I spend a lot of time on the Internet, a good deal of which in Usenet newsgroups, specifically the Microsoft support groups for Windows XP which can be found at msnews.microsoft.com. There's a wealth of information that can be had there and beyond the cost of your ISP, the information is free and despite the old adage about getting what you pay for, while you do need to use some judgment and separate fact from rumor or fiction, most of the information is pretty good.

The problem I have with newsgroups, a problem that seems to spill over into chat, e-mail and other forms of Internet communication is the lack of civility. For some reason, anonymity seems to make people brave. People say things to each other in newsgroups and other Internet communication they would never say to someone in person; at least not if they didn't wish to risk getting their lights punched out.

I'm not a prude and I'm not trying to play Internet cop. I am saying you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. I'm also saying the more we tolerate or contribute to this sort of thing, the greater the likelihood of it spilling over into our non-Internet life. In fact, that's already happening. In no less an august body than the U.S. Congress (Mostly the House of Representatives) we are seeing more and more insulting speeches and commentary.

Worse, it's effecting our children as well. People talk about the effects of rap music, film and television but rarely do you hear the Internet mentioned in the context of this issue. Lest you think this is just something that appears on the numerous private servers, I'm talking about Microsoft's public boards, boards that can be accessed by anyone and are often accessed by children seeking answers to their computer questions.

It's bad enough we have to go around the Internet with our "bullcrap detector" set on high, now we need shields against foul language spewed with no other useful purpose than to be insulting. It's inflammatory and instead of making the point the purveyors of such speech wish to make, the point often is lost amidst a barrage of insults.

It's one thing for this sort of language to show up in entertainment. Responsible parents can police that. But when it becomes a common means of expression and worse, in areas where there simply is no need, we're not discussing politics or religion (Not that I believe insulting language is appropriate there either), it's just that these areas are there to help people and it's neither useful nor a help to use this language even in response to someone who has given bad or incorrect advice.

The danger of it spilling over into our non-Internet lives should not be minimized either. Off the Internet, people have weapons and many of them are not used to such insulting language in their day to day environment and most have never even heard of newsgroups let alone accessed them. If it gets too easy to use this language on the Internet, the same individuals may forget and do the same thing in a public setting and someone is going to be insulted or not like the fact such language was used in front of his wife or simply feel his manhood threatened and go back into the house and get his gun. Suddenly, foul language will have escalated.

If someone disagrees with us, it's not insulting and we shouldn't take it as such. Nor is there a need to use such language to defend against someone who has taken issue with us. In either case, if our position is so weak we need to use such language to support our point, perhaps that point isn't all that valid.

There are some who have no toleration for an incorrect response on the support groups and as soon as they see such a response, they go into a tirade of expletives; completely unnecessary and might move others to think the original incorrect response might actually be valid. I'm only saying, consider the implications.

If you don't like walking down the street hearing ten year olds using the language of a truck driver for which we would have been roundly punished in our youth, consider the example you are setting the next time you feel the urge to use such language.

There's a time and a place for everything and anonymity should not be a license to spew foul language. If you're appalled at the cesspool the Internet has become with the proliferation of adult content, think before you "speak" and don't add to it.

Some may enjoy inciting the cyber version of a riot but no point is made, nothing worthwhile is accomplished and such flame wars usually only serve to feed the ego of those who instigated it. If you see it, don't feed the "energy beast," as most who incite such flame wars feed on the responses.

Let's remember the potential of what a great resource the Internet was meant to be and instead of adding to the garbage let's contribute to the substance. The next time you go online, to paraphrase a line from Hill Street Blues, "Let's be civil out there!"