Wild West 2.0: How to Protect and Restore Your Online Reputation on the Untamed Social Frontier

76 Wild West 2.0

their actions, users feel free to attack other users at will. In a world

with no consequences, many users think there is little reason to avoid

profane or malicious behavior. A hypothetical Web user contem-

plating a malicious attack knows that he is unlikely to be found by

the victim, so he does not fear the risk of a lawsuit for defamation (or

even more rough forms of justice). And he is also anonymous to his

real-world friends and colleagues who would otherwise apply social

pressure to prevent socially unacceptable behaviors like malicious at-

tacks and mean-spirited gossip. The stereotype of the Internet user

working alone in his parents’ basement is probably outdated, but it

remains true that most Internet users surf alone and theref ...