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>For example, if you come into my home and I don't like what you say, I have every right to tell you to shut up or get out.

Still I can say whatever I want. So what's the difference? Will you give me a book telling me what I can and can't say in you house? If I'm at your house there's a good chance it'll be because we're friends and you know there's a good chance I won't say anything offensive. With chats on the net it's completely different. It's a jungle in here.

>OTOH, if you stand on a public street corner, you can say pretty much whatever you want.

What would you tell me. Get on another planet?


>The free speech argument missed entirely the point I was making.

Ohhh sorry if I don't understand <g>

I think that it's completely on target. a majority of humans are like that. They will test the system. Without clears laws and rules to follow they will test the boundaries. Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones did that on TV. Reality shows are doing it too. And many encourage those by watching. So what happens next they'll do worst to differentiate themselves from other shows that copied their ideas. Until the day something dramatic happens. Then they go back a bit until the day what they do is accepted. And the worst than before cycle begins again.

>For whatever reasons, on CompuServe, despite discussions of many heated topics, people have chosen to behave politely and avoid not only personal attacks, but a whole tone of voice that seems more aggressive to me. On the UT, that aggressive tone and personal attacks seem much more frequent.

If you don't want to apply a twit filter perhaps the thread should be rated like movies. PG13, A...

Anyway Tamar the wheels are turning this is not only on the internet. Its the society. Look at the overall situation and stop the comparison about the UT and Compuserve.