Tag Archive | Social Networking

For Whom The Post Trolls

Sep10

Once again the great troll debate airs it’s ugly head as an NRL footballer who recently lost his mother was sent derogatory comments about her.  This follows quickly behind the recent troll war which left celebrity Charlotte Dawson in hospital and cries from many quarters for “accountability” for the actions many faceless people take when they subject not only celebrities and sporting people but the average Joe to harassment and abuse.

The Troll Mentality

Firstly, let’s dissect exactly what a troll is……a troll is a person who either doesn’t like something you say, doesn’t like your achievements or simply wants to get noticed so says something totally stupid to get a reaction….generally they will have a faceless account on either twitter or facebook and use that account to post hurtful and hateful messages to people for no apparent reason other than “because they can”  Other titles include keyboard warriors, faceless people, gutless wonders.

So how do you STOP trolls?  Here’s a few tips which will help.

1. Do not feed the trolls…..the purpose of a troll is to get attention and illicit a response…when you don’t give one they stop…(yes it’s that simple)

2. Report and block the troll….don’t argue with them…don’t tell them…I’m going to block you!  Just do it.  Announcing you are going to do it only infuriates the troll more.

3. If you are on twitter and one of your followers leaps to your defense send them a DM telling them “I’ve got this” having multiple people arguing only creates a mob mentality.

4. Step away from the computer…have a nice cup of tea and watch a bit of telly.  It’s amazing how quickly things cool down when you aren’t there to keep them going.

Another thing people do with trolls is they name and shame….for example retweeting the comment for all their followers to see (eg.Charlotte Dawson)  in the hope it will shame the person into shutting up….this rarely works as it’s a bit like poking a beehive and hoping the bees will stay inside and just let the honey pour out. Plus it’s exactly the reaction the troll wants.

Charlotte for instance, went from being told to go hang herself to having photos of pills, dismembered bodies and nooses sent to her…all because she went on TV and exposed the trolls.  This went on for over 48 hours and it was RELENTLESS . The more TV appearances she made the more trolls who came out to play. It was a lose-lose situation.

So what accountability is there….are there are “real” laws to protect us from text on a computer screen?   When nameless people attack us by insulting our mother or our children or our lifestyle does that warrant legal action?   In my opinion No.  See, I believe as adults we have the choice of how we deal with trolls.  The bottom line is don’t feed them.  Don’t give them the oxygen they need to fuel the flames.

Consider the alternative….where someone else decides what is acceptable for you to say and see and type and read.  Where is the line in the sand drawn?  Who decides what’s acceptable and what’s not.   I’m thinking death threats would be a good line to draw.  But then again I’m thick skinned :)

When I started using the internet we didn’t even have web browsers….we used something called Fido Net and it was more message board based, the arguments back then were called flame wars…because people fanned the flames by giving their two cents worth.  I learnt long ago to not fan the flames.

Final piece of advise

It’s A Wonderful…Virtual World

Feb27

Is This Your World?

Does it strike you as ironic that the more advanced we become by the way of technology, the further away we get with each other? I mean, why go to the store and buy stationary and a stamp, come back home, write a letter then go all the way to the Post Office Box to post it, when we can just sit at home and send an email and touch no one and nothing other than our computers?

Let me guess…some of your closest friends are on your facebook page right?  But whether you have twitter or facebook or some other social network…think about how many of those people you have actually “met”

It seems that we aren’t connecting with each other because it’s easier not to. There has even been studies conducted that show that we don’t even have the same quantity or quality of friendships that we use to. Think about it, how many times have you turned down an invitation to go catch a movie and have dinner and opted for cable and take out (or deliver in) …alone? Instead of going to spend that “quality” time with a friend for their birthday, we send e-cards and e-mails, instant messages and tweets saying “happy birthday…enjoy your day”. We even use caller ID as a way to avoid those friends that call to remind us that we haven’t been out in a while.

It really shouldn’t be a surprise why we are the way we are; Disconnected, unattached, and impatient. Not to mention not very understanding or tolerable about people or things that are different. Loneliness use to be something we associated with the elderly. Not anymore. Our children are lonely because their parents have to work more to keep up with the Jones’.

Our teens are lonely because they have spent more hours at home on their own computers, iPhones, watching cable TV or playing video games instead of outside making friends and learning to get along with others. When they actually make friends they spend their time in their room chatting them “online”  instead of going out and actually “meeting people” and learning how to interact at a social face to face level.

As I say and write this I do realise that there again lies some irony and contradiction in what I say. The internet is a wonderful ‘tool’ to get to meet more people in a short period of time. However, it should never take the place of that one on one, face time. As humans, we long for and need to be touched…literally. There is no substitute for that. It seems to me that if we spent a little more time and effort getting to know people ourselves, instead of relying on the media to define a group, race or nationality of people, we could better judge and form our own opinions about who we want in our lives.

I mention the Internet because more than any other media, it makes us think that we are connected with the outside world when we really aren’t. We sit in our houses alone and talk to people every day we have never met and probably will never meet.  When we close the lids on our laptop we are faced with the loneliness of not having anyone there….so we take our phone to bed in case we miss something.

Did you know that loneliness can increase your risk of heart disease and depression?

So, do this for me, get off the computer right now and pick up the telephone or walk out of your house and talk and touch someone today. If you have to stay on the computer then email someone and make plans to get together this week.