How do you think the ability to be anonymous on sites like EBOCH can be helpful or unhelpful to communities in general?

What are some of the effects of the outpourings on the social media site EBOCH on Bronte's murder investigation? How do you think the ability to be anonymous on sites like EBOCH can be helpful or unhelpful to communities in general?

When people post their feelings anonymously they release the social norms that govern civility. They attack people and post things they would never say in person or if their name was attached. It offers a way to spread gossip and lies without impunity, which is what happened in Evelyn Bay on the community boards. The town's residents turned on each other behind a cover of anonymity.

When I have viewed some people's thoughtless and cruel internet posts I am so dismayed that the internet has allowed people to behave without kindness and civility. Are we really these people? Do we want to be this way? I thought this issue was well illustrated in the book. If not for the anonymity of the internet, people would behave with much more consideration.

I guess anonymity might encourage someone to come forward with information they might be too shy to convey otherwise but, for the most part, it just encourages poor behavior. This is just a very small commentary by Harper on social media but an interesting one. For the most part, the comments on the EBOCH board seemed more of a feeding frenzy than anything else.

That said, they did help Kieran and Mia discover a critical clue.

When a site like this lets people remain anonymous it can lead some to cruelty and false accusations. False rumors start and get passed around. Gossip is almost never good.

I agree with Patty Claire and others that a site such as EBOCH may allow for information to become available or be exchanged because it can be be given anonymously, however, reality has proven that more often it allows people to behave in ways they would not necessarily do if their identity is known. Harper makes it clear that she feels this way as well, yet she does not cancel it out the validity of social media completely - for it is an anonymous tip that helps Kieran and Mia.

It's scary how that site has so many parallels to sites that many of us use on a regular basis. There are pages just like this on Facebook now that allow people to post their opinions and because they're in writing on the internet, there are some out there that will see them as fact instead of conjecture. I'm not sure if Harper was making a comment on the deterioration of society when trying to find a killer from within - it almost becomes like a witch hunt with the popular vote deciding who is guilty rather than the facts.

Has anyone read Next Door?? While it allows you to get real information that is useful, it also allows people to post nasty comments, ugly photos, and ask for information that is none of their business. People feel emboldened to say the first thing that comes to mind, often with no filter or consequences. Our recent election has shown that.

It was an important part of the book for me because of the society we are now living in. People are so unaware that their comments are rude, unfeeling and hurtful. Yet, some of these same people are the first to complain when it happens to them. Partial blame belongs to the news channels here in the US because they never have a filter for their remarks

I agree with the previous comments. Words are powerful. Saying unkind and mean statements because you’re anonymous on a web site is a sad reflection of the current times. We can do better and should hold accountable.

The anonymity provided by such sites can be a breeding ground for suspicion and contempt.

I think it's worth pointing out that in general there's a significant difference in being anonymous vs. identified on an online forum as well as a difference between local online forums vs. much larger ones (or just ones where you don't immediately personally know the people you're talking to).

In the case of smaller physical/geographical communities like in the book where everyone knows each other but people have the ability to be anonymous, there's more potential to do real-life damage through anonymous comments aimed at people who everyone reading knows personally. On the other hand, the ability to be anonymous online in places where one isn't known can actually be helpful to finding virtual community with others that isn't available locally. In a sense, anonymity is automatically more sinister when applied in a context where everyone already knows everyone else.

Freedom of expression on the one hand and total lack of accountability on the other.

Personally, I have deleted numerous apps from my phone recently so that I must make a conscience choice to sit down and log in on my computer if I want to see what is happening in my community or even the world haha. Being anonymous strips people of any accountability for what they say out loud. I have found that many people seemingly try to be confrontational for no real reason. Are they bored? Unhappy? Even helpful comments or personal opinions are attacked. I think having the ability to share opinions across social media sites has made people lazy with their words and thought processes. Before posting- -an original comment or a response/reaction to someone else's, I stop and ask myself 1) Is it true? 2) Is it helpful? 3) Is it kind? I typically find the answer to at least one of the questions is always NO!

Great previous comments. I’ve really changed my mind on anonymous posting over the last few years. I think everyone needs to take responsibility for what they post. I’ve been shocked and saddened by sweeping generalizations and hateful comments made online. “Say it, forget it. Write it, regret it!

Sites like EBOCH can be helpful - if people are honest. It is a great way to bring people together for information. However in the absence of accountability people can be very mean and say things they would not have the nerve to say face to face. Depending on how a site is run determines it's success.