A gaming website dedicated to chess has gained popularity in recent times due to its online lessons and tips for improving skills in the game. You have recently started playing chess at the platform. The platform provides you analysis of your games and suggests areas of improvement. The online lessons have helped you improve your game a lot over a very short time. You are amazed at the ability of competing with players of all levels of skills from across the world. While testing and improving your chess skills on the platform, you have made friendship and acquaintances with many competitive chess players from different parts of the world. Recently, you have been encountering racial, religious and stereotypical remarks during the games from the other players. Initially you ignored such things as childish tactics by an opponent to distract you from your gameplay. Later you would try to engage with such people to dispel stereotypes. But increasingly such experiences are making you sad and bitter. Now you block such people as you encounter them. What started as a fun and stimulating experience for you has become a source of negativity in your life. In your discussions with other people, you come to realize that they have also experienced similar racial and religious slurs, and many people have left the platform to avoid the abusive experience. You also sense that this is not an issue specific to this gaming website but is part of the generally seen behaviour on social media. You used to consider online trolling as harmless puns that could not create actual harm, but after experiencing its dark side as a victim you are realizing its negative impact. Given this information, what are your thoughts on the following : a) How should one deal with the issues of on-line abuse such as in the case above? What options are available to you? b) What values should guide online behaviour? Do these values differ from values governing offline conduct?

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Syllabus: Case Studies on above issues.