“Online discourse is new, relative to the history of communication. Technological evolution has surpassed the evolution of civil discourse. We are in a defining time.” Researchers surveyed more than 1,500 technologists& scholars about the forces shaping the way people interact online. They asked: “In the next decade, will public discourse online become more or less shaped by bad actors, harassment, trolls, and an overall tone of griping, distrust, and disgust?” 81% said they expect the tone of online discourse will either stay the same or get worse. There’s a sense lately that the lows have gotten lower, that the trolls who delight in chaos are newly invigorated and perhaps taking over all of the loveliest, most altruistic spaces on the web. There’s a real battle between good and evil going on. A new report by Pew suggests that technologists widely agree: The bad guys are winning."
At www.theatlantic.com
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