IT HAPPENED TOMORROW Viral myopia

By Guido Vitale

Faced with a rising tide of ad hominem attacks, excessively aggressive language, vulgarity and at times simple stupidity, some of the main Italian newspapers are seriously considering whether to restrict or prevent the public from commenting freely on their websites.
Reviewing, moderating, and occasionally responding to comments – particularly when these include countless stupidities by a small group of aggressive graphomaniacs which drown out constructive contributions – requires an investment of time and money. The quality of online comments also risks debasing the journalistic quality of a newspaper’s website.
Italian Jews have always shown that they apply discernment, a strong moral compass and common sense when adopting technological innovations. It would be a shame if we did not live up to our reputation when faced with this increasingly serious challenge, and missed an excellent opportunity to set a good example.