Places we navigate to for frank and thoughtful exchanges of ideas; places where we learn to understand each other's point of view and where serious discussions evolve over time.

是引導我們進行真誠與深思熟慮的思想交流場所；是讓我們學會了解他人觀點的場所，以及隨著時間推移，認真的討論不斷展開的場所。

But, of course, they are havens of the grossest abuse, verbal violence and cruelty.

但，當然，線上評論區也是最惡劣的辱罵、口頭暴力與惡毒言語的避風港。

It's understandable if we sometimes conclude, after time reading comments, that humanity has lost its way.

如果我們在閱讀評論之後，偶爾會得出人性已然淪喪的結論，是可以理解的。

But there's another explanation: the source of dismissive and rude remarks and frustrating discussions isn't bad people.

但還有另一種解釋：並非壞人留下輕蔑又無禮的評論以及讓人灰心的討論。

It's that commenting online isn't something we're naturally or automatically very good at.

只是在線上留下評論不是我們天生或自然而然就擅長的事。

It is, however, a learnable skill.

然而，它是個可以學習的技能。

In fact, everyone online is almost always trying to do something important, but just going about it in a hugely unfortunate way.

事實上，每個人在網路上都想試著做些重要的事，但卻以相當不適宜的方式去做。

So for example: we want to communicate an urgent, and sometimes well-founded belief that another person is mistaken.

打個比方：我們想要傳達一種迫切的，有時候是有根據的看法，告訴另一個人他搞錯了。

And what we too quickly say is: you are a fucking idiot who can jerk off with my shit.

此時我們脫口而出的是：你這個白癡，腦子有洞啊。

But what we could learn to say, given that no one ever learns anything under conditions of humiliation, is a more effective: I wonder if you might have missed something that feels important from where I am positioned.

但有鑑於沒有人會在被羞辱的情況下學到任何東西，我們可以學著用更有力的說法：我想你是否沒注意到某個從我的角度來看感覺很重要的東西。

Or we want to stand up for clarity and common sense by admitting that we didn't understand something that another person said.

或是，我們想藉由承認我們不了解別人說的東西來捍衛某個明確的想法或常識。

And so we say: wtf motherfucker.

因此我們會說：你在講甚麼鬼話，白癡。

But it could be a revolutionary move with huge influence on the way other people start to think one could and should behave online to say: I found it at points a little hard to follow your train of thought, yet deeply respect your underlying intentions.

但其他人開始想一個人可以且應該在網路上要如何表現時，會是個帶來巨大影響的革命性進展，這時可以這麼說：我覺得有時候有點難遵循你的思路，但我非常尊重你的用意。

We want to convey immense disappointment.

我們想要表達我們非常失望。

So we say: I used to like what you do, but now I think you're a phoney and a total fraud, unsubbed wanker.

所以我們會說：我過去很喜歡你做的事，但現在我覺得你很做作，根本是個騙子，莫名其妙的傢伙。

But we could say: I'm puzzled because I generally very much admire you and I don't entirely see the point of what you seem to be doing.

但我們可以說：我很不解，因為我一直都很欽佩你，但我現在完全搞不懂你在做甚麼。

It would be lovely if you could perhaps explain things from your no doubt very legitimate perspective.

如果你可以，或許從你無庸置疑、非常合理的觀點來解釋一下，那就太好了。

Or sometimes we simply want to exorcise the humiliation that a cold and indifferent world has doled out to us.

或是，有時候我們只是想要消除這不友善、冷酷的世界對我們的羞辱。

So, at our keyboard in the middle of the night, with the odd freight train whistling in the darkness outside, we say: suck it up bitches; bunch of fucking wankers spewing bullshit from your own anuses.

所以，在午夜時分的鍵盤上，伴隨著外頭黑暗中零星貨運火車的呼嘯聲，我們會說：閉嘴，賤人；一大堆廢物從自己的屁股噴出廢話。

When what we could learn to say, from our isolated bedrooms is: I sometimes feel so sad and alone.

此時我們在自己的獨立小空間裡可以學著說：有時候我會覺得很難過、很孤單。

Let's remember that no one is ever brutal or cruel online by their ultimate free choice.

我們要記得，沒有人會在最終的自由選擇上選擇殘酷無情。

They are so because they are hurt, damaged, alone and afraid, and because no one has been kind or good to them for a long time.

他們之所以如此，是因為他們受傷、受損失、孤單和恐懼，而且因為一直以來沒人對他們仁慈、對他們好。

Behind every online outburst, there's always a complex, painful backstory, which we will mostly never know but which we can be sure is there, and which has made it impossible for the commenter to feel they can be realistic, reasonable or civil.

在每次線上爆發之後，總是會有個複雜、痛苦的幕後故事，我們幾乎永遠不會知道，但我們很確定就在那裡)，使得評論者覺得他們不能實事求是、不能講道理、不能文明。

People get rude too, because in their isolation and powerlessness, it is impossible for them to believe that others out there could be vulnerable to their insults.

人們也會變得無禮，因為在他們的孤立與無力感中，他們無法相信外頭有人因為他們的辱罵而脆弱。

Their rudeness is grounded on a disbelief that strangers could take them seriously and might be tipped over into inner collapse, despair and self-hatred because of them.

他們的無禮是基於他們不相信陌生人會認真看待他們，而且可能因為他們而陷入內心的崩潰、絕望與自我憎惡之中。

Such is their background feeling of impotence, the troll has forgotten their own power.

這樣的背景是他們的無力感，酸民忘記了他們自己的力量。

After spending a while in the comments sections, it can be easy to form the belief that humans have grown into monsters.

在評論區看了好一段時間後，很容易就會形成一種信念，就是人類已經成為怪物了。

The good news is that even though comments claim to reflect how the world is, they in fact represent only the fringe views of a tiny percentage.

好消息是，即使評論宣稱可以反映世界現況，其實它們只代表了非常小部分的極端觀點。

They induct us to forget the vast invisible army of moderate, reasonable, kind not terribly opinionated individuals who are just standing by in silence, as appalled as we are.

酸民使我們忘記了有一支龐大的無形軍隊，他們是溫和、理性、善良、不會固執己見的人，他們只是默默的站在身邊，如同我們一樣震驚。

The world is much saner than it appears.

這個世界比它表現出來的還正常地多。

The real achievement would be to build an online world every bit as kind, patient and good as most of us are in our real lives at every moment of every day.

真正的成就會是建立一個像我們真實生活中的眾人一樣每時每刻善良、有耐心、真實的網路世界。

Do you need a detox from your devices? Our Phone Detox is designed to help give you a well deserved break from your phone.

你需要戒掉 3C 成癮嗎？我們的手機戒癮小卡旨在幫助你遠離你的手機。