Norms are “social attitudes of approval and disapproval,” the law professor Cass Sunstein writes. Norms specify “what ought to be done and what ought not to be done.” Norms bind societies together; they regulate everyday conduct; they foster civility. They are the oil that reduces the friction of human interaction. We need to maintain norms of courtesy so that we can all get along nicely. Imagine if we didn’t have norms like first-come, first-served. Fisticuffs would quickly follow. In short, norms are a central mechanism through which a society exercises social control. ^
There’s just something about being behind a keyboard and a screen that make people do nutty things, especially if they think that they’re appearing to be anonymous. However, that can also run right into questions concerning libel. Over in the UK, where libel laws are much stricter than here in the US, it should come as little surprise that people who thought they were being anonymous are now being unmasked by those accusing them of libel. ^
I’ve often wondered how humanity is going to resolve this dilemma. We want greater transparency, so we can see what others including our government is doing. However, such transparency makes us vulnerable, especially if it’s not the government that is corrupt but the motives of other people. Privacy is the opposite of transparency. Privacy is the opposite of control. I often fondly look at the anarchy patches on my high school backpack and think it might be worth the chaotic descent into natural selection, if it means I get can get some of these insane “well meaning” people off my back ;)