Uncivil Behavior on the Internet or Crowds are not always wise, sometimes they become a mob

Betsy’s postings on the Second Life video tied in with an article on sfgate.com “Bad behavior in the blogosphere,” 3/29/2007.

None of this surprises me.

These incidents bring back the stories I heard from women entering the construction trades. A woman working as a carpenter told me that one afternoon, she left the port-a-potty and was greeted by the sight of all the men on the site lined along the pathway with their flies open and their penises out. She had to walk down that gauntlet to get back to her site. She got no support from the EEOC or the union when she filed a complaint. The current cyber episodes have been condemned by many. The police took the death threats seriously. These improvements are due to the past efforts of women to participate in public life.

The anger in these cyber attacks has something in it different than the anger of blue collar men losing their authority. The assaulting language and images remind me of the brutal behavior of former convicts. In these current attacks, I sense more how damaged our society has become by the growth of prisons. Our society has become deformed in ways we cannot imagine because of imprisonment. The vengefulness to incarcerate has been met by the anger of prisoners.

Over the past forty years, cities have changed into angry and despairing places with a large population of released convicts. The economy has moved to the suburbs; the computer revolution is a product of industrial parks in pleasant suburbs. Leaving a problem does not mean avoiding its effects. The hostility of those cyber attacks is a symptom.

I am going to close with a quote from Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties” by Robert Stone. He describes something I have sensed, but could not identify.

p. 67-68
A strange social development was taking place on skid row, something that might have escaped our notice at a different time. The Bowery was undergoing a kind of race war that it would have been absurdly euphemistic to call integration. Black down-and-outers, whose absence few neighborhood whites had noticed before, began appearing at corners and in the doorways of the chicken-wired hotels. In earlier times, the derelict quarters of major cities were segregated. The Bowery occupants were overwhelmingly elderly white men, who ranged in degree of poverty from the scrofulous, dying bundles of rags in the gutter to men in dry-cleaned thirdhand suits and clean shirts who drew some sort of pittance once or twice a month. This small sum they would providently turn over to the owners of the bargain restaurants where they ate or to the hotel keepers at their rooming house. The meal tickets and room chits kept them lodged and fed even if they fell off the wagon. Most, though not all, were alcoholics. There were virtually no women among them.
Who kept up or enforced the racial barriers? Maybe hard cases who ran the beaneries and hotels. Maybe the police, forcing black paupers up to the skid rows in Harlem. But at certain point around 1960 changes were perceivable. Things being what they were and are, black men faced impoverishment more frequently and at a younger age than most whites. For the same reasons, larger numbers of poor black men had served longer terms in prison. The black newcomers were often younger and less physically ruined than the white derelicts, more used to more serious fighting than at least many of the whites and, perhaps, more involved with drugs. They were also angry; there were men who had been brutalized and whipped, or served on chain gangs and in turp camps.
What began to happen was the social system recently established in prisons took over the Bowery. On the most productive panhandling corners, and in the homeless shelters, the older white men began to disappear. In a way, it was simply a question of the young, in a desperate situation, displacing the old. It went, I think, unnoticed and unmentioned by the city at large. Older men of all races fled the Bowery and looked for relative safety. But there was no protection for anyone. The Darwinian quality one glimpsed was as shocking as anything I ever saw.

Freedom, Control and Power

Make yourself free!

I had an interesting conversation today about freedom, control and limits. I was visiting my wonderful muscular therapist, who has been treating me for about two years. In 2004, I hurt my neck very badly. I was in terrible pain and could hardly move. At the worst times, I could not walk, talk, chew food, read or move my head without excruciating pain. Possibly the most difficult was not being able to read – all my life, reading has been a comfort, an anodyne to pain and illness. When I read, it takes me away from myself and my surroundings, so to lose that ability when I needed it most was an awful blow.

Now, after many hours of chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, meditation, acupuncture and muscular therapy, I am finally feeling pain-free for much of the time on most days. I am so glad to feel normal again! I am not out of pain, and am fragile -- I must always be alert lest I re-injure myself. But I feel so much better, that it is like being reborn.

