Better Etiquette Needed for Mature Online Debate

Whether the Internet has turned into a town hall for debating ideas and its effect on public discourse has long been a controversial topic. Online discussion forums in China have turned into a battleground for tearing up public figures, with users hiding behind the veil of anonymity, debating new laws and social problems.

The rise of Internet-backed grassroots media outlets on microblogging platforms has offered alternative sources of information, but has also led to the spread of misleading rumors. The range of content published on grassroots media vary from the enlightened to the vulgar and merits more study.