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Unit2CulturePassageAWhyDigitalCultureIsGoodforYou?Thenewsmedia,alongwithsocialandbehavioralscientists,haverecentlysentoutamultitudeofwarningsaboutthemanydangersthatawaitusoutthereincyberspace.ThetruthofthematteristhattheWebisnomoreinherentlydangerousthananythingelseintheworld.Itisnotsomeamorphousentitycapableofinflictingharmfuloutcomesonallwhoenter.Infact,inandofitself,theWebisfairlyharmless.Ithasnospecialpowertoovertakeitsusersandaltertheirveryexistence.Liketheoldtalethatthevampirecannotharmyouunlessyouinviteittocrossyourthreshold,theInternetcannotcorruptwithoutbeinginvited.And,withtheexceptionofchildrenandtheweak-willed,itcannotcreatewhatdoesnotalreadyexist...(1)Likealcohol,theWebsimplymagnifieswhatisalreadythere:ExpertsareconcernedthatthemaskingthatgoesononlineposesadangerforeveryonewhoisapartoftheDigitalCulture.Beforeweknowit,theexpertstellus,wewillallusefakeidentities,becomefragmented,andwillnolongerbesureofjustwhoweare.Wrong.Theonlypeoplewhofeelcompelledtomask,andotherwisemisrepresentthemselvesonlinearethesamepeoplewhoaremysteriousandunfrankinreallife...theNetjustgivesthemonemoretooltopracticetheirdeceit.Asfortherestofus,gettingtakeninbythesepeopleisalowprobability.Weknowwhothesefolksareintherealworld.TheInternetdoesnotcausepeopletodisguiseassomethingtheyarenot.AsfortheDigitalCulturegettingcheatedbythesedishonestfolks,well,therearejustasmanycuesonlinetodecipherdeceptionasthereareintherealworld.ThecompetentWebHeadcanrecognizemanyredflagsgivenoffbytheonlinebehaviorofothers.Oftentimestheintentionsoffellowusersiscrystalclear,especiallyovertime.Whensomeoneistryingtodeceiveusonline,inconsistencies,theessencethattheyaretryingtoohardorarejustplainunbelievable,oftencomethroughloudandclear.Likewise,justlikeintherealworld,ahostofotherunacceptabletendenciescanbereadilyrecognizedonline.Narcissism(it'sallaboutmeeeee),thosepeoplewhohavenothingbutnegativityorunpleasantthingstosayaboutothers,andthosewhofeelcompelledtoundermineothersandwhothinktheymustblowouttheotherguys'candlesinorderfortheirowntoshinecanbespottedacybermileaway.(2)TheWebcanbringoutthebestinpeople:Gregarious,frankfolksinreallifeusuallycarrythesesametraitsovertotheironlinelife.Mostarejustasfun-lovingonlineifnotmoreso,astheyareataparty,atwork,oratthelocalbar.Thoughadmittedly,somearenotquiteasmuchfuntobearoundwithoutastiffdrink.ShyfolkshaveasaferenvironmentonlinethanintherealworldandcanlearntoexpressthemselvesmorefreelyontheNet(you'veneverseenanyonestutterone-mail,haveyou?)allowingthemtogainconfidenceandcommunicationskillsthatcaneventuallyspilloverintootheraspectsoftheirlives.Helpfulpeopleinreallifeareoftenjustaswillingtocometosomeone'sassistanceonlineasanywhereelse.