With that sad background, I was very interested when my muscular therapist said, "You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to it." He was summarizing the message of Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, author and speaker. U Mass link and Wikipedia link. Dr. Kabat-Zinn teaches mindfulness meditation as a way to cope with chronic pain, and has a number of books. If you search his name on Amazon or Google you will find lots of entries. He seems to have done a wonderful job of synthesizing the teachings and practices of yoga and meditation for a western audience.

So, what about freedom, control and limits? We live in one of the freest societies the world has ever known. Education through high school is free for every child. We can choose our career – unlike people in some societies whose job opportunities are defined by their caste, their gender, their father's job. We are free to make our life what we want. You can argue about disadvantaged individuals, but even the worst-off among us is free in ways that many people now and in the past could only dream of. Why do we not choose to live our dreams? Why do we let our lives drift by, without seizing the opportunities that every day brings us?

I believe that we are not awake to the power we have to change and choose. It takes self-awareness, which is sometimes uncomfortable. But if you tell yourself that your pain (or your life!) is outside your control, you give away all your power to change it. By accepting that you cannot change what happens to you, but that you can choose how you respond to those events, you reclaim the power to change your life. You cannot always stop the pain, for instance, but you can change how you think of it, and that changes the meaning and effect of the pain in your life. You limit your choices, your power and your life when you put the control and responsibility for your life outside yourself.

Take responsibility for your life, and take control.

Library 2.0 -- Quality and People Still Matter!

Library 2.0 has become quite the buzz-word, following Web 2.0. The article in Library Journal (here) is a handy explanation. The term can encompass a lot of meanings.

The heart of Library 2.0 is user-centered change. It is a model for library service that encourages constant and purposeful change, inviting user participation in the creation of both the physical and the virtual services they want, supported by consistently evaluating services. It also attempts to reach new users and better serve current ones through improved customer-driven offerings. Each component by itself is a step toward better serving our users; however, it is through the combined implementation of all of these that we can reach Library 2.0.

The main focus is user-participation, user-generated information. An example would be the new tag clouds being added to OPACs to enrich the Library of Congress Subject Headings and added entries provided by catalogers. Users can add tags to a book’s entry on the catalog, for instance, and search by and see what others have added for tags. Some OPACs also allow users to review books, much the way Amazon’s website does.

Other pieces are

* Using technology to push information to users (well that’s not so new, but blogs and wikis are new),
* Recognizing the “long tail effect” – rather than doing collection development just by what is circulating, recognize that you now have technology that can help niche patrons find older materials, and stuff of interest to a smaller group.
* Constantly evaluating services and creating feedback loops for services where patrons can tell you how well they work.

Check the Library Journal article for some terrific links and extra reading.

The March 2007 issue of Information Outlook (Special Libraries Association), vol. 11, no. 3, p. 40, and online with a member password at link, has an article on marketing in Library 2.0, by Jill Konieczko. She says

* Ready, flexible access to information
* Library professionals become partners with their patrons, with common goals
* Tools such as wikis, RSS feeds and tagging allow patron participation and engagement
* Relevance is key

But Ms. Konieczko notes that technology does not supersede the need for excellent service. When the library is well-run,

* Faculty have research support, books and online resources as needed;
* Students have enough books to learn research skills, space to study and meet; and
* Deans are not swamped with complaints and crises over the library.

Librarianship is straddling two worlds and will be for probably another twenty years. We still have, need, and love books. Much of what is in print will not be transferred to a digital form for many years, and maybe never will be. We need to manage both types of information and continually re-educate ourselves about technology, copyright and licensing. Since I became a librarian, we have moved from mainframe computers and dumb terminals to personal computers, and through innumerable iterations of operating systems and software. We moved from card catalogs to library automated systems, and everything continues to evolved and change.

Library 2.0 presents an exciting new way to think about and evaluate library services. But the bottom line is still: Excellent Service And Great Staff!

USA Patriot Act Gag Order - a public (and anonymous) letter

The Washington Post on Friday, 3/23, published this anonymous open letter describing the psychic fallout of receiving a national security letter and gag order -- from an IT businessman. Not just for libraries, any more.

