From the course: Backgrounder: Netiquette

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To engage or not to engage

To engage or not to engage

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] There's a comic by a popular internet cartoonist, Randall Munroe, in which we see a person sitting in front of a computer, furiously typing away while a voice from outside the panel asks. - [Woman 1] Are you coming to bed? - [Narrator] And the person at the computer says. - [Man] I can't because someone is wrong on the Internet. - [Narrator] This single panel comic encapsulates a lot about how and why we engage with strangers and even friends in debates or arguments online. Engaging in some online arguments can make us angry, make our adrenaline spike, cause us to lose sleep, and in many cases eat up the time we could spend doing more productive things. Now, of course, as online citizens we want and sometimes need to have our say whether it's on social media, a discussion board, or in a group email, but you can't argue with everyone on the Internet. (air whooshing) - [Woman 1] You're wrong…

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