Honor Code

The Internet has become a form of high speed information exchange.  Everyone who's in school knows how much more time it would take if everyone had to research with only books.

Despite these advances, I cannot say that the Internet is a good place overall.  A form of communication is only as good as its use.  I bet all of you have heard about Facebook addictions, online bullying, and other detrimental outcomes out of social media.

The topic of shaming people via the Internet is horrible in my opinion.  I feel that people no longer have a respect for the respect of others because there are little consequences for it.  Unless online shaming results in a suicide, there are no tangible consequences for this misconduct.  Sure, abusive users get banned if enough people report that user but that won't prevent the user from making another account to continue the abuse.  For example, no one may ever know if any bulling had occurred on sites like Twitter.  Tweets can be too indirect to detect bullying.  An entire name could be in a tweet and bullying could be easily lost in the constant tweet surge of Twitter.

Posting pictures of celebrities, which can legitimate or not, seem to be a surefire but lurid way of selling out sensational tabloids.

In protest of this selfish, cynical and horrid form of modern revenge, I pledge never to call someone out by name on the Internet.  I may talk about the affliction a jerk caused me online, but I will only give names to people that have the authority to take concrete action against those who wronged me (such as a principal in school).  If you, the reader, happen to know or figure out who I am ever talking about, then that is great for you.  However, please respect the honor of other people and don't spread (true and untrue) stories that can harm anyone.

Maybe it's because I'm Asian... but I have a very strong sense of respecting the honor of others.  For example, if I overheard a classmate admitted to getting high on the weekend, I won't spread the story around like a wildfire.  If anything I will probably forget it, sooner or later.

All in all, I ask you to not call people out in petty revenge.  I promise you that there are many better ways of dealing with people than to shame them online in any form.