The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
In the Internet, humankind has devised the most advanced way of connecting the world ever seen. It is a marvel of ingenuity that was virtually unimaginable just a generation ago. And how do people use this miraculous medium? Far too often as a vehicle to hurl childish insults at one another, often from beneath the cloak of anonymity. I read a myriad of online news articles. By the nature of my job, I am particularly interested in stories concerning the Flin Flon area. What I see time and again is the debasement of comment boards, those areas below articles where readers can post responses. What is meant as an open forum for rational thought and reflection has instead become an outhouse for the brain droppings of the angry and uninformed. Comments below articles about HudBay, for instance, have bashed the company, bashed the unions, bashed Flin Flon Ð all for no reason other than some unseen web surfers have an axe to grind and too much time on their hands. Beneath a piece about the Flin Flon School Board's proposal to test students for drug use, I uncovered a rather cantankerous debate between those favouring the legalization of marijuana and those opposing it Ð which had absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand. Facebook is just as bad. On second thought, it's much worse because there's no one to monitor what gets posted. Anything can and does go. Spreading nasty information about a fellow Flin Flonner is as easy as clicking a few buttons. You don't even have to leave your house or pick up the phone. Heck, stay in your jammies. I haven't spent tonnes of time on Facebook. One of the few instances I did go there, I came across a page imparting the alleged dirty laundry of a young local woman, courtesy of the guy with whom she had just broken up. True or not (and it was probably the latter), it was appalling. Another time, a few years back, I saw a Facebook page harbouring several photos I recognized from The Reminder. Below one of them was a caption that insulted the depicted person, who just happened to be one of the most kind people you or I will ever meet. I have heard other stories about Facebook, but I think I've made my point. In fairness, it's not all bad. For all of the asinine drivel posted on news sites, there is actually a minority who use the forum for legitimate purposes. Some remarks related to a story on Flin Flon's pollution shared the opinion that residents historically had not been vocal enough about air quality. That's some food for thought. A few comments on the school drug-testing debate questioned where society should draw the line between punishing teens and letting them make their own mistakes. An intriguing point. Humour even sneaks its way in. A piece last year about Flin Flon finally getting 911 service prompted the following bit of sarcasm: "Welcome to the 20th century, Flin Flon!" For its part, Facebook links friends, family members and past acquaintances unlike any other social networking site. In that regard, it can be a valuable tool. Still, it's all of the negativity that stands out so much of the time. The evolution of the Internet brought out the best in human resourcefulness. Unfortunately, it is now bringing out the dark side of some people, and Flin Flonners are no exception. It's time to grow up. People are better than this. Local Angle runs Fridays.
