Internet hostility
 

I was talking with a friend about this today and I don't think it is a coincidence that far more people online seem hostile than in the real world. It just came up casually when he was browsing a site and saw some nasty things. What do I mean by hostile? All you have to do is browse forums, networking sites, and places like Youtube to see the most racist, ignorant, hateful, vile words you will ever see in your life. I have never come across such vicious things in the real world... well maybe seldomly, but nowhere close to what is on the internet.

It doesn't even have to me majorly offensive things. It can be a mere argument over something as basic as sports where it only takes 2 seconds for someone to lash out with the "You fucking retard, you actually think _____ is a better player than ____?!?! Go take a bath in acid."

Do you agree that the internet is overly hostile or does it just seem that way because it is easier to access and browse vast communities with simple mouse clicks? If you do think it is overly hostile, why do you think that is the case? Is it because people can say anything they want through a monitor without the fear of repercussions? Is there more to it it?

YouTube is the most fucking racist/hateful site I've ever seen, but that's understandable, because millions of 13-year-old boys visit it, and we should all know that most teenagers are retarded. I suppose it just seems worse when they're in a huge cluster. Also, obviously, presumed anonymity, etc.

It's actually kinda old hat, but here it is anyway:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19

It's not just the anonymity thing, though, I suspect a lot of people say a lot of that kind of bullshit behind closed doors, and (they believe) as long as no one can punch them in the face for it, all's well.

People internet up the joint to relax, and there's nothing more relaxing than vomiting important real life related rage towards a Carebears video on YouTube. THIS VIDEO IS SO SHIT, JUST LIKE MY SCIENCE TEACHER.

I came into this to be productive and post something insightful, but then Infernal Monkey made me laugh until I forgot what I was going to post.

Summary: WUTZ WIT ALL TEH GAYZ M I RITE

I think it also has to do with power and fun, too. Once a person (such as one of those retarded 13 year olds on YouTube... I've had run-ins with those) knows that they've pissed another person off, they just keep pushing and pushing, becuase they know they wouldnt get away with it in real life. Its all fun. They're just laughing at a person getting ticked at them.

Plus they dont know how to argue with intelligence. I say "Rather than insulting the movie-maker, why not say what you didnt like about the movie? Characters? Plot? What was wrong?" and the answer to my question always seems to be "FUCK YOU CUNT!" Because they want to rile you up rather than have an intelligent debate.

In addition to the points above, I also think a lot of it can be attributed to miscommunication, particularly in forums, blogs, IMs, etc. You can't read tone in someone's text all the time, sometimes people mistype, people don't always say entirely what they mean, and all that. Couple that with snap reactions and a propensity for narrow-mindedness and we've got a right mess.

I have to admit, though, it's very entertaining for me (as a third party) to witness trolling in a forum or blog and see the troll get a textual smackdown. Quite satisfying.

It happens a lot at another message board I go to. Mostly because nobody can detect if someone's being serious or sarcastic.

I'm usually a dick to people there also, but it's for a logical reason. They're mostly ignorant asking for the same crappy anime or usually start some stupid debate about their being hacked by us. Or they're just plain stupid.

So yes, people are more hostile on the internet.

The troll, by definition, never gets a textual smackdown. The only thing that happens when people write out lengthy dissertations in response to a troll is that they end up looking like idiots, proud for 'laying the smack down' on someone who is just sitting there and laughing.

I guess I just interpret "smackdown" as "a failure for anyone to get riled up in response to the trolling, therefore the troll gets bored and disappears." Maybe it's just me, though.

So your definition of a textual smackdown is a bunch of people ignoring a guy?

???

Have to say that sometimes I feel so sorry for the "newbies" on a particular forum that I visit. They get told USE THE SEARCH all the time, and at least half of the time the search engine is down. Although, I sometimes get a kick out of the inane arguments that happen on the net, and it usually gives me a laugh or two at the end of my day.

The internet is like alcohol, it inspires false confidence.

Youtube is the peak of internet shitheads. Someone on SA posted a link to a video of a duckling following a dog around, and it immediately turned into "FUCKING GOOK SLOPEY EYES!! HEY LOOK CHINKY THAT DUCK IS FOLLOWING YOUR LUNCH". Sad.

:(

No . . . in people's responses to the troll, they keep their cool and fail to get riled up at all. In the end, the troll gets riled up himself, gets frustrated, and leaves. Apologies for the lack of clarity.

link me to some of these epic ass-kickings.

I bet they usually are at least two-three paragraphs long, detailing in each way the troll is wrong?

:( Forget it, I was just trying to make pleasant conversation. All I said was that I liked it when trolls weren't successful in their attempts to annoy people. I wasn't trying to brag or say that I was The Grand Defender Of the Internet or anything. I'm sorry again for not being clear.

You're obviously not drinking what I'm drinking.

I know it's considered a shitty site anyway, but eBaumsworld has some of the most horrid visitors I can fathom. I mean here's a random video I clicked on and a random selection of the comments. This stuff seriously bothers me.
http://students.uww.edu/arbitureee18/comment.jpg

It's very easy to berate someone and beat them over the head with four letter words when you don't have to look them in the eye. This is also the reason that many companies now are laying-off and/or terminating people's employment through the use of email or other electronic messaging systems. If you don't have to look at that person and give them the bad news or tell them they're wrong, your conscience is clean.

A lot of my stress since the internets conception came from dealing with idiots ON the net. You always got that one person who starts off his mess with an insult. Worst thing about it, some people consider this act a good thing. Over the years I've come to notice that most of the shit said is rehashed. Never anything new.

It is also too easy to write someone off. 2 friends can be the best of buds and the next day one abandons the other with NO explaination at all, leaving a hurt an confused person.

Oh yes how can I forget. Xbox live is REAL BAD with this.

My first day on this thing became my last day.

I learned a long time ago that arguing with some stupid meathead who wants to show off on the internet is like trying to dip your dick in honey mustard sauce and pass it off to people on the street as a chicken nugget: Stupid, futile, pointless, vulgar and incredibly ignorant.


Most of the points were already raised, but its nothing more than a power trip for most people. The pluses and minuses to total anonymity on the internet allows anybody to say what they really feel without holding back or gives them passage them to pose/tease/bully with the crowd while maintaining whatever internet rep they wish to develop for themselves among peers. It's no different from how a normal everyday suit-and-tie-businessman/woman with windex clean morals IRL can suddenly get online and become an uber-horny sexual pervert in minutes. People show no restraint, because theres no threat of being discovered that you're a racist (Youtube & Ebaums comments), a tranny pedophile deviant (Sarah/Disgust popping up in gfchat yesterday for example), an ex-murderer, hate-monger, closet-gay/lesbian (self hating or not), homophobe, religious zealot or gawd knows what else behind a random screenname of jumbled letters and numbers.

And when it all boils down to it, what are moderators and admins gonna do besides slap you on the wrist and/or ban you? It's as simple as finding another place on the net more tolerant and having a go with who you really are while you most likely deny it vehemently in public.

That's society for you. The popularity of the global internet just exposes a lot more of the filthy layers of it. =\