I don't believe online spaces are appropriate places (hey that rhymes) for discussing race. There are so many reasons, and almost all of them lead back to the anonymity of it.
When you are 'hidden' and nobody knows who you are, you are naturally less inhibited. There is no reputation on the line. Therefore there is less embarrassment at stake. It's the same as when we were talking about MMOs. You are someone else, someone anonymous, so you can be whoever you want to be.
When that is the case, you don't know whom you are arguing with, you don't know if they really hold the opinions they claim to, you don't have the same judgement in relating to someone because they are faceless, and there is much room for miscommunication.
As I mentioned before, one's judgement is not the same online as it is offline. Neither you nor the person you are communicating with are as level-headed. As Bomberger notes in the reading, impulisve thoughts and the easy accessibility of the internet leads us to vent thoughts in snap decisions. We aren't as thoughtful in responding to opinions that might not even be serious or well thought-out in the first place.
Race is one of those touchy, sensitive, and deep subjects which only heightens people's emotions when talking about them. When arguing online, someone more than likely doesn't know all the facts and history too. Then, of course is when judgement comes in, which leads me back to the beginning.
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