Interesting how the article doesn't appear to have any sort of commenting function enabled.

Didn't Penny Arcade already explain this?

It's not news, it's TIME magazine.

Navel gazing is boring, smells like poo.

"Obvious" tag instead of "interesting".

You're all a bunch or retards.

...no shiat? Anonymity does that to people, much like a mob mentality.

If there are essentially no "real life" consequences, then people are going to do and say things they would never do in "real life," since not only are they not risking their comfort zone, but there won't be any repercussions.

It's like students going off about a bad professor in an anonymous feedback form.

Barnacles!: my thoughts EXACTLY.

/joined FARK right after the whole "FARK IS A MISOGYNISTIC SITE OMFG" bit
//loves it

All that being said, however, while people can be assholes on the internet--people can also be really wonderful and truly caring when the situation warrants it. There will always be assholes, but where aren't there some?

I suppose the idea of NOT posting up self involved and random tripe isn't really an option for most folks, is it?

The problem isn't necessarily that people are inherently cruel and mean spirited, it's that you finally have a way of finding out what people really think of your content, as opposed to just what your friends and neighbors think.

What most folks are unprepared for is that 80% of everything is pure garbage. 10% is OK, but nothing to write home about. 5% is fairly decent. 4% is pretty good, and only an elusive 1% is excellent. That goes for movies. That goes for commercials. That goes for books. Food. Commercial car repair. Houses. And certainly for web content.

And most folks are entirely unprepared to face being in the majority of users and producers that put out crap. And are unwilling to face the fact that they might not be great at what they've done, and are shocked to find out that others aren't going to pat them on the back for it.

You want less negative feedback? How about NOT putting up garbage on your site, not uploading that umpteenth crappy video, or maybe putting some thought into your blog posts? Maybe not pull articles out of your ass, and then expect people to bathe in the wide wonder of the wonderfulness of you? Too much to ask? How about you try some research on occasion, and maybe expect that people will actually check your facts and figures?

You see this with LiveJournal rooms. Radical Feminist rants that then try to defend their sometimes tenuous links to reality or logic by claiming: This is a Radical Feminist site, and if you shouldn't be here if you don't ascribe to this view of the world and how DARE you question our scholarship! You see it in a lot of areas, where people cling to the idea that just because they post it up, that it's supposed to be inviolate of vetting or simple fact checking.

You don't want to be checked or vetted? Fine, do some self publishing and DON'T open yourself up to commentary, but you do, and then you should expect that folks will take you task if you just sort of phone in the content, or worse, try to pull figures and facts out of your ass, or post up some really crappy content.

You want to be better? Then maybe you should take a long and hard look at what people are focused on--and learn from it, as opposed to pointing fingers at everyone else for calling you out. Or maybe just accept that you're a hothouse flower, and that you've no business putting your work out there, and that you'd be better served by just keeping that shiat to yourself...

STFU

hubiestubert:I suppose the idea of NOT posting up self involved and random tripe isn't really an option for most folks, is it?

i read that sentence, then looked at the length of your post and smiled. well done

There has been a long tradition of anonymous biography/commentary/polemic. Anonymity is a good thing because it allows people to more freely express their opinions about topics that my draw criticism.

But in the current climate doesn't anonymity lead to crap like this^?

The problem isn't anonymity, the problem is civility. Offensiveness commands disproportionate attention. The corseness of expression that people feel comfortable engaging in under the blanket of anonymity is exacerbated by the overwhelming need to engage in uncivil discourse (mimicking all of the 24-hour cable news networks).

So should people expect snark when the post stuff on the internet? Sure. Don't hold yourself out to the public unless you can take the scrutiny.

But should everyone in general adopt a more civilized and dignified tone? Sure.

Rule: If you ever disagree with anyone on the internet then you are "a troll".

lol

i love how this comes in just after the tony snow thread.

oh brian, you're just ants at a picnic.

..wait, did you just say i'm "ants at a picnic?"

the internet provides the illusion of anonymity.

Barnacles, came here for that. Thanks.

I think the Internet could use a little bit of the Duggar House Guidelines

Sharch:You're all a bunch or retards.

I pick "bunch".

Have a nice day!

I'd like to point out that submitter is a despicable human being and that I banged his mom.

hubiestubert:I suppose the idea of NOT posting up self involved and random tripe isn't really an option for most folks, is it?

That reminds me of the time I went to Salt Lake City to get my goiter treated. In those days, Salt Lake City had these enormous....

Lemon-Lime Malthus:I think the Internet could use a little bit of the Duggar House Guidelines

already has them.
it's crazy as hell, kind of creepy, and very unsettling. however, it keeps going with no plans of shutting down.

You should shove this thread up your ass.

You all suck and are stupid.

As a sincere and earnest bloke, I'm really getting hurt by these mean, insensitive replies.

TreeHugger:As a sincere and earnest bloke, I'm really getting hurt by these mean, insensitive replies.



STFU!!!

/This has potential to be an awesome thread.

I'm better than you all. Seriously.

I kinda like you guys. The whole lot of ya

You think it's funny, but people have been hurt by nasty comments.

tl;dr

why don't you sit on your thumb awhile and then see if you can hitch hike a ride to Shove-it-up-your-ass-town

is this how you do it?

you're all gay.

unless you're gay.
then you're straight.

/you're all dane cook.

done.

funsized:Barnacles!: my thoughts EXACTLY.

/joined FARK right after the whole "FARK IS A MISOGYNISTIC SITE OMFG" bit
//loves it

All that being said, however, while people can be assholes on the internet--people can also be really wonderful and truly caring when the situation warrants it. There will always be assholes, but where aren't there some?

I've been in three or four online communities that just seemed absolutely atrocious, but when something actually happened to one of the members, they rallied around that person like nothing you'd ever seen before. One of the more touching moments I remember was when a group of thousands of kids (some were adults, but it was mostly 15 - 18 year olds), managed to raise about 10k to help out pay for the funeral of a community member who had died and had no insurance or savings.

Some people online truly are just monsters, but I think most are good people if you dig down far enough.

Bartleby the Scrivener:Shove-it-up-your-ass-town

Been there before....the food sucks and there are too many black people.

/what?

RoyBatty:You think it's funny, but people have been hurt by nasty comments.

why just the other day, someone left a nasty comment just sitting in the middle of the hallway! as i was leaving for work, i slipped on the bugger and banged my knee pretty hard on the tile floor. boy did that hurt.

Sketchweasel2:you're all gay.

unless you're gay.
then you're straight.

/you're all dane cook.

done.

All fat Dane Cooks.

on June 11, a user called way21337 uploaded a video to YouTube. It's titled My new gerbil, and it shows, in fact, a black-and-white gerbil snuffling around cutely in somebody's hand. It is 11 seconds long. By press time, it had acquired 102 comments. Let's take a look! They begin with NewTyhuss, who writes, "sweet!" Things start going south with comment No. 4: "id hit it."

I have nothing to add to this.

RoyBatty Quote 2008-07-12 03:29:15 PM
You think it's funny, but people have been hurt by nasty comments

And I think that's funny.

obligatory:

people are basically mean anyway

Welcome to humanity. Been here long?

butthurt!