Is Honor Still Relevant in Online Forums?

[PIT2]

What is honor good for on internet forums?

 

[radou]

On virtually all the forums i visit, i can see that most people instinctively are seeking the respect of others, even though it doesn't seem to serve any purpose and the resulting behaviour appears primitive.

So what is honor good for on internet forums?

You'll have to go into more detail and lay out some examples/arguments on this one.

 

[PIT2]

For example when someone has an idea that is not accepted by the majority of the forum-goers, the person can be afraid to tell his thoughts. When he does tell, others will go in great lengths to invent clearly absurd arguments to counter his position, they don't want to lose face. Basicly its just like the real world, except i don't understand what the purpose of it is in a place where guidelines forbid abusive behaviour, where there is no danger of getting beaten up, and where most of the people involved will never meet each other and shouldn't care about being liked or not.

 

[russ_watters]

You think the danger of being beaten-up or not being liked is what people are concerned about? No offense, but how old are you? Adults do not base their actions/words strictly on fear of being disliked or beaten up. One key sign of maturity is not saying what you think others want to hear - not caring if people don't like you for who you are.

People treat people with respect because people are worthy of respect. It isn't much more complicated than the Golden Rule. You really have the issue exactly backwards: Quite simply, this forum wouldn't be worthy of my membership if it wasn't a civil place.

 

[PIT2]

Adults do not base their actions/words strictly on fear of being disliked or beaten up.

Where did i say adults base their behaviour strictly on that?

My topic isn't concerned only with adults btw, just forumpopulations in general.

One key sign of maturity is not saying what you think others want to hear - not caring if people don't like you for who you are.

In societies where honor plays a big role, the opposite can happen. They care about the opinions of others so much that they would kill their own offspring over it.

People treat people with respect because people are worthy of respect. It isn't much more complicated than the Golden Rule.

Actually i was talking about honor (not 'being polite') in the sense of caring about reputation so much that one doesn't dare express an opinion that would make one less popular/less credible in the group.

 

[russ_watters]

"Honor" (virtue, respect) means different things to different societies, but for our purposes here, being respected and treating people with respect are two parts of the same thing. In this society, being respectful gets you respect. It really is that simple. This isn't ancient Japan and we aren't Samurai.

 

[Gelsamel Epsilon]

Honor, is it irrational?

 

[baywax]

There used to be something called the honor system.

It was practially universal among people. When they took a paper out of a paper box on the street, they paid for it without any prompting whatsoever. People used to actually buy gas the same way. Just drop the amount you owe in an old cigar box and drive away.

Today honor has to be explained to people. You have to pay for the paper before you can have it. There are guidelines and passwords to accept and fill in before you get to speak. Honor appears to be lost on most folks. Unless it has to do with how many people you kill in a war. Or if you were killed yourself. There's honor in that now.