This is a multifaceted multilayered challenge. I think Ana hit the nail on the head in that “the industry is a teenager.” The adolescence has more to do with the venues of access rather than the participants themselves. There will ALWAYS be rude kids of every age. They exist all around us in real life, but the nature of real-world interactions doesn’t allow them to all show up everywhere and spew.

As things mature, we should be able to filter more, and be less of “one giant room with everyone of every age and point in personal development showing up all at once.”

There was a great article in the New York times that talks about how anonymity can breed contempt (the title is an oversimplifcation, so please read the article.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/opinion/30zhuo.html

As the internet evolves, and people are more their authentic selves (e.g. Facebook) then the rudeness will subside.

On the other hand, because of the very nature of “total access by anyone” such as here on your blog, we will never be able to avoid the crazies, or people with underdeveloped critical thinking skills, but we can still delete them. Even on Twitter you can block people.

It’s great to wish for a better world on the net, but if we actually heard all the things that people thing that we pass by in the supermarket, we’d want to start with the real world first. 🙂