On the Media – cruelty and vulnerability on the internet

Streams of two segments from the NPR show On the Media:

Smirch Engine

There’s a name for how cruel people can get given a little anonymity on the internet. It’s called “online disinhibition effect” and the resulting venom can ruin your day or worse, destroy your good name.

The Net’s Mid-Life Crisis

The basic architecture of the Internet hasn’t changed since it was conceived 40 years ago. But what was once the playground of wonks is now the main staging area for the global economy and open to an array of security vulnerabilities.