rina's space

may 18, 2025 @ 05:26 am | est. reading time: 3 - 4 mins | word count 599

the internet is for assholes, too

just like in the real life, on the internet there will be people you dislike. there will be people that have disgusting, or hurtful opinions, but they have the right to the internet just like you and me. i actually had a similar post on one of my previous websites, but it is something i still believe in.

as the internet is becoming more and more rotten, devoid of any creativity, and filled with more slop, more and more people are encouraged to have personal blogs, just like in the old days of the internet. rude people having their own websites is actually a good thing. because, mostly people of the same views or opinions will visit those sites, so that reduces the chances of you ever seeing it. and even if it’s just shitty opinions, they’re writing something, they’re creating something. at the end of the day creating things is very important. at least in my opinion. ai will never replace genuine human expression. and even if it’s gross or bigoted takes, they still “deserve” a space for such opinions. especially when the whole premise of personal websites it to have free speech and free expression.

while i do agree that only because you can say something, doesn’t mean you should, some people might disagree. and nobody’s saying you gotta agree with every wild or rude opinion out there. some takes are straight-up problematic and can hurt people. but the thing is, back when the internet still had a soul, we’d see a bunch of borderline problematic websites and blogs, and you’d just ignore them. back then we’d have this live and let live mentality. like— you’d just disengage with stuff you find offensive or hurtful. you wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. a dick is a dick, wether you’re offended or not. same goes for bigots, ableists, etc. you just don’t visit their blogs, it really was that simple. this does have exceptions, and some things should not be tolerated at all, but the good thing is you'll never see that stuff, unless you actively search for it. when you have a personal site, you dont share your space with anybody.

if we start policing every single opinion too hard, we’d lose way more than we would gain. and although rarely, maybe, an asshole will change their shitty opinions after meeting you, or seeing your opinions, even if they feel uncomfortable at first. and here’s the thing: as annoying as they are, assholes kinda reveal the ugly sides of human nature we don’t always see in person. they force us to confront real issues, hypocrisy, and boundaries... without the assholes the internet would be way too sanitized. the internet is for the assholes too because if we start shutting down every annoying or rude opinion, it’s not just them who get silenced — normal people like us could get caught in the crossfire. once you give power to decide what’s “acceptable” or not, it becomes a slippery slope where anyone who says something outside the “approved” box risks getting canceled or erased. and also the problem is, who gets to be the judge? today it might be assholes spamming hate, but tomorrow it could be someone just speaking their mind or sharing ideas that aren’t hurtful or hateful, but just misunderstood.

the internet being for assholes too isn’t about liking their vibe, it’s about letting space for everyone to talk, if they chose so. because if we silence them, something or someone else might silence us..

so, at the end, silencing the assholes, silences us all..

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