On Internet Trolls, and the (Hurt) Masses

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“There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law.” -Abraham Lincoln

The Masses, those who have come to the internet now, the late adopters have recently run into something us long time users know: their are trolls amung us.
I bring this up because i’m starting to see more and more of these posts.  In the NY times, poor Richard made a (Gasp!) comment about Stephen Fry, the British writer, actor and television personality.  (he called his tweets boring).  The writers and actors of Stargate Universe are actually getting depressed.

These are choice examples, but still, a wave that’s growing.  From twitter under the control of it’s user mob. To backlash against something (google wave: at the time) not yet even finalized.
I have something to say to you all, thou i admire you all:  “Welcome to the internet.  Now ignore the fools on it and go back to doing awesome work.”

Trolling has but two purposes: Provoke a emotional “negative response” and make express a (angry) and not always wrong point of view. But Trolling, and getting yelled at have been part of life forever, using the internet just requires more “emotional armor” than most people are used to. Admittedly, many people have to have a thick skin to do their jobs (think journalist and Politicians.) but ordinary people are not prepared for “vitriol” backlash they get after posting an otherwise innocent comment.  Thank fully i spent many times back in the BBS and Forum era.  You learn to read and ignore something a majority of internet users are JUST coming to grips with.

What hurts, is that someone you don’t know, who knows nothing about you, feels the need to call you a “dirty, lying bastard who should have his mother killed” it shocks, it raises your hackles, but I have both sympathy and yet none.  If i say Madonna sucks, and her twitter 2000 followers get angry about it (i don’t even know or care if Madonna has a twitter account btw)… these are the same people who would (in the past) flood my email if they could find it, who would send me hate mail if they knew my address, but in reality, would share a beer with me at a pub or ask me a sane questions in real life (“Why do you think that?”).  The other 2 million people who care about Madonna don’t give a damn what i think!  They would just laugh of my comments and keep going with their decidedly busy lives (listening to Madonna i might add).

I say again. “Ignore the fools and move on.” better yet, Disenvowell them!

My word of Advice: No matter what you do, their  is ALWAYS backlash.  Accept it. It’s a bell curve.  Humans must disagree with each other.  It’s something we all know: The squeaky wheel get’s the grease;  the loud person is always listed to; Most people who write their congress men are the ones who disagree.

Furthermore, these people think they are in the majority (See Sanford Study) , often times, unfortunately, they are not.

We know they(Trolls & Angry Vitriol) are not in the Majority..

Sticks and Stones, people, sticks and stones.

OceansOfThought @ November 2, 2009