And in case you're not feeling upset enough about our government, the Post also ran a story (here) about the unforeseen consequences of a federal government list designed to thwart terrorists:

...Office of Foreign Asset Control's list of "specially designated nationals" has long been used by banks and other financial institutions to block financial transactions of drug dealers and other criminals. But an executive order issued by President Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has expanded the list and its consequences in unforeseen ways. Businesses have used it to screen applicants for home and car loans, apartments and even exercise equipment, according to interviews and a report by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area to be issued today. (snip)

The lawyers' committee has documented at least a dozen cases in which U.S. customers have had transactions denied or delayed because their names were a partial match with a name on the list, which runs more than 250 pages and includes 3,300 groups and individuals. No more than a handful of people on the list, available online, are U.S. citizens.

Yet anyone who does business with a person or group on the list risks penalties of up to $10 million and 10 to 30 years in prison, a powerful incentive for businesses to comply. The law's scope is so broad and guidance so limited that some businesses would rather deny a transaction than risk criminal penalties, the report finds.

You can see another version of this article at MSNBC, if you don't want to register for the Post.

Link to Congressional Hearing on Interference with Scientists on Climate Change

Nick Anthis, at the Scientific Activist blog (link above) reports on "the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to "Examine Allegations of Political Interference with Government Climate Change Science." The hearing happened on Monday (19 March)" Visit him for a terrific collection of links to the hearing, including testimony and commentary. It was not the blockbuster it should have been, apparently.

Cyberbullying or Virtual Rape

I have been thinking since the griefing attack in Second Life, about the psychological impact of these attacks. I recognize that a physical, real-world rape is a terrible thing, and do not want to diminish its impact on the victim in any way. Still, I wonder if the effect of being mobbed publicly by images of penises, or being trashed on AutoAdmit is not a similar attack on one's sense of security and belonging. If rape is a crime of violence and domination, not of sexuality, these psychic affronts deserve to be examined as virtual rapes.
There has already been recognized "cyberstalking" or "cyberbullying" (see here for a Wikipedia brief article on the topic):

… harassment by use of electronic devices though means of e-mail, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, mobile phones, pagers, and websites. (snip)

Certain characteristics inherent in online technologies increase the likelihood that they will be exploited for deviant purposes. Personal computers offer several advantages to individuals inclined to harass others. First, electronic bullies can remain “virtually” anonymous. (snip)

Further, it seems that cyber-bullies might be emboldened when using electronic means to carry out their antagonistic agenda because it takes less energy and courage to express hurtful comments using a keypad or a keyboard than with one’s voice. Additionally, cyber-bullies do not have to be larger and stronger than their victims, as had been the case in traditional bullying. Instead of a victim being several years younger and/or drastically weaker than his bully, victim and cyber-bully alike can be just about anyone imaginable.
Second, electronic forums lack supervision.

(Wikipedia "Cyberbullying" visited 3/26/07)

In both the Second Life griefing attack and the AutoAdmit trash-talk attacks, the perpetrators remain anonymous. In fact, on AutoAdmit, the "hottest law student" contest was abruptly called off, not after the women being posted without their consent protested (they were trashed even more when they asked to be removed) – it was called off when a male commentator was inadvertently outed. Oooh.

On the other hand, what is most appalling in both sets of attacks is the misogynistic nature. The griefing attack used penises to disrupt an interview. The attacks on AutoAdmit, while including racist, anti-semitic and homophobic comments, certainly displayed attitudes that devalued women as a group, and specific individuals. There were comments that considered sexual attacks and punishments against these women, and discussed their physical attributes in overtly sexual ways. These are both specific examples of cyberbullying of a sexual nature.

The women attacked both on Second Life and on the AutoAdmit chat have said they felt demeaned, devalued and threatened. Women law students who have been the subject of AutoAdmit attacks have said they felt they could no longer go to the gym, and had trouble attending class. They felt violated and threatened.

At a Yale.edu class website, the professors, Marcia Cohen and Sherrie H. McKenna describe women's reaction to rape.

