Does discrimination exist in cyberspace?

Yo Mat Riders,

This is an excerpt from a paper i wrote lah. Alamak, go school must think so hard man. I only want to blow trumpet lah. Ok lah, this class not bad. I can write about anything i want, controverSIAL!


Without doubt, the internet has been one of last century’s greatest inventions. People can now be connected to it via a phone line no matter where they are. But does discrimination exist in cyberspace? Unconsciously, the internet is a big “screen,” shielding each individual from discrimination. However, this is far from the truth. In “Is There a There in Cyberspace?” John Perry Barlow says,

“Present, but in far less abundance than in the physical world, which I call ‘meat space,’ are women, children, old people, poor people, and the genuinely blind. Also mostly missing are the illiterate and the continent of Africa.”

Currently, due to high cost of computers, low education and poor infrastructure, these people are not only not able to participate but also are being neglected; thus widening the gap between the connected and the ignorant. Discrimination also still persists online. In an online forum, an individual might be singled out for having bad spelling or grammar. Bloggers openly discriminate against individuals they come into contact with in real life. Now, does discrimination exist in cyberspace?


Later,
Mat Love