Have you been the target of Internet rage?
Spend any time online and you are destined to enounter hostility, directed at you or others. According to a story in Tuesday’s Post-Dispatch by reporter Tim Barker, the information superhighway is clogged with a digital version of road rage. Short tempers. Rude gestures. Obscenities. All bubbling under the surface waiting for an excuse to erupt.
The digital world is a place where everyone is equal. It strips away inhibition, allowing the shy and introverted to jump into conversations and situations they’d run from in the real world.
The only problem, experts say, is that it also allows, or even encourages, people to be more free with their darker sides.
“You’re sitting there in your pajamas at the keyboard instead of facing a group of people,” said Howard Rheingold a blogger and author of books about online communities. “They can’t hear your voice. They can’t punch you in the face.”
Have you been the target of Internet rage? Have you succumbed yourself? What triggered it? Give your view — calmly, please .
Yes, usually on the TOTD blog for my positions on guns, conceal carry, taxes, politics, and personal responsibility. I take it in stride however. I’ll dish it out occasionally but when I do, I’ll try to use logic and reason to prove a point or provide a basis for my opinion as opposed to calling someone a name. Not everyone responds to reasoning however.
I can’t stand Republicans!!!! I hate ‘em!!!!! They have NO RIGHT text messaging their trust fund managers while driving dangit!!!!! I will honk my car at them!!! I will wave my fists at them!!!!! I will veer them off the road!!!!!
ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!
Actually, I was blindsided right here on TOTD. I mean, it wasn’t like someone was arguing a point. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me any more than I agree with them. A spirited debate is a good thing! But to have someone attack me rather than my opinions was unexpected. (I won’t mention any names because a lot of the regular posters would say, “Aw jeez. Gotcha.”) I have to admit that I became rather snotty in return. But, yeah, I think people can be more rude on the internet than in person, in the same way that people seem more inclined to use the one finger salute from their cars that they wouldn’t dare on the street. If you don’t have to fear getting punched in the nose, you can be bold and brazen.
I think being online is like one of those morality quizzes: “You have an opportunity to take some money. There is no way you will be caught if you do. Do you take it?” The point of these things is to find out if you are good because it’s your nature, or because you fear the consequences.
Online, the anonymity insulates the user from consequences - especially if they use a disposable name. Without fear, the evil, rotten, and just plain mean feel free to be as bad as they want to be. It’s not just insults and personal attacks on boards, it’s impersonating others, stalking, harassment, even real crime. Truly, you can learn a lot about humanity by looking online – it’s all there, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
As with anyone who has been online for more than a few minutes, I have been attacked. Even here, I’ve had people drop the F-Bomb on me, and be as insulting as they can. However, this is a moderated board, and personal insults and attacks are (usually) removed in a pretty timely fashion. I refuse to participate in an unmoderated forum – those things quickly become hangouts for trolls and other Internet scum. On boards like that, the loudest and meanest wins.
I guess, just like in life, I won’t hang out in a lawless town. The reason is simple, there are lots of bad people in the world, and if they can get away with hurting you – they will.
As many of you may know, I am Shawnee Indian and the Shawnees lived off the land by eating what was available and doing what they had to do. Incidentally, my current LOI, (Lady of Interest) is 27, and an urbanite, gorgeous woman, and is a VP in charge of loaning money to farmers for a wide area around here. She invites her cronies from the banks here for weekends, as well as big time farmers on occasion.
There is not a restaurant within 10 miles. There is a “convenience store” 5 miles away. They sell bread, milk, gasoline, and the usual stuff. I look out the windows in the morning and see Deer peacefully grazing on my lawn, my vegetable garden growing, and can walk down to the dock and go fishing or boating, or both.
How does one reply when the blogger is the person making what you think is an inappropriate remark? What can we do when the blogger reacts to a comment with a snide or rude remark?
What do you do when the blogger has control over your comments, either by editing, deleting or even closing the comments section to avoid feedback?
I’ve seen examples of all of these right here at StLToday.
Russ, you stop reading her blog.
What? And miss another “fellating Al Gore” statement?
OK, I gotta ask : which Blog are you referring too?
Yes I have. I was raised in a household with spirited political debates at the dinner table, and with republicans, democrats, insependents and one communistic socialist type we had plenty of spirit, along with a bit of potty mouth if my parents weren’t there. And as you know I can be quite firm with my opinions in type. But I have noticed that women with strong opiniions get a little more disrespect sometimes, depending on how macho the forum is. And yes Mr Yahoo Man Defender of Men, I am sure men can get that too in women oriented forums, but I don’t visit the girly boards. They have done studies with women saying the same thing posting as a guy and guys give their opinion much more respect. Go figure, the boards are just like real life. LMAO I’ve had a few crazies go off when they were bested in an online debate and actually threaten violence. Kind of like an “I know where you live little girl”. There is a solution to online fights that domestic violence “victims” don’t have…turn off the PC. But that’s no fun! Legislation of the internet will only leave less resources to fight the abundant violence in real life. So if I insult others on here, don’t take it personally. I don’t know your “person”. But be aware girls fight back now when they feel insulted! Deal! And remember…vote early and vote often. No more chads!