Comments on: Choe Sang-hun on Korea’s online aggression

By: 全球之声-全球博客内容中文翻译版 » Blog Archive » 南韩：网际暴力

全球之声-全球博客内容中文翻译版 » Blog Archive » 南韩：网际暴力 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 04:24:19 +0000

[...] Robert Koehler在他的Marmot’s Hole中，讨论到关于南韩网际暴力(cyberviolence)的现象。 [...]

By: railwaycharm

railwaycharm — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 13:03:29 +0000

I agree that only a minority fringe is causing the entire problem here. The main dilemma is the lemming mentality that causes folks to jump on the bandwagon when their original thoughts were correct. When given the chance to be nationalistic, our friends will take it. The true crime here is good Koreans will be caught up in Rho bull$it politics and we will have to go backwards before things can be reevaluated. I hope the US does not push the ROK to pay its fair share of it defense freight. Does anyone remember 1997?

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 17:14:39 +0000

“It happens a lot in geek circles.”

“The Korean netizen situation is an extreme”

That sums up my point completely….

“Here too in expat land, Mister “Only Koreans Behave Badly”.”

And frankly, I’m getting tired of these complete bullshit argument. It is nothing but a crock of shit. Who has been saying “only Koreans behave badly”, who? Where do you find this? It is everywhere? Only Koreans behave badly. Only Koreans. Just Koreans. Koreans. Koreans. Only Koreans behave badly. Hey! That’s not true. Others behave badly!!! I guess Koreans don’t behave badly? since “Only Koreans behave badly” isn’t true….

I’m sick and tired of such strawman arguments…..

By: The_William_G

The_William_G — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 03:54:15 +0000

A group of people on the web reported some guy named Philip Sandifer to the police claiming the murder fiction her wrote on his livejornal was a true tale and now he’s a suspect in several unsolved cases. The reason they did this is because they didnt like changes he made to some wikipedia articles.

A fellow expat I knew a few years ago had his office phone number posted online by a group of people he had argued with on ESL Cafe. Shawn Matthew’s ex girlfriend was harassed by the same group. There’s a number of examples.

The anti-video game crusader Jack Thompson, had a group of gaming fans attempt to have him banned from practicing law. When that failed, they simply crashed the server hosting his site. It happens a lot in geek circles.

Anonymity and the compamy of like-minded people, chum. The Korean netizen situation is an extreme, but it’s something that’s always present online. Here too in expat land, Mister “Only Koreans Behave Badly”. You not wanting to recognize that ain’t my problem.

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 00:40:12 +0000

Yes, I’ve often heard of the expat crowd at Dave’s ESL Cafe and here at Marmot’s hatching plans to shut down the server of the studio that made the latest horror movie that has anti-US tones or attacking the Blue House’s webserver over Roh. And just as often as I hear about some VANK group on steroids attacking sites, I hear about groups in the US or Canada doing the same…..yup…….u-hu…..

By: The_William_G

The_William_G — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 00:06:36 +0000

This is a lot more common in English language online communities than you may think. Happens a fair bit in the expat online community as well. Group think and relative anonymity are a bad combination, but they’re part of the structure of the web, so there’s really nothing to be done.

By: McSnack

McSnack — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 20:26:27 +0000

In addition to agree with the above comments, I’d be willing to bet 10,000 won of PC bahng cup ramyum that a disproportionate number of Korean netizens are teenage boys who otherwise don’t have an outlet for their teenage angst - and, considering the average life of an average Korean teenager, that must be some pretty intense angst. It’s too bad, because when foreigners - myself included - hear about Korea’s netizens wanting to kill Ohno or bomb the Swiss embassy, it’s natural to apply those sentiments to the country as a whole.

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:32:45 +0000

I think Korea’s strong sense of groupness as opposed to American and Western society’s sense of individualism is another key factor.

By: cm

cm — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:33:06 +0000

“It’s the same in their netizen community.”

I agree with you Maekchu. But isn’t that also another one of the major reasons why this same community will launch internet attacks on Ohno, FIFA, and English Spectrum site? Would you be just as understanding of cultural perspective if the same internet campaigns are launched against Koreans, as they are against foreigners?

In that regard, I don’t think anonymous internet a*holes would discriminate. Their victims have no national boundaries.

By: Maekchu

Maekchu — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:32:21 +0000

Koreans have so many crazy rules of decorum and behavior in their society based on everything from family status to a person’s age that it’s no wonder they go nuts in the anonymity of cyberspace. They do the same thing when they drive. Get four Koreans in a room together and they’ll soon have their pecking order figured out and the humble bowing and sucking up to oldest brother hyung will commence. Get four Koreans on the road trying to merge and you’ll get them cutting off each other, horns will blare and fists will be raised. Some culture. It’s the same in their netizen community.