Social Grace
Some meanings: affability, amiability, civility, communicativeness, companionability, congeniality, convention, courtesy, courtliness, decencies, decorum, diplomatic code, elegance, elegancies, etiquette, exquisite manners, familiarity, fondness for society, formalities, friendliness, geniality, good form, good manners, gregariousness, hospitality, point of etiquette, politeness, proprieties, protocol, rules of conduct, sociability, sociableness, sociality.
Sometimes, as I scour some online forums, I am amazed at some responses of certain netizens.
In the diverse world of the Internet, are diverging views and opinions not allowed to co-exist?
Just in today's online ST Forum, there was this well-meaning person who wanted to highlight that supermarket cashiers should probably be more pro-active in encouraging shoppers on BYOB days (i.e. Bring Your Own Bag. For the environmentally-unconscious you out there, it's every Wednesday!).
Well, I must admit, I am lazy to bring my own bag. Yes, it's true. I'd rather just PAY the extra for the bag. Else, I just won't grocery shop on Wednesdays.
But hey, I do agree with the writer! Valid point raised, I felt. He didn't name the supermarket (thus not making it just about ONE supermarket's staff), but he highlighted a valid argument. While shoppers need to do their part, cashiers & other counter staff are important in helping to ensure BYOB day is successful!
But this poor guy got FLAMED. I cannot believe it.
Comments like "You worthless fellow..you are not a social minded fellow. You could have thrown 20 cents into the box yourself. Why you wait? perhaps you can save that 20 cents if the cashier didnot ask? Such lousy parasites like you have to right to complain. You can beg instead." and "Wu liao letter. Should have shut his crap and do his part. Sabo King also."
Oh man. What is wrong with these netizens?!? Why so mean-spirited?? Why get so personal with attacks and so loose with the words that they use? Hey, can't we all just learn to think through before hitting that "send" button to blast your own irritation into the Internet?
Yes, we are all entitled to our points of view.
But, do we need to be sooooooo harsh with our words?
And the sad thing is, this kind of verbal abuse can be seen in a lot of online forums. Well-hidden behind your computer screen and under the guise of anonymity, it is easy for people to simply type "what they feel" with no regards to the person at the unfortunate receiving end.
On a similar note, I just read about this latest "invention" called Mail Goggles by Gmail.
This is the e-mail equivalent of counting to 10 (and thus losing some of that initial hotheadedness and steam).
Before sending out that flaming e-mail, Gmail will ask you to solve 5 mathematical questions before sending the email out! What a good way to allow the sender time to THINK & cool down before sending! So you won't regret once you hit that Send button!
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