Name: G.I. Jonesy
Location:
Posts: 2441
Website owners and administrators are awfully bourgeois. Here we are, doing all the work, getting payed nothing. What motivates people to be good little forum-users? The wrath of website admins? What's to stop webizens from sabotaging? If the proletariat were profiting from their contributions, sabotaging the site would be sabotaging themselves. Without real motive, why doesn't the internet denigrate into total anarchy?

Some predict a decline in the civility of internet-user behavior. I predict innovation will change the purpose of internet discourse. Humans and their oxygen breathing, are not so good at creating artificial environments. The beast has needs and wants. To create a successful artificial environment, one must provide more than man-dictated punishment and reward. Learning from the Universe is key to properly adapting the internet for human solicitation.

What motivates humans? Food, reproduction, shelter, safety, clothing, medicine... pleasure. Most of these things can be acquired with money. When people spend time and energy, they expect something valuable returned.

We're all familiar with internet dialogue: Cursing... which I personally detest, sexual harassment, psychological profiling, and all sorts of other less-than-desirable behavior. In typical human fashion, the solution to everything is imprisonment and torture. Bring the torches and pitchforks to drive out the monster. This is the 21st century though, and speech is no longer illegal. What site design would effectively move internet-culture to a place of true usefulness?

Through sabotage, the common person can enact change. What choice do sites have, if everyone revolts? The sites go out of business, or they adapt. It is a simple process of evolution. I'm not talking communism, ignore the spectre hanging over the internet. Let's get serious... how many of you want to die? Ok, back to before. I was talking about the fact we, the people, who make these websites what they are, do all the work yet get payed none of the profits. Is it really any wonder the internet produces such crude behavior?

I issue a challenge to website designers: Find a way to mold behavior through intelligent site-design. There will always be deviants, regardless. This is one fact of many you should keep close while designing. People will be people. You cannot change nature. Exploitation cannot succeed in the long-term. When people realize their trades are unfair, they will cease any further business with the offending parties. Sabotage may well occur, if victims find no alternative.

I patiently await your inventions. You will receive the rewards you earn.