release_the_bats wrote:
It's one thing to laugh about whatever you want privately among your friends - they probably understand your sense of humor and your intentions.
This is a VERY public place, viewable by anyone, where what you write is recorded for at least several years and comes up on Google searches. Identity is really only partially concealed here, depending in part on how much information you give out about yourself. You also have the option of reading and rereading what you have written before hitting "Post".
Just a few things to consider. Publicly joking in text about horrific, sadistic acts has the potential to hurt people, and it can hurt your reputation as well - maybe long after you've made such comments.
As my professors in my online degree program always say, "Jokes tend not to come across as intended in print, especially when read by people you have not gotten to know in person first."
Notice that with one exception, I haven't told any jokes in this thread, only argued the ethics and morality behind finding humor in this situation. If anything I would be proud of my contributions here, since I'm working against narrow mindedness among a community where it is not uncommon. The only posts of mine that I ever want to forget are the ones where I'm tired or my brain feels out of gear, and my writing doesn't feel up to my normal standards. I tend to evaluate on the merits of the writing more than the actual content, I could care less if someone were arguing for investing all tax monies into a giant Ponzi scheme (wait a minute...), if they were arguing it persuasively and well I would be impressed. In fact, I'm much more impressed by a skillful defense of a difficult position that by defense of the status quo, that might just be my oppositional nature talking though.
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Your boos mean nothing, I've seen what makes you cheer.
- Rick Sanchez
30 Dec 2008, 5:58 pm