(3)PeoplearejudgeddifferentlyontheWeb:OntheInternetpeoplearejudgedbytheirpersonality,beliefsandonlineactions,NOTbytheirphysicalappearance.Thisisgood.Itnotonlygivesuglyfolksanaid,butcausesBeautifulPeopletohavetosaysomethingworthlisteningtoinordertogetattention.(4)Peopleopenupmore:ManypeopleareopeningupawholelotmorethesedayssincetheyarenotrequiredtousetheirrealnameandprovidetheirrealidentityintheInternet.(5)We'reconnected:MembersoftheDigitalCultureknowfullwellthatthereisawealthofimportantinformationandlife-changingopportunitiesoutthereincyberspace.TheWebhasopeneddoorsformanyofusthatotherwisewouldneverhavebeenanoption.Researchpossibilitiesandnetworkingarejusttwosuchopportunities.(6)WeLearnthePowerofWordsandtobeBetterListeners:Withnofacialexpressions,bodylanguage,orphysicalappearancetodistractus,membersoftheDigitalCulturehavelearnedthepowerofwords...boththeirown,andothers'.Weknowverywellhowasimplestringofwordscanharm,hurtandoffend,orhowtheycanofferhumor,help,supportandencouragement.Mostexperiencedmembersoftheonlineculturehavelearnedtobecomewordsmiths,carefullycraftingthewordstheyusetoconveyexactlywhattheymeansoasnottobemisunderstood.ManyofushavealsolearnedtobecomefarbetterlistenersthankstotheInternet.Notonlydowechooseourwordsmorecarefullybutwe(especiallythosewhocommunicateviaemailasopposedtochatrooms)areforcedtowaituntiltheotherpersonfinishesbeforewecanspeakorrespond.A为什么数字文化对你有好处？最近，新闻媒体以及社会学家和行为学家们都发出大量警告指出：网络空间危险重重。其实，万维网与世界上其它任何事物一样并非天然地有害。它并非某种看不见摸不着的实体，能使危险降临进入它的每一个人。实际上，网络就其本身而言是相当无害的，它没有超越其使用者并改变他们的存在的特殊功能。正如古老的传说指出的一样，吸血鬼不请不会自入家门来伤害你，互联网也不会不请自来地使你堕落。除孩子和意志薄弱者外，它不可能造成本来就不存在的东西…（1）如同酒精的作用一样，网络仅仅是将已有的事物放大：专家们担心，网上盛行的隐藏装假对参与数字文化的人来说是危险的。他们告诉我们，我们不知不觉地全都会使用假身份，一个个变得残缺不全面目全非，以至于连自己都不敢肯定自己究竟是谁。全错。只有那些在“现实生活”中表现得诡秘莫测，毫不坦诚的人，才感到被迫要在网上伪装自己并用其它方法提供虚假情况。网络只不过为他们增添了一种实施欺骗的工具。因为我们了解现实生活中的这些人，所以被这些人欺骗的可能性很小。因特网并不会“引起”人们去装扮成另一些人。至于数字文化中人被这些不诚实的家伙欺骗的问题，就如同“现实”生活中一样，网上同样有许多“信号”会揭露他们的骗术。有水平的网迷能识别在线人行为所发出的很多危险信号。尤其是经过一段时间之后，别的用户的意图常常是非常清楚的。有人试图在网上欺骗我们时，常常会明白无误地表现为自我矛盾，这是力求取信而过分涂抹，甚至说话虚假、令人难信的必然迹象。同样，与在“现实世界”中一样，许多其它令人讨厌的倾向在网上也都能很容易地识别出来。孤芳自赏（一切围绕“我我我”）在网络上也老远就会被发现，因为他们都是些只说别人反话或坏话的人，认为只有吹灭他人的蜡烛自己才能闪光的人。（2）网络能让人展现其最好的一面：“现实生活”中爱好交往和直率的人在网上也会展现相同的个性。多数人网上和网下都一样爱找乐趣，即使不是有过之而无不及，也与他们平时在聚会上、在工作中和在当地的酒吧里一样喜欢寻找乐趣。然而无可否认，有些人没有烈性酒作伴，你和他们在一起就不会那么欢乐。害羞的人在网上比在“现实世界”中会得到更为“安全的”环境，并且在网上能学会更自由地表达自己（你从未见到过有人会在电子邮件上结结巴巴地说话，对