For Better or Worse

i was going to say 'for better' but then i remembered how getting humiliated by spotty little kids on mw3 xbox live has effected my self esteem, little b*****tards!!!!

Originally posted by stellspalfie
i was going to say 'for better' but then i remembered how getting humiliated by spotty little kids on mw3 xbox live has effected my self esteem, little b*****tards!!!!

🙂 I've been destroyed by kids playing StarCraft...I'll never recover.
Kelly

Originally posted by divegeester
Control for the user to monitor, limit, filter, and report and hold sites accountable.

Although I do forsee a time coming when the internet will be a lot more controlled in general than it is now.

Ugh. I really hope you are wrong on this one.

Originally posted by whodey
Freaky, we can't even agree if prostituting yourself for money and then having an abortion via taxpayer dollars that was mandated by the Unconstitutional Obamacare is good or bad. How on earth are we ever going to come to a decision about the internet? 😛

What kind of stupid ho gets pregnant while "doing her job"?

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
Had this discussion the other day with my wife; curious to see what direction folks herein would choose, given the option.

Considering all that is available on the internet, from the good[hidden]education, medical, religious, etc.,[/hidden] to the bad [hidden]http://www.buzzfeed.com/reyhan/how-child-porn-and-the-other-awfulest-things-ever[/hidden], are we better off having the internet?

My wife, like everyone herein thus far, chose for the internet mostly along the same lines as iterated by these posters. I suppose the cost/benefit analysis idea is the most effective, i.e., how much bad is permitted in order to gain how much gain.

It would appear that those in favor of the internet's influence would agree that the bad--- as bad as it is--- is far outweighed by the gain.

So, in light of what appears to be the consensus agreement that the good far outweighs the bad in this case, can the same be said for other similar scenarios; can the same be said for life, for instance?

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
What kind of stupid ho gets pregnant while "doing her job"?

Your m....no, that's too easy and not really Christian like. 😀

Originally posted by divegeester
Control for the user to monitor, limit, filter, and report and hold sites accountable.

Although I do forsee a time coming when the internet will be a lot more controlled in general than it is now.

That is too easy to predict. No points earned, sorry. :'(

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
So, in light of what appears to be the consensus agreement that the good far outweighs the bad in this case, can the same be said for other similar scenarios; can the same be said for life, for instance?

I for one have little idea what you are asking.

My guess, if I had to venture, is that you want to tie this discussion into the problem of evil. But this discussion bares no real resemblance to the problem of evil. The problem of evil concerns the compatibility of various evils with an entity that supposedly has some specific properties that are not specified here. And defeating the problem of evil would have nothing to do with showing that on balance things are better than they are worse, or that good outweighs bad. It would have to do with showing that any instances of evil that obtain are ultimately necessary for some greater good to obtain.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
can the same be said for life, for instance?

For most of us yes, we do not commit suicide. For some, apparently no, they commit suicide at some point in their lives - so for them, at that point, no.

Originally posted by LemonJello
I for one have little idea what you are asking.

My guess, if I had to venture, is that you want to tie this discussion into the problem of evil. But this discussion bares no real resemblance to the problem of evil. The problem of evil concerns the compatibility of various evils with an entity that supposedly has some specific properties that are not ...[text shortened]... that any instances of evil that obtain are ultimately necessary for some greater good to obtain.

It would have to do with showing that any instances of evil that obtain are ultimately necessary for some greater good to obtain.
It seems like you're creating hurdles that are either unfair, do not exist or both. Assuming that the internet enjoys a sum in which the good outweighs the bad (at least according to those who consider its usefulness), are we tasked with defining and describing what its ultimately necessary evils are? Aren't we conceding that all of its evil is necessary?

Too, isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder? Shouldn't the usefulness of any tool be determined by those who are able to consider it and not simply by those who are using it--- which is not to say that those who are using it cannot consider it, but that its usefulness (considering value) ought to be considered outside of its actual use.

Originally posted by twhitehead
For most of us yes, we do not commit suicide. For some, apparently no, they commit suicide at some point in their lives - so for them, at that point, no.

I don't know that suicide is the best indication of that idea. I've always considered that the ultimate act of revenge and self-absorption... for the most part.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
[b]It would have to do with showing that any instances of evil that obtain are ultimately necessary for some greater good to obtain.
It seems like you're creating hurdles that are either unfair, do not exist or both. Assuming that the internet enjoys a sum in which the good outweighs the bad (at least according to those who consider its usefulness), a ...[text shortened]... ut that its usefulness (considering value) ought to be considered outside of its actual use.[/b]

It seems like you're creating hurdles that are either unfair, do not exist or both.

That's not the way it seems to me. To me, it seems like you still just do not grasp the actual argument that constitutes the problem of evil. I recall that bbarr posted a nice formulation of it quite a long time ago in this forum. I can link to it here (assuming I can find it) if you would like.

Assuming that the internet enjoys a sum in which the good outweighs the bad .....Aren't we conceding that all of its evil is necessary?

Of course not! To say that X is necessary for Y is quite a stronger claim than you seem to realize. To say that X is necessary for Y implies that if X fails to obtain then it is impossible for Y to obtain. So you're conceding that if even one instance of evil associated with the internet failed to obtain, it would thereby have been impossible to achieve the same degree of net good that we have in fact enjoyed from the internet? Wow, that's quite an incredibly extraordinary claim! Care to attempt to justify that one?

Too, isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder?

Even if this holds for aesthetic discourse, it doesn't follow that it holds for moral discourse. But, you can have it your way on this one. The argument from evil can be structured such that it does NOT rely on any particular ethical theory. So the reader is totally free to use his own lights in that regard.

By the way, here is the link to bbarr's formulation (see opening post): Thread 21886

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
I don't know that suicide is the best indication of that idea. I've always considered that the ultimate act of revenge and self-absorption... for the most part.

Yes, your probably right when it comes to younger people. But for older people, I think it is quite common for people to decide that an old age in pain is simply not worth it.
I would also say that younger people do not know what the future holds so cant really make an accurate judgement.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
Aren't we conceding that all of its evil is necessary?

Aren't you essentially saying that you would never even attempt to cure or minimize any of the nets evils because you think they are necessary? So you wouldn't try to stop terrorists obtaining bomb making plans, nor would you try to stop child porn, because you think they are necessary for your email to work?