Is the crowd telling us a story?
I was just reading this article on the Singapore government's reaction to negative comment online. In it, Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Mr Lui Tuck Yew was quoted saying:
"Significant numbers were unkind. A small number was downright outrageous. It's disappointing." Mr Lui added that the internet community had not done enough to rebut some of the unhelpful comments delivered by fellow netizens. He said: "It is a squandered opportunity for a higher degree of self-regulation. It would have been an example of the genesis of the first step towards a more responsible, a greater self-regulatory regime. "But many of those responses were not rebutted nor answered. And I think it is not healthy for some of those to remain on the net unchallenged, unquestioned, and unanswered."This was in relation to "cybertalk which erupted after MP Seng Hang Thong was set on fire by a disgruntled ex-cabbie". I'm not sure if it's selective reporting on the part of the reporter or is this the accurate sentiment of our government. What I'm wondering now is if these "unkind" opinions are telling us a story, a truth about Mr Seng. Why were most of the comments "unkind" and "downright outrageous"? I find it hard to believe that we Singaporeans, being so well educated and so well connected (online), are not capable of self-regulation. I've seen both people and businesses being praised greatly as well as exposed and shamed by the community online which means the community online are definitely capable of giving objective opinions. That being said, in my opinion negative opinions need not be a bad thing. If they speak the truth, you're problem is exposed and then easily solved (build better products, remove person involved). If they speak of a lie, then the breadcrumbs will lead you to the source. Once identified, you can address it with legal means and attempt to communicate the truth. I believe the online community is a great source of feedback, but it's the story of the collective that carries meaning.
