THIS WEEK, I want to touch on a topic that I believe not only has relevance right now, but will receive far greater focus in the upcoming months, in the lead-up to the general elections to be precise.  That issue is, of course, the use of the Internet.
First, I should say that I am a big fan of the World Wide Web.  As a professional, I can’t conceive of effectively executing tasks without web access, from general communication to sharing or receiving documents.  I can’t underscore how much a relief it is me to be able to e-mail this column in, as opposed to having somebody physically taking it to the editor on ‘hardcopy’ or even on flash drive.
In my personal life, the Internet is a god-send when it comes to keeping in touch with family and friends with whom I would not have otherwise been able to keep in contact with such regularity,  due to distance apart or conflicting schedules, admittedly particularly with mine.
That said, there is, of course, a flipside to all of this.  In an article I did a few weeks ago, entitled ‘Monitoring the Internet boom’, I dealt with some of the potential hazards faced by the inevitable enhancement of Guyana’s connectivity in the near future.  One of my concerns in that piece was that we were ill-prepared for the potential pitfalls that a sudden boom in access to web-ready computers could bring, particularly with issues like child predation and access to pornography, issues that have been troubling for other societies in which there is widespread Internet access.
Indeed, with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T)’s impending activation of its E-magine campaign in another four days – an initiative that is expected to at least double the speed of the Internet locally, I think that there is now no time more pressing than the present to at least begin looking at some of these issues.
There is, however, another area of concern that I think is far more pressing and volatile than the issue of minors being endangered by predators on the Internet, and I can only foresee the situation escalating in the upcoming months.  I am talking specifically about the abuse of the anonymity privilege and the capacity for widespread dissemination of information that prevails when the best qualities of the Internet are twisted by people with narrow and subversive agendas.
Before I proceed, I wish to say first of all that in situations which warrant it, anonymous use of the Internet as a tool for the dissemination of information can be expected, even welcomed.  Persons getting information out of other societies in which the ruling regime would otherwise suppress that information can either do so anonymously or risk putting their lives on the line.  People employed by corporations that are flagrantly breaking the law usually have that means as their only reliable way of making first contact in a whistle-blowing endeavour.
The problem comes when the very avenues used to speak the truth while protecting oneself from unfair or malicious persecution have become the very avenues that people use to peddle lies and protect themselves from rightful and just prosecution.  The Internet has virtually revolutionised character assassination and slander, giving those who engage in it the power to do, in seconds,  what their predecessors would have to do in days or even months.
A few months ago, I had cause to publicly address an e-mail smear campaign against me, in which the author or authors sent messages to friends, co-workers and even family, making claims so ludicrous that anyone who knows me well enough would easily dismiss them. However, for those who are not familiar with me, the content of the e-mails may not have appeared so ludicrous as to cast at least the shadow of a doubt among them and, most importantly, people whom I have to deal with in my capacity as a public figure; professional relationships which rest primarily upon my credibility and honesty.  Needless to say, after a public challenge, the anonymous campaign ceased.
Now recently, it has restarted, but this time, they’ve made accusations of a more personal nature, one in particular which would be problematic to defend in the first place, not because there is any truth to it, but because there is no way one can strongly and publicly refute it without further fanning the flames of the allegation in the first place.
The strange thing is, in some ways, I can consider myself fortunate.  When whomever e-mails their slander to my friends, colleagues and family members, despite the very fact that some people will forward those mails, the shelf-life of  such malicious character assassination is, frankly, only temporary.
For others though, the stain is much more permanent, since the misinformation, untruths, lies and blatant character assassination have found a permanent home on blogs and discussion forums across the Internet.  I personally am not up-to-date with blogging and social networking, but the anecdotal evidence reaching me about what is occurring in the local blogosphere makes me sick to hear even a paraphrasing of what is being said about public figures — and make no mistake — this is a political phenomenon.
I know of cases where persons have had their integrity, their business dealings, their fidelity to their spouse or their spouse’s fidelity to them, and their sexual preference being called into question, and more often than not, by linking what are clear lies to a little sliver of truth.
And because this a political phenomenon, we can expect the vitriol to become even worse as the campaigning for the general elections next year heats up.  My take on it is that efforts should be undertaken to nip this thing in the bud now, before it becomes even more out-of-hand, with the key  organizations  in society taking the lead in denouncing the excesses of the anonymous bloggers. Additionally, freedom comes with responsibility, and thus, it is imperative that persons involved in blogging and other online networking activities fulfill that responsibility to their readers and general audience.