How dangerous can internet be?

A Caroline wrote in her Facebook ‘…I will always make sure that they know our govt is to b blamed for what is happening to us n to Sg: )’

A MJ Rina Huang replied, ‘Dear Ms Caroline, if you are married and have kids, please pray that they don’t hear you, or that no one tells them that their mummy is to be blamed for what’s going to happen to them: )’

The Caroline posted the above and received a threat from another blogger in their Facebook posts. Though both signed off with a : ) sign, the latter can still be interpreted as a threat. One cannot be blamed to think that some harm or something bad could happen to the children.

Caroline went to make a police report and it was reported in TRE that Rina Huang had since removed the offending post from her Facebook. The ball is now in the police’s court. Is there a criminal intimidation threat made by Rina Huang against the children of Caroline? If there is, what are the police going to do about it?

The internet is no place for intimidation or causing mischief. Everyone should have freedom of expression, differences in views and opinions. But no one should be allowed to go around abusing one another, threatening another or irritating others. There must be some form of discipline, decency and not to do to others what one does not want others do unto them.

I would suggest the police set up a unit to make tracing of the mischief makers easier when an official report is made. There is no room for gangsterism or thuggish behavior in the net. Some may think that these are reasonable and part and parcel of freedom of expression, I must say I disagree. The right to speak freely does not give one the right to abuse another person or to threaten another person. With the police providing such a facility, you don’t need any more code of conduct to keep some peace and decency in the net. The wrong doers and mischief makers will know that even hiding under anonymity will not let them get away scot free. This facility is always there, don’t think it is something new. It is only how accessible it is to the public or to people who are being offended.

It is okay to post using a nick or even anonymous, and to exercise freedom of expression. It is another thing to use it to attack people personally or to cause mischief, and worst, threatens others. Why should anyone think that it is alright to verbally attack another person in the net or to abuse another person?