인터넷 댓글의 비방성에 대한 연구

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the current state of slandering in Internet replies using statistical methods, and to identify factors related to slandering in Internet replies. For this study, we surveyed portal sites, Internet media, public institutions, and private sites (clubs and cafes), and sampled 10‐20 replies at random from each site. Sampled replies were classified according to whether or not they were slanderous, and based on the results, the degree of slandering was measured for each site. In addition, we confirmed that anonymity is not the only reason for slandering. In the results, four factors related to slandering were identified as follows. First, with regard to whether to use the real name, the degree of slandering was not much different between replies using the real name and anonymous ones. Depending on sites, the use of the real name had some effect in reducing slandering but the effect was not absolute. Second,the characteristic of sites was also related to slandering. The degree of slandering was high in ‘Daum Agora,’ which allows people to post their opinions and reply to the opinions freely. Replies to newspaper articles were much more slanderous than those to broadcasts. This is probably because newspaper articles are closely related to current affairs and posted in real‐time without a closing time, and their in depth coverage and social influence draw out various responses from the readers. The degree of slandering was far lower in replies at the homepages of public institutions than at other spaces. This can be explained by the nature of public information that does not cause controversies, site users’ high intellectual level, the users’ mental attitude toward public institutions, etc. The level of slandering was relatively low also at clubs and cafes because the users of such sites are in the relation of personal communication, sharing same hobbies, interests, political opinions, etc. Third, the function of replies was also closely related with slandering. Slandering was observed often in expressive replies, and some in replies functioning as instructions or statements. Because many of replies in Internet media were expressive or declarative, if they revealed negative or hostile emotions, they tended to be slanderous replies.