Anonymity and Netiquette-written by 산티아고^^

[Vincent(카페지기)]

1. Anonymity and Netiquette

A fierce debate has been raging over whether to make it compulsory for internet users to use their real names on internet bulletin boards. Should anonymity online be eliminated? Is anonymity a curse or a blessing? The government is revising related laws to restrict anonymity on the web sites of public agencies.

One side thinks that the citizens of the Net should be confident enough to state their beliefs without hiding behind pseudonyms. The other side feels anonymity is vital for protecting freedom of expression‎. While security-conscious individuals and law enforcement authorities call for the ban of anonymity on the internet, advocates of privacy support it.

Ironically, both those for and against anonymity have the same motivation _ to protect democracy and freedom of speech.

Those in support of anonymity claim restricting channels of anonymous communication in cyber space would be violating the right to free speech guaranteed by the constitution. They say open discussions on sizzling national issues would be impossible without the protection of identities. They often cite anonymous whistle blowers as a good example for the necessity of anonymity.

Those against anonymity argue that it is often abused to illegally move secret information or spread groundless rumors, libeling innocent people or organizations. The spread of false information is so hazardous that it could possibly ruin the veracity of the web as an information network. Anonymity has had its place in our lives and society for long since well before the age of Internet.

It has often been used, and desirably, for one to confess his or her secret love, express gratitude, and encourage or praise people who live honestly and diligently. It is also a good tool for students to make difficult recommendations to teachers and especially to make friendly advice to buddies.

Above all, anonymity is exceptionally brilliant in case of making donations to the needy, making people feel it’s still a beautiful society to live in.

Yet, the latest social trend raises questions over whether to allow anonymity on the internet due to its so many risks.

In short, as far as anonymous writing in cyber space is concern edit’s still a free world.

Shielded by anonymity, a number of netizens not only make excellent points in online forums, but also go out on limbs with radical notions without fear of reprisals. These are the obvious benefits of anonymity. They can express without fear their views that they are reluctant to say when facing others.

Online editions of most newspapers are full of diverse opinions of anonymous readers about crucial issues of the nation for their own heated debates.

Regrettably, however, many of the Internet users appear to be lacking basic etiquettes on the Net by attacking those with different opinions with vulgar words or profanity. The problem of profanity on the internet is that, among others, the victims are unable to know exactly who are attacking them.

Speaking ill of other people hidden behind anonymity on the ground that they have different views is both cowardly and mean that can not be justified by any excuse. How can one strike back against those with no names? Cursing at others in their face is less cowardly in that it offers a chance for counterattacks.

A society where people lack respect for others and etiquettes can only be desolate. Without netizens’ proper display of behaviors the internet is nothing but a bleak cyber world.

Only about a decade ago, there was no internet and people had no problem with the issue of anonymity. The problem of the lack of netiquette has gone too far. Nobody has the right to utter profanity at others on the Web anonymously. One should only offer healthy criticism. Profanity is not criticism.

The vicious trend is only adding to the already worsening conflict and distrust in this society that stem from selfish interests. We need to seriously consider implementing mandatory measures to ban or sharply curtail online anonymity by tracing Internet surfers.

Question

1. When you use internet, what do you do usually?

2. Have you ever seen person who is suffered from anonymous attacks on cyberspace?

Or have you ever attacked someone?

3. In your opinion, what kind of advantages/handicaps we get by using anonymous system?

4. Do you agree with using anonymous system on cyberspace?

If so or not, why?

Nationalism in sports

As most sports fans know by now, Korean woman golfers have become a dominating force on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) circuit in the United States. They were doing so well that no less than five Korean golfers finished in the top 10 in the Kraft Nabisco Championship the weekend before last with Grace Park winning the title.

Many American and other foreign players and LPGA officials as well as ordinary American golf fans were reported to be amazed by so many qualified Korean golfers in the LPGA. But as far as I could determine, there has not been any public expressions of dismay or resentment over the lopsided inroad of Korean golfers.

This proves that in professional sports, there is no discrimination based on the differences of race or nationality in America. As long as you are qualified and as long as you are willing to play by the rules of the game, you are welcome to compete, regardless of who or what you are. And fans applaud and admire you, if you are really good, regardless of the color of your skin or the language you speak. This, I think, is the spirit of professional sports in America in recent years.

