A Primer for New Online Activists

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                http://www.albany.net/~mjc1/index.html

  
               A PRIMER FOR ONLINE ACTIVISTS


INTRODUCTION:

   Although this document was conceived as a guide for
new animal rights activists, the principles discussed can
be generally applied to virtually any activist working
online. It is not intended to be a list of absolute
rules, nor is it meant to be a strict characterization
of my own posting style. It IS meant to be used as a
reference by people who have little or no experience
with online activism.

ONLINE DIALOG:

   The Internet has been around in one form or another
for several decades. This, along with the somewhat
parallel development of dialup Bulletin Board Services
(BBS's), has resulted in the evolution of an Online
Culture of sorts, with its own "nettiquette". For
someone posting online for the first time, cyberculture
can be confusing at best, and downright offensive at
worst. Since the Internet isn't going to change for the
sake of new people (known as "newbies"), it is important
to be able to understand this medium, and to use it to
communicate effectively. Since the cyberculture
vocabulary extends to acronym-like abbreviations, and to
punctuation-based indicators of tone called
"emoticons", I have included a short list of the most
common shorthand expressions, and a helpful link, at the
end of this document. While it is very important to
understand whether the post to which you are responding
was intended to be serious, or just tongue-in-cheek, the 
most vital aspect of online activism is your own 
presentation; how you represent yourself and your cause,
and how well you communicate.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

   When you are posting online, people don't know what
you are like, how nice you are to your family, or how
intelligent you are at your job. They often don't even
know your gender. Consequently, your online identity 
consists almost entirely of what you write. I say
"almost", because many people adopt online aliases,
either to help protect their identities or to make a
statement about who they are and what they believe.
This means that if you post under the name
"MoltenDeath" or "AK-47", you have lost quite a 
bit of your audience's respect and empathy before you
write a word. If you want to use an alias, it's a good
idea to pick one that isn't instantly offensive.
   The first time that you post in a newsgroup or other
online forum, it is important to think about what you
want to say before you click the "send" button. If you
are angry, take the time to calm down a bit before you 
respond. Your first post doesn't have to be profound,
but it's a good idea to avoid being remembered as "that
jerk". This is of course a good idea for all posts, not
just your first one. Depending on the situation, you
may want to indicate that you have been following the
discussion, and perhaps explain why you have decided to
participate. That doesn't mean that you are expected to
tell the Story of Your Life in your first post, or that
anyone will appreciate it if you do. 
   It's generally better to slip into a discussion than
to crash it. That means following a topic "thread", and
reading a few older posts if necessary, before you
participate. Try to get a sense of the topic, and of the
positions and personalities of the people involved in it.
This will help you to contribute something meaningful. 


CIVILITY:

   One of the worst things an activist can do in any
discussion is to lose his or her temper. This may not
be obvious to everyone; there are many people online
who view personal insults and inflammatory rhetoric
(known as "flames") as a perfectly acceptable everyday
conversational style. Some people, often called Trolls,
post not to advance the discussion but to provoke angry
responses.  Don't fall into the trap of fighting Fire
with Fire; the only people who truly appreciate that
sort of "debate" are those who will never change their
minds, and those who make better opponents than allies.
The better way to win a skirmish is to be the one who
remains calm, not the one who comes up with the nastiest
flame. If you do lose your temper, apologize. When
dealing with people who just can't be civil, humor,
used in an appropriate manner (not as a substitute for
debate) can be effective. Avoid "baiting", or
deliberately provoking anger.


ARGUMENT 101:

   When debating matters of fact, avoid the pitfall of
posting your own opinion as established reality. If you
believe that something is true, but do not absolutely,
positively know it to be true, it's a good idea to 
indicate that by writing something along the lines of
"It's my understanding that..." or "I'm pretty sure
that...". This can save you enormous grief if you turn
out to be mistaken. On a similar note, remember the
Monty Python "Argument Sketch": contradiction is not
debate. Support what you say with reasoned arguments,
facts, or both.
   When paraphrasing someone, never use double quotation
marks. Use single quotation marks, or none at all. Never
edit a quote to change the meaning, and if you do edit
for length, indicate that you have done so. Always 
indicate whom you are quoting.
   There are a handful of descriptive terms that get
bandied about in online discussion groups. They
describe tactics that do not represent honest 
debate. Avoid stating that a person or source is
completely untrustworthy because they have lied in the
past ("poisoning the well"), appealing to emotion rather
than intellect ("ad hominem"), excusing behavior on the
grounds that the opposition engages in it (tu quoque),
and avoid attributing a position to someone that they do
not hold, and then rebutting it ("straw man fallacy").
You may be accused of engaging in these tactics anyway;
be prepared to defend your posts in a reasonable manner.
Avoid using a double standard: judge your opponents and
their organizations by the same ethical yardstick you use
to judge yourself and the organizations that you support.
   Even when arguing passionately, try to refrain from
using excessively dramatic language, and, especially,
don't make sweeping generalizations. The latter can be
used to dismiss your position out of hand, even if it is
quite valid in a more limited sense. For example, the
statement "Many animals in slaughterhouses die in a
manner that isn't fast or free of extreme suffering."
is a little dramatic, but defensible. The statement
"All animals in slaughterhouses die a slow, horrible
death!" is not accurate, and will, rest assured, be
used to discredit you.


LISTEN!:

   The most valuable asset that an activist can bring
to a debate is an open mind. Listen to what your
opponents are saying, and if it repels you, think about
it anyway. Even Trolls can present valid arguments.
Remember that no side is wrong (or right) about
everything, and that you can learn valuable lessons
from your opponents. What you learn can help you to
grow as an activist and as a person. Try to give
yourself some time away from the fray on a regular
basis; it will help you to remain calm, sharp, and
most importantly, sane.



SOURCES:

   When looking for facts to support your argument, one
of the absolute best places to look is in the material
provided by partisan, biased organizations *who support
the opposing position*. Quote a statement by PETA to
support a pro- animal rights argument, and the
opposition will laugh. Quote a statement from one of
their own sources, like the NRA or AMPEF - one that
presents facts that speak against their own interest in
this case - and they will be hard pressed to refute it.
Relatively neutral sources, of course, are also
excellent. Remember that all sources are biased in one
way or another, and don't treat any advocacy group, no
matter how close to your heart they may be, as
infallible. Above all, think for yourself!








NETSPEAK:

IMO - in my opinion

BTW - by the way

AFAIK - as far as I know

LOL - laughing out loud

ROTFL - rolling on the floor laughing


EMOTICONS:

:)   happy, friendly, or joking

;)   winking or joking

:(   unhappy
 

   Many variations of these, and others, exist.
They are used to indicate tone and mood in a medium
where those things are not always readily apparent. 
   The use of asterisks to indicate *emphasis* (as
italics are used) may be desirable, because typing in
all capital letters is often considered to be SHOUTING. 
   More useful information for newbies can be found at:
            http://www.newbie.net/



Copyright 1999 by Michael Cerkowski
Distribute freely, but do not modify.