With the proliferation of blogs in cyberspace, there is a need to address a topic not often considered: internet etiquette. It may be surprising to hear a biblical scholar talk about internet etiquette, but a vacation in the beautiful, and cool, Canadian north can do wonders in providing fresh perspective and resetting one’s compass for another year of academic work.
Mind you, I’m not one of those etiquette gurus who try to catch others in every tiny infraction of proper conduct. In fact, I am a free, independent-type spirit who loves nothing more than wide open spaces and plenty of room to roam. At the same time, I am not an anarchist, but do appreciate the need for civility, respect, and sensitivity in one’s relations with others.
Have you ever noticed that people would say things to others on the internet they would never tell them in person face to face? I recently had someone tell me, via blog, that they would never read anything again that I wrote. That strikes me as a rather rude statement, especially since I had done nothing to offend that person, other than to point out what I perceived to be a minor inconsistency in their argument. More importantly, that person and I had never previously met. Is that the way we talk to virtual strangers?
I hasten to add that I have met many very nice, considerate, courteous people on the internet. It seems, though, that blogs are the type of medium that lend themselves to quick, unedited, and sometimes inadequately considered comments that a person may later regret. We all have sent messages we later wished we could take back.
For this reason may I issue a reminder to all of us in the blogosphere to cultivate Christian grace and Christlike character? Rather than duplicate the kinds of shouting matches that are all too common on cable TV news programs, let us be more concerned with reasoned, civilized interchange than with getting our point across or winning an argument. Agreed?
Agreed. I think there is a postive aspect to the whole thing as well, namely, that we can see the reality of one’s heart by what we say. And even if it is in written form it nevertheless reflects our heart. So, for the rude comments we may get via internet, we can respond in God glorifying ways that make much of God and deal with the reality of man’s heart. Blessings.
I recently had someone tell me, via blog, that they would never read anything again that I wrote.
Oops. Was that me? I think that it had to do with my retaining my sanity as a woman. It is hard for me to read about the patricentric family and remaining in the domestic domain and all those boundaries and submission and so on because I know many women who have been seriously abused and were given this type of literature. I also know many women who don’t/can’t have children or aren’t married and they like to do any of the things that men do, not the things that one would list as ‘domestic’.
It feels very personally unpleasant to read what you write, but maybe you are not aware that your writing makes people feel so sad. Do you have a list of things that women can do? Should I have a list of things that men can do?
It is a sad discourse. No room for Deborah, or Phoebe, or Huldah – always Hannah, and Rebecca, and Mary, well women are all different individuals!
In fact, I am a free, independent-type spirit who loves nothing more than wide open spaces and plenty of room to roam.
Me too. But you offer women boundaries.
Thanks for the reminder. Blessings, and peace.
Wide open spances for men and boundaries for women, this is why I said what I did . . . I have, of course, read quite a bit of what you have written. I am a Canadian woman who writes mainly about mission work, Bible translation and women. I had wanted to comment on your blog some time last winter but the technology was different then and I wasn’t able to figure it out. I think that after reading excerpts from your article “The Neutering of ‘Man’ in the NIVI,” I first felt uncomfortable with your writing.
I love the virtual strangers pun! Very sharp.
GOD offers women boundaries.
He created the sexes, and the differences therein.
It is amazing some of the scorning and ridiculing comments put out on some blogs. It does make you wonder how these people are face to face.
Dr. Kostenberger,
This is a great post, and I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for all you do.
Nathan
Thanks for the very needed corrective to the off-the-cuff and often abusive way people treat each other on blogs. You cannot possibly know a person well enough from this medium to make the judgments that some often make.
Hi Dr. Kostenberger,
It’s Bob Page, your former student. I agree with your post and wonder why people are so impolite at times online especially in blogs. We need to walk in Chrit’s love with humility and Christian kindness. Thanks again for the great exegetical teaching especially on the Gospel of John!
In Christ,
Bob Page
Concord, NC