In Japan, sumo wrestling is the most tradition-bound sport with players and referees, judges and other officials following a set of rigid ritualized rules and manners. Yet, sumo today has accepted foreigners from such diverse countries as the United States, Mongolia, Argentina and South Korea. And a couple of Hawaiians, followed by a Mongolian, have reached the top of the heap, becoming grand champions, in recent years.

Watching the latest 15-day spring tournament in Osaka, western Japan, on television, I was impressed by the enthusiastic support and admiration expressed by Japanese fans for the reigning Mongolian Grand Champion Asashoryu, who won the Emperor`s Cup in two seasonal tournaments in a row. Even the Japanese, who can be pretty parochial and nationalistic in sporting events, are fair and open minded enough to accept foreigners without discrimination into their traditional game and treat them equally with the Japanese.

In sharp contrast, we Koreans tend to set foreign entries or foreign players apart in Korean sports and keep them as outsiders for as long as we possibly can. A case in point occurred in the High School Relay Marathon held in Gyeongju two weeks ago. Although it wasn`t a professional event, boys and girls teams from high schools in Japan and China were invited to compete in the race. They were apparently much better than their Korean counterparts. For they finished the race far ahead of the best Korean teams. And yet, in reporting on the results of the race the next day, not a single newspaper mentioned the Japanese and Chinese teams in their articles.

What counted for the Korean reporters was, no doubt, how the Korean high school teams fared. But as long as we invited the foreign teams to compete in the race, they should have also reported on their performance as well, especially when the Korean teams could not put up a close race against them. The relatively poor performance of the Korean teams hurt our pride and that, obviously, was why we consciously or unconsciously tried to ignore the foreign entries and their records. But we have to know our opponents if we want to catch up with them and eventually beat them.

That is not all. When the annual season winds down, attention is centered around who are going to be the best players in various categories of a given sport, like the top scorer in soccer and basketball, the best three-point shooter in basketball, or the leading home-run hitter in baseball and so on. And when a Korean is in a close race against a foreigner for such an honor, Korean players on the same team as well as members of the opponent team, believe it or not, do their best to help the Korean player come out ahead of the "foreign mercenary." They feed the ball almost exclusively to the Korean player or create a good opening for him to score, so that he will become the best player of the year, beating the foreign competitor.

Such a nationalistic sentiment and fanatical support for a Korean team or individual players is never harmless because it reflects poor sportsmanship and gives a bad example to our children who need to be taught to function in an increasingly globalized world. In addition, we only hurt ourselves when we are too narrow-minded and biased against non-Korean players, especially in professional sports, because, as I said, it often is the foreign players who help us improve the game or let us know where our players stand in international arenas.

**For your tips**

nationalism: 애국주의 (public spirit:나쁜 의미의 애국주의)

foreign mercenary: 입신양명

Question

1. What is your definition of nationalism?

2. Give us some examples that Korea overly stresses nationalism in sports.

3. What is your opinion on discrimination against foreign sports team or player in Korea?

4. How can we make a fair and ideal environment for sports?

3. Most support voluntary euthanasia(안락사)-BBC

Some countries permit assisted dying, but the UK does not

Eight out of ten of people support a law change to allow doctors to actively end the lives of terminally ill patients who want to die, a poll shows.

(Voluntary euthanasia: The physician would actually help the patient die)

Question

What do you think of euthanasia? You don't need to be too serious on this subject.

Just tell us your opinion.

이번 주에는 Santiago 님이 토픽에 도움은 주셨습니다. 읽을 내용이 많아서 일찍 올립니다.

새해(?)를 맞이하여 다시 새로운 마음가짐으로 모두 함께 떠들어 봐요. 영어로~ㅋㅋ 활기 넘치는 한 주보내시고 토욜에 만나요~^^

[bloody]

단어 안찾고 그냥 읽는데도 시간이 엄청나네... ㅡ,.ㅡ 대략 난감...

