As the UK-based @Life_squared reminded us in 2016:

"Civilisation requires effort. It takes effort not to be prejudiced, violent or cruel". How to be civilised https://t.co/J2OlCaAGgX"

— Life Squared (@Life_squared) July 17, 2016 

What is cyberspace? A collection of servers.

But what does it represent? A digital world, spinning translucently next to our own, populated by avatars, simulations of who we are in the analog world. People get sad when they compare the lives of their friend's avatars on Facebook with their own analog lives. Those digital lives seem to be so much better!

If it is a digital world (and I contend it is) then who is keeping order? Promoting civilization? According to our history books we have been pretty savage to each other in this analog world throughout history. What's to prevent savage behavior in the digital world? Who is promoting "civilized" behavior? The answer is: very few people. Who is protecting us as we create and propel our digital avatars around this digital world? The answer is: no-one and in that lies the conundrum. 

So should tech companies be responsible for promoting civilized behavior? When I do a Google search should Google actively work against presenting results that are uncivilized, rather than simply providing a variation of popular? Should Google search results actively not present work which is "prejudiced, violent or cruel'? The answer would seem obvious, yet it's not happening. 

By extension this extends to all the lands created by tech companies; everywhere we are provided a place to interact online. 

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