What gets me is that the "advancing" of the internet has madeit so easy for more ignorant people in higher concentrations. For whatever reason, stupidity loves congregating... and anonymity only seems to polarize the commentary, but I don't see it as making it any "worse" or better... I have plenty of idiot friends who blather on on facebook about their childish level of understanding of politics, or ignorant perpetuation of urban legend, stereotype etc.
But Prior to Facebook/etc, you had Website forums ( like this one ), prior to website forums, you had USENET. Prior to usenet, you had BBSes,Bitnet, and Compuserve forums. Prior to that you had social/semi-secret societies like Shriners/Moose/FreeMasons/Daughters of the Revolution. Prior to that you had Pubs and Bars.
Ignorant people in all of them, all wanting to be heard.
But the thing is, I can't agree with you when it comes to governing WHERE that stupidity should be said. It's not my right to shut someone up. They deserve to be heard. If someone wants to rant about their boss, that's there prerogative. Are they free to shout it on the street? Are they free to write a newspaper column about it? As long as it isn't libel or slander, then why shouldn't they be able to write about it on the internet?
But it's also within that bosses right to fire them... whatever the law permits that is.
But if someone is stupid enough to post that boss rant on a forum with their real name, knowing their own HR policy or state law about hiring/firing then they know what they're getting into. Reasonable man standard should apply here.
*BUT* government regulation requiring that all IDs be tied to real names or worse requiring that those names be displayed is absolutely the wrong way to go. If hat is ever enacted, the foundation of our country will be significantly damaged.
/ironic that my account is actually a representation of my real name. back when I didn't think about this very much. oops