[Teddy~*]

라식수술 후유증이 없으면 참석할께요

[Jackie]

...벌써했군,,,요즘 기술이 조아서 휴유증 없어...나오^^

[Teddy~*]

머리에서 냄시나도 모른척 하기 없기

[Barbie♡]

헐 ....ㅋ

[Jackie]

바비 성질내면서 단어찾고 하는거 아냐^^;

[bloody]

정말 대략 난감... 이 글을 문서화 하니 3장이 나옵니다 ㅡ,.ㅡ 그것도 칸을 최대한 늘려서~~~ 노력할께요... ㅠ,.ㅠ

[Clark]

이번엔 진짜 일찍 갈게요^^

[Vincent(카페지기)]

굳이 다 출력할 필요없어요^^; 시간이 되시면 독해 하시는 것도 좋겠지만 질문에 대한 의견을 말하는 것이 중요하니까 눈으로 읽어보고 간단히 내용만 파악하시면 되요ㅋㅋ 편집을 했어야 했는데 죄송합니다.

[JJun(Manager)]

I'm gonna show up this week~ Hey Santiago~ I'll kill you~ ㅡㅡ+

[santiago]

암쏘리~ 암낫 고나 쇼업 디스윅...ㅡㅡ;

[bloody]

흠~~~ 어떻게 하나 지켜 보겠습니다... 쭌님~~ ^^ 제대로 보내버려야 하는거 알죠?? ㅋㅋ~~ 인정사정볼것없다~~~~

[Todd]

이제 슬슬...바빠져서...못나갈가능성이 더 크다는... Topic은 그냥 질문만 읽어도 될듯한데...

[Alba(Manager)]

한동안 뜨음하다 했더니 바뿌시구낭 시간되시면 참석하세용^^

[bo-hye]

허걱.. 아침부터 좌절합니다. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 참석할게요~ ^-^

[설레임]

이런주제에 참석해서 대화할만큼 실력이 되야되는거죠? 저는 도무지 모르겠네여. 아~ 슬프당.. 학원을 좀 다닌후에 와야하나???

[Alba(Manager)]

어랏 절대 부담 갖지말고 오세용 학원도 다니면서 주말에 스터디 참석하면 더 좋죠 go go

[Jackie]

산티나고^^;(넝담)...노력하는 모습이 good good very good^^해 갈께요

[santiago]

잇츠 저스트 스크랩핑 스킬 OR 인터넷 설칭 스킬..ㅡㅡ;

[Alba(Manager)]

아, 깜딱이야 자자, 다들 정신차리고 이번주 기대됩니다 지금까지 10명입니다... 참석하실분들 꼬리말 언능언능 아주세용 ^^

[Doo ^^]

그날 보아요.^^

[bloody]

저 참석할겁니다... 자리 마련해주세요...

[설레임]

가서 한마디도 못하고 한마디도 못알아들을텐데요..흑흑..ㅠㅠ

[Vincent(카페지기)]

토픽이 기니까 호응이 많군요ㅋㅋ 토픽 선택에 반영하겠습니다. 많이 참여해 주세요^^!!

[이승원(펠릭스)]

우와 빡시당.~~~ㅡ,.ㅡ;;

[Angie(까페지기)★]

허허..진짜 기네요ㅠ.ㅠ 글자들이 그냥 둥둥 떠다닌담스~내일뵈요^^

[santiago]

근데 정말 죄송한데요... 제가 낼 못가거든요.... 이것도 지지난주에 빈센트형께 보낸 토픽이 튕겨서(튕~~) 올려진것이라서... 쏘 엠버러스트 하군요...ㅡㅡ; 참석하고 싶지만 매달 막주는 학회라....ㅜㅜ 너무 보고들 싶습니다..ㅜㅜ

[Skylark]

Be pressured;; But I`ll be there.^^

[도르도르]

참석! 2주만이네요~~!!

[prairie7]

참석예정입니다.

[rupy]

저도 참석합니다^^

[carol ~*]

늦었지만 참석 리플 달아용^^*

[올리삐아]

첫모임인딩... 토픽보기전엔 무조건 가볼라했는뎅...보고나니 고민 되는뎅... 그냥 듣기만 해야할듯...^^