Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Michael Czeiszperger <michael AT czeiszperger.org>]

On Sep 21, 2006, at 1:51 PM, matusiak wrote:

> Actually, I have been "politically worked up" for more years than I
> can count (Disclosure: I can only count up to six), but I have found
> that trying to educate and enlighten people or even open their minds
> just a tiny bit results in the most hateful personal attacks I have
> ever experienced.

Strangely enough I blame the internet for at least part of this shift  
in behavior. Twenty years ago a person's primary interactions were  
with local people, and at least where I grew up, there were people of  
all sorts of faiths, and so one didn't bring up religion in polite  
conversation.

Now there's all sorts of insular niche communities online, so people  
are much more likely to spend time communicating via blogs and email  
only with people who have more or less the same set of beliefs.  This  
only serves to demonize people of other belief systems, which is why  
I'm very afraid of the new "seeker" churches which attempt to make  
100% of their member's interactions with other members.

___________________________________________________________________
Michael Czeiszperger
Chapel Hill, NC
michael AT czeiszperger.org