An End to Online Insults

In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Civilination founder Andrea Weckerle blame the Internet for a rise in “behavior that ranges from the carelessly rude to the intentionally abusive,” a problem they say is caused largely by the speed with which uncivil missives can be sent out on social networking sites. In response to “sites [that] exist solely as a place for mean-spirited individuals to congregate and spew their venomous verbiage,” the two moguls encourage users to have a “sense of accountability and responsibility” about their online activity, citing a number of teen suicides that have been directly linked to online bullying. They also propose uniform federal legislation on the laws surrounding online harassment, and the creation of a network for victims of cyberbullying to receive “emotional support… and practical advice.”