There was a time – and not so long ago at that – when the mass distribution of a personal opinion was a very restricted process. In the medium of print, in particular, to deliver a personal opinion on any subject, citizens would have to submit a letter to a publication where it would be scrutinized for legitimacy and for absence of libel before being considered for printing. Consequently, anything even mildly dubious or accusatory was often discarded by meticulous editors. Furthermore, given the limited number of column inches available for letters in most publications, the number of personal opinions being printed and read was therefore relatively small.
The computer revolution, and particularly the attendant informal information platforms – blogs; twitter; etc. – changed all that. These days, anyone with an internet connection can distribute his/her opinion or reaction to any subject under the sun and there are no screens or barriers whatsoever to the process. Furthermore,