... but all victims feel varying degrees of fear, guilt, embarrassment and anger. These emotions will not surface all at once but will effect the woman for a long time after the attack. It is important for all those close to her, especially the men to understand her feelings and support her through the crisis.
The fear a woman feels may weave through all aspects of her life. More than likely she was attacked going about her business, feeling safe in her world. Once that security is invaded the woman may be fearful about the once routine activities of her daily life. She may approach strangers and even friends and acquaintances with a new caution.
A woman may feel guilt, wondering why she was the victim. She may question whether she really did “ask for it” or lead someone to the wrong impression. She may also be embarrassed about what other people think of her. These feelings may cause her to avoid sexual relationships for a time.

On the Wikipedia article about rape, these comments about the psychological effects of rape:

Rape has been regarded as "a crime of violence and control" since the 1970s. Psychological analysis literature identifies control as a key component in most definitions of privacy:
• "Privacy is not the absence of other people from one's presence, but the control over the contact one has with them." (Pedersen, D. 1997).
• "Selective control of access to the self." (Margulis, 2003)
Control is important in providing:
• what we need for normal psychological functioning;
• stable interpersonal relationships; and
• personal development. (Pedersen, D. 1997)
Violation of privacy or "control" comes in many forms, with sexual assault and the resulting psychological traumas being one of the most explicit forms. Many victims of sexual assault suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, which also center around control issues. Therefore, some argue that it makes more sense to look at the issue of sexual assault as an invasion of privacy (Mclean, D. 1995)

(Wikipedia, Rape, visited 3/26/07)

I think we should consider how virtual worlds -- whether Massively Multi-Player games like Second Life or chat and listserves, enable such attacks on individuals. We should also recognize that the effects of such attacks, whether you call it cyberbullying or virtual rape, are very bad, attacking the victim's security and sense of self. It is interesting that real and virtual rape can be perpetrated against either gender. I wonder if it will be taken more seriously as a crime against the person as more males report attacks against them, either in the real world or the virtual one. Am I too cynical?

Our multi-talented colleagues!

Check the link in the title above to see Civil Procedure professor Adam Steinman perform a very creditable rap on TurboTax. There is a contest (YOU can enter, too!).

Nova Southeastern announces their law library on Second Life

Wow! Nova Southeastern is building a law library in Second Life! Follow the link in the title to this post to visit their page with a picture of the library. Cool! Do they accept volunteers? (Thanks to Susan Vaughn for pointing me to this!)

Cheer Yourself Up! Vault list of underrated law schools

Congratulations to all the schools listed on the Vault list! And if your school (or your alma mater) is not on there, check the Comments list, which features nice comments about ALL the law schools, not just those on the list. Like all ranking systems, there needs to be grain of salt, but it looks as though the comments are all positive, so give yourself an institutional boost of self-esteem! (tip of the hat to my terrific colleague, Andy Perlman)

Wikipedia's new competitor: Citizendium

Larry Sanger, (disputed) co-founder of Wikipedia, with Jimmy Wales, is unveiling a new project. Citizendium is intended to improve on what Sanger (and many others) see as shortcomings in Wikipedia. Citizendium will still be free, non-profit and open to anybody to edit or contribute, but citizendians will need to use their real names. And Citizendium will be reviewed by academic experts for correctness.

Citizendium begins with a copy of Wikipedia, but it has been undergoing editing:

A fork of Wikipedia is allowed under its "copyleft" license that lets anyone use its content as long as they are equally generous with their output.

In other words, Sanger could cut the vastness of Wikipedia and paste it into a new site, then put it through his own meat grinder, complete with rules about real names and expert review.

Last year, Sanger began organizing Citizendium as a fork of Wikipedia. He raised $35,000 from a foundation and a private donor.

Citizendium has been operating in a limited manner that ends with this week's official launch. Its volunteer base numbers roughly 900 authors and 200 editors. The site has 1,100 articles, with 11 "approved" by editors, meriting them a green check mark. Volunteers can revise any article, though already-approved entries are labeled as separate "drafts" while they're being rewritten again.

The link in the title to this post will take readers to an article from the Associated Press that ran in the Boston Globe today. I am especially charmed that the article features a photo of Sanger posing in a library, with 2 stacks of books (actually, they appear to be bound journals).