acts are not only demeaning but also a show of cowardice. With increasing craze in social networking, it wouldn't take a Zuckerburg to track down these posts. I am sure my parents could follow these posts sitting at home. I am sure that some of these people brag about their so called 'IIT tag' back home in front of their friends and family. What is the point of being an IIT graduate claiming to have received a degree from one of the best colleges in the country if you do not have basic moral values? I was reading an article and came across an interesting question I would like to ask these people. Are you so insecure about your own character that you’re too terrified to face the people you don’t understand and ask the hard questions out in the open like a grown-up?
Confessions in some cases are good, as they in some way take the load of a person's chest who is unable to publicly discuss his/her feelings. But it all gets ugly when they turn into cheap display of name calling and tantrum throwing. We are no doubt among some of the brightest minds in the country. But clearly we are not among some of the cleanest minds as shown by these posts and mails.
The fact that these posts are anonymous directly links them to the institute as a whole rather than an individual in particular. As an upcoming institute with the media waiting to pounce on us, we should do everything we can to at least not be known for the wrong reasons if not heard for the right ones. At least I am happy to see that some of the pages have been taken down before becoming public.
With power comes responsibility. It is up to us to act responsibly when vested with this power of anonymity- a double edged sword. As pioneering batches, it is us who should be setting trends to be followed by the upcoming batches. I don't want IITH to be associated with such demeaning acts. Do you?
Comments welcome.
