Consideration of Internet Posting

The Internet is a space that millions can have access to. This is why one must be careful about posting on blogs. I spend hours thinking about what I should say and then reread my blog ten or more times to make sure that I follow my own rules. But, others do not follow the rules that I have set for myself.

Just recently in the international community where I live, there was a blog posted by the wife of one of my teachers. This blog was about her elation leaving India. But, instead of talking about what she would miss about leaving, she focused on what she hated. This blog offended everyone in the community because she was at worst, racist, or at best, culturally insensitive. After talking about how she wanted to get back to her home country of America she said, “I know that even if our flight to Frankfurt is dominated by dark brown faces and a rainbow of saris, it will likely be more mixed or more Western from then on.” These lines suggest that she wants to get away from the “dark brown faces” to the white “Western” ones. She just lumped together about 75 percent of the world and stated that she did not like them. But she did not just stop there, after insulting more than half the world’s population she then grouped Americans together as “lumpy bodied and sloppily dressed” people. So, she is happier to go back to the “lumpy bodied” population than see more than half the world’s population? This caused upheaval in the community because of how offended people were over her words. Unfortunately, this family’s memory may no longer be as cherished as it would have been if the blog had not been posted.

I will not give this women’s name but would instead like to use her mistake of posting this blog as a way to explain to others why it is important to know that everyone can read what you put on the Internet. I do not think that she realized how culturally insensitive she was being. It is true that she is entitled to her own thoughts and ideas, but it is also true that the Internet is a place that is shared by anyone with access to it. I believe that the Internet is a place where all thoughts become public and so private thoughts and ideas should be posted thoughtfully.

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