Is the Internet a hive of scum and villainy?

[Plane Sailing]

You probably already know this, but there are some browser extensions with the whole purpose of obfuscating youtube comments. Might be valuable in fending off that day of awful realisation.

 

[Kaodi]

Yes. Next question.

More seriously though, I would dispute the Gabriel theory in one respect: It is useless for predicting the behaviour of individuals. More properly X Normal People + Anonymity + Audience = Y Jerks, where X is greater than and not equal to Y, and X is greater than a certain sample size.

Also, anonymity should perhaps not in this context be understood in the traditional sense of unidentifiable in the real world, but rather in a sense of unidentifiable to the vast majority of readers. There are plenty of complete jerks who use their real names. All you have to do is go to any news site that uses Facebook to see this. Like the comments on the Times of Israel. Do not read those.

 

[STIGMATADOR]

so will the general culture ever mature to a point of general civility being the norm instead of negativity being the most common expression?

God I hope not!

 

[sabrinathecat]

Well, if any part of the human race ever becomes civilized, maybe part of the internet will.

Who has the most free time? Teenagers and 20-something college students, and retirees.
What part of that group would spend hours on the internet for fun?
And what type of humor or comments does that group enjoy making?

The internet is like any other tool: it can be used, and it can be abused. Depends on the person. If as I suspect you've done a good job rearing your children, there's a pretty decent chance that they will be better than the people you are worried about. You can't shelter them forever, but you can give them the tools to discern for themselves what they should and should not do.

 

[Janx]

Well, if any part of the human race ever becomes civilized, maybe part of the internet will.

Who has the most free time? Teenagers and 20-something college students, and retirees.
What part of that group would spend hours on the internet for fun?
And what type of humor or comments does that group enjoy making?

The internet is like any other tool: it can be used, and it can be abused. Depends on the person. If as I suspect you've done a good job rearing your children, there's a pretty decent chance that they will be better than the people you are worried about. You can't shelter them forever, but you can give them the tools to discern for themselves what they should and should not do.

True. Though I suspect there's a threshold of child age where before it, kids should probably be kept away from the comments section of YouTube. And after it, they've already seen it from their friends' and they know how to be better than the people on the internet.

 

[Bullgrit]

I just saw a picture of a guy dressed for Halloween. He was Luke Skywalker training with Yoda on his back. It was a great idea, (that I hadn't seen before), and well executed. My thoughts were, "Wow, that's really cool."

But the comments section was full of
"He's just showing off his biceps."
"What biceps? Don't skip arm day!"

Just on and on with dismissals or insults like that. Of the 20-30 comments, not one said anything about the costume, its concept, its result. And god help any woman or girl who posts a pic! The misogyny is frightening.

With so many monkeys throwing feces at everything on the Internet, you'd think people would stop posting their stuff. Actually, I'm surprised people do continue posting anything to the general Internet, or that people leave commenting turned on at all.

Bullgrit

 

[Morrus]

A lot of people who post a lot of stuff develop a thick skin and learn how to ignore the noise. For example, I get 'attacked' in some way most days; I just learned not to look in certain directions. It's the price of 'doing' something - whatever it is, some people will hate you for it.

 

[Umbran]

Just on and on with dismissals or insults like that. Of the 20-30 comments, not one said anything about the costume, its concept, its result. And god help any woman or girl who posts a pic! The misogyny is frightening.

Sadly, just before humans discovered fire, we discovered that one of the basic ways to feel better about yourself it to tear down anyone around you who tries anything. You can then look at the desolation around you, and feel you stand tall in the middle of it.

 

[sabrinathecat]

I just saw a picture of a guy dressed for Halloween. He was Luke Skywalker training with Yoda on his back. It was a great idea, (that I hadn't seen before), and well executed. My thoughts were, "Wow, that's really cool."

But the comments section was full of
"He's just showing off his biceps."
"What biceps? Don't skip arm day!"

Just on and on with dismissals or insults like that. Of the 20-30 comments, not one said anything about the costume, its concept, its result. And god help any woman or girl who posts a pic! The misogyny is frightening.

With so many monkeys throwing feces at everything on the Internet, you'd think people would stop posting their stuff. Actually, I'm surprised people do continue posting anything to the general Internet, or that people leave commenting turned on at all.

Bullgrit

There was a similar bit where someone had made a great 10th Doctor costume, and people were snidely saying things like "The Doctor has really let himself go", because the fan was of the larger physique of the two sci-fi fan stereotypes. His response was "If that's all they can find to comment on, my costume was bloody awesome." Jealousy is a green-eyed monster.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

As long as there are no negative consequences for acting poorly, people will act to the lowest common denominator. In a game store, if someone said something highly inappropriate, you could ask them to step out into the parking lot, but on the internet, they are completely safe. This safety from a punch in the nose, allows those that are small and angry to lash out at anyone with no fear of reprisal. In fact, I think they save up all the anger they have from real life where they are too timid to do anything and then vent it out into the internet. That is why you see "nerd rage" over silly things. People that are secure with who they are act the same in real life and on the net, people who are afraid in real life, IMO, are the ones that get really stupid on the internet. So unless you can get therapy for all these angry anti-social people, they are going to continue to act tough where they are safe, the net.

There's one HUUUUUUUUGEEEE problem with your li'l theory: There are plenty of folks out there who say nasty things online that can most assuredly effectively defend themselves from attack. You're acting like it's only nerdy losers who can barely stand to carry their own weight who act out online. For your sake I hope you never, ever decide to track a troll down and punch him in the nose. Your theory could put you in the hospital.

I mean, I'm sure your theory here makes you feel better - people that hurt your feelings are inherently small, weak and cowardly is an outlook that can't help but make you feel superior. Thing is, it's pretty wrong and I hope for your sake you reevaluate before taking any sort of action. Hell, even if you never look a troll up and roll to his house (I honestly doubt you would - I mean, you said yourself what people who talk on the internet do) it'd still be a healthier option. Pretending folks who hurt your feelings are lesser beings really isn't the best way to go about it. It's not realistic.

I just saw a picture of a guy dressed for Halloween. He was Luke Skywalker training with Yoda on his back. It was a great idea, (that I hadn't seen before), and well executed. My thoughts were, "Wow, that's really cool."

But the comments section was full of
"He's just showing off his biceps."
"What biceps? Don't skip arm day!"

Just on and on with dismissals or insults like that. Of the 20-30 comments, not one said anything about the costume, its concept, its result. And god help any woman or girl who posts a pic! The misogyny is frightening.

With so many monkeys throwing feces at everything on the Internet, you'd think people would stop posting their stuff. Actually, I'm surprised people do continue posting anything to the general Internet, or that people leave commenting turned on at all.

Bullgrit

... those are nasty comments? Really? I ... wow ...