Laptop Oracles: Thick Skinned

A corollary to consistency is the power to resist attacks.
Every civilization has predators within and barbarians without. What makes a civilization strong is many things, but among them is the ability to take and hold real estate against attacks. The Internet is a metaphor for geography, and the greatness of the rising Networked Civilization is how well it exploits available resources, and fends off attacks from those less well suited.
When the geography was small and simple, the Internet was exclusive to those who could be trusted a priori. That was long ago. The strongest form of virtual life on the Internet now is the device which can face the onslaught of predations without disconnecting. In simplest terms, that would be a computer with good security against known and likely attempts to hijack. Every civilization attempts to tame the wilderness and pacify the barbarians, but it first has to survive them without losing its character as a civilization.
God does not smile on a civilization which cheats on His moral laws, and the Networked Civilization is not exempt. The task is to abstract them properly to our context.
Conquering and pacifying goes too far when it crushes the freedom of your citizens. What’s the point? Civilized people aren’t quick to slaughter, but they also don’t disarm those under threat. In the real world, there cannot ever be a time and place when there is no threat so long as there is more than three living souls. It’s the nature of this plane of existence, and it’s the nature of the Net. Civilized people prepare themselves to face threats based on probabilities, not wishes.
If you realize the necessity for computer security, you should recognize the same need for your mind. Your place on the Net becomes strong when your machine and mind together are prepared for attacks. The very nature of civility is cynicism. You expect to encounter a generous helping of fools and predators, and you prepare accordingly. The moral high ground is not demanding everyone else behave, but demanding it first of yourself, then conspicuously contrasting your manner against others. You expect to be in the minority against the larger population, but if some few don’t show the way, it all comes apart. To be civilized is to hold uncommon high morality, and to offer whatever defense is necessary to keep it.
Taking a single potshot and running away is cowardly and common. Trolling is a favorite pastime of those with nothing better to do, whose real lives are so empty, causing trouble in the Net is all they have. Whining is unbearable. If we object to these things, we should object to them in ourselves. Civilized people are committed to a standard they can’t actually achieve, but never quit trying. The elite generally succeed, and deserve all the wealth and power that tends to come with it. Whatever it is that counts for success in civilization depends on self-discipline in pursuit of making the world more thoroughly civilized. Moral superiority is not compelling compliance in others, but inspiring it.
Don’t get too wrapped up in yourself, nor in despising what strikes you as riffraff. Civility keeps the doors open to peace and takes nothing personal, even when it’s intended as a personal insult. Consider the source. Everyone can change, and the best way to help them want to change is let them see your character. That character should include relative resistance to attacks, baiting, trolling, and other digressions from the matter at hand. Computers don’t care; they are serene. You can be serene on your own level.
Serenity is a virtue, and makes God smile.