Musings

In our blog here, I’ve occasionally mentioned a forum called HWZ, or the forum hosted at Hardwarezone.com. This forum is the largest and the most popular one in Singapore, and is a sort of one-stop portal for all sorts of online discussion. Its rooms run quite the gamut of technology, travel, lifestyle, gaming, entertainment etc. In fact, the forum has gotten so large that over the years, several other sites have been created to keep its attention on specific topics and interest areas.

The forum is not without its controversy though, due in large part I suspect because of the huge range of behaviors shown by its users. And that well, keyboard warriors are wont to be less restrained when they believe they’re under the cover of anonymity. One of the earliest incidents I remember regarded a certain computer shop at Sim Lim Square which threatened to sue a bunch of users, some of them in their teens, for making disparaging and insulting remarks about their services nearly 7 years ago. Then you have more recent incidents like the fellow who apparently thought it funny to issue a bomb-scare warning in the forum, only to have the police descend right on his head in return.

The thing though is this; these forum users can be quite a vicious bunch if something stirs them up. Like this Indian PR who wrote to The Straits Times forum page asking why couldn’t he buy a flat from HDB. I wonder if he was shocked at the online onslaught that followed. HWZ Netizens who found his letter disagreeable did their thing i.e. attacked his letter, his character, scoured, (apparently) found and posted his personal details and pictures.

It sure is a reflection of the changes wrought by new media. As much as I respectfully disagree with the letter writer’s position on the rights of permanent residents in Singapore, the attacks on his character and posting of were unwarranted. Really. Disagree with his stand by all means, but what’s with all this hostility against his person.