"It's only the internet!"

[Rageaholic]

Maybe this is just my experience lately, but I've been hearing this said online a lot. When ever there's a lot of drama and someone gets upset, there's always someone who has to say "it's only the internet! Stop taking it so seriously! Gosh!".

I don't get this. Aside from lack of physical contact, how is communication between people online any different than face to face communication? Or maybe what I should say is how does the means of communication make it "just the internet?". If someone says a bunch of nasty things about my mother online I'm probably going to get offended, just as I would if they did face to face.

Also, the people saying that are usually hypocrites because they are the ones taking it "seriously". They are the ones who are nasty, using the "it's only the internet" excuse (like you're not a real person), but then when you call them on their BS, they get all butthurt.

(and no, this is not fratching or CS related. This is one of the few places I haven't heard this from).

[Red Panda]

I think its two fold

1. When you are on a forum then its expected to be fun or a way to relive stress. Taking a conversation too seriously is counter productive to this and raises the question of why you are participating in something that has no benefit.

2. Whoever it is that has insulted your mother has never met you or your mother outside of the internet. Chances are you will never encounter them offline. They are pretty much a non-entity in your life. Getting worked up about a person like this is a bit silly. They aren't going to affect anything about you other then what people read on the forum.

[Plaidman]

Well, unlike in real life, you can ignore people on the net. No-one's putting a gun to your head to read what people say about you. You can choose to stop reading that person's post, click ignore, and you'll never have to deal with that person again.

[Lace Neil Singer]

And you know it.

Tho there's a fine line to be crossed here. Sure, sometimes people are too sensitive; I've been guilty of that myself. But sometimes a person has a case, and it's the other person who's flaming or being a troll, and that person has to be dealt with just like you'd call the police to deal with someone harrassing you in real life or verbally abusing you.

[Rageaholic]

1. When you are on a forum then its expected to be fun or a way to relive stress. Taking a conversation too seriously is counter productive to this and raises the question of why you are participating in something that has no benefit.

True, but when drama takes over the forum and it becomes unfun, then it becomes a problem. Those same people who say "It's only the internet, don't get so worked up over it" are usually the ones praticipating in the flaming and drama.

2. Whoever it is that has insulted your mother has never met you or your mother outside of the internet. Chances are you will never encounter them offline. They are pretty much a non-entity in your life. Getting worked up about a person like this is a bit silly. They aren't going to affect anything about you other then what people read on the forum.

Actually, that was a pretty lousy example on my part. A better example would be someone on youtube being harassed by trolls and having false accusations flung at him. He tries to set the record straight and fights back, yet people tell him "stop taking the internet so seriously!". When in fact, he's not the one taking it seriously, it's the trolls and flamers that are ruining his fun taking it seriously. (i've seen this happen a lot).

Sure, there is only so much people online can do and they are much easier to ignore or avoid, but that doesn't mean people can't be jerks and piss people off. A month ago on youtube, there was a false flagging troll who got some people temperaly suspended in the gaming community. People enjoyed their videos and now they couldn't watch them. In the grand scheme of things, it may be minor, but that doesn't mean people have no right to be poed. I don't like being told to not be pissed about something just because there are worse things to be worried about.

[Plaidman]

Jessi Slaughter being a good example of a person being brutally attacked by the internet to the point where she had to be taken into police protection.

Internet trolls were even sending fake pizza orders and prostitutes to her house, even though she's like, 11 I think.

[Red Panda]

Actually, that was a pretty lousy example on my part. A better example would be someone on youtube being harassed by trolls and having false accusations flung at him. He tries to set the record straight and fights back, yet people tell him "stop taking the internet so seriously!". When in fact, he's not the one taking it seriously, it's the trolls and flamers that are ruining his fun taking it seriously. (i've seen this happen a lot).

That happens but what I usually see is somebody makes a joke or not very sriouse comment and the other person takes it way too seriously.

For example

OP: Man, lost is a dumb show. Its all like ooh time travel and smoke monsters. If I want to see a bunch of people stranded on an island I'll watch Gilligan's Island.

Seriouse Person: How dare you insult Lost? You must have not watched enough of it to understand the subtle nuances * Proceeds to spend five posts in a row explaining everything about the show*


Of course it also depends on what forums you go to and how the people there act and are willing to claim its only the internet for things that have not gone over board.

[AdminAssistant]

Jessi Slaughter being a good example of a person being brutally attacked by the internet to the point where she had to be taken into police protection.

Internet trolls were even sending fake pizza orders and prostitutes to her house, even though she's like, 11 I think.

Oh, please.

She was a camwhore who tried to take on 4chan. What's an 11 year old doing with a webcam and a youtube channel in the first place? That's some real awesome parenting.

The motto of that little story is to not send your kiddies into the dark places of the internets unless you're prepared for the consequences. And for god's sake, don't piss off the Anonymous.

[Plaidman]

Didn't warrent the aftermath she got.

Didn't realize that people aren't allowed to have opinions until a certain age, and they are forbidden to take on bunch of bullies that draw child porn until a certain age ether. What age is that? 16? 18? 21? Never?

[AdminAssistant]

An 11 year old should not be posting camwhore videos on youtube. Did she deserve that level of harassment? Maybe not. The fault really lies with her parents who were obviously not monitoring her internet activity. I didn't say you were forbidden to take on 4chan, just that it's extremely stupid to try it. Even one of the Tea Party groups couldn't do it.

There's tons of trolling on WoW, but I mostly ignore it. Or laugh at how absolutely stupid some of the players are. I do wish I had started out on a PvE server, because the 80's who get their jollies by killing lowbies really really suck. There have been times I've had to log out because I was being camped.

It's funny...I'm always asking my Fiance dumb WoW questions, and one time he said, "Hey, there are no stupid questions in Warcraft. In fact, you can just ask anything in trade chat!" Then, "Really, never ever EVER ask anything in trade chat. Ever."

[Red Panda]

Didn't warrent the aftermath she got.

Didn't realize that people aren't allowed to have opinions until a certain age, and they are forbidden to take on bunch of bullies that draw child porn until a certain age ether. What age is that? 16? 18? 21? Never?

You can have opinions and take on anybody you want. You just have to deal with the consequences. If I wanted to take on a bear I shouldn't be surprised when it bites off my face.

[Rageaholic]

I just looked up Jesse Slaughter online and it doesn't sound like she was innocent, but neither were the ones threatening her. It's one thing to get overly offended over someone having an opinion, but I don't think the because someone posts stuff online they deserve harassment and flaming. Some people post videos and get made fun of because of stupid shit like their voice, their looks or their interests. Then the trolls justify it saying that because they posted it online, they assumed the risk of being trolled, so they have the right to troll them because other people do. Yeah, that's real logical.

[ZedOmega]

Oh, shit. I didn't think the Jessi Slaughter incident would end up reaching this far.

Big surprise, her mother's reaction was something like, 'I haven't seen the videos, I don't even go on the computer'. I'm sorry, Officer, I had no idea my daughter was talking like this on the internet.

And she didn't directly challenge Anonymous, AA. A link to one of her videos (the one where she goes on about how she's unaffected by haters and that she'll 'put a Glock in your mouths and make a brain slushie') was posted in a 'you rage, you lose' thread on 4chan, and the shitstorm was sudden and devastating.

Now, my main question is this: would this have happened if her parents had any semblance of brains?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Oh, please.

She was a camwhore who tried to take on 4chan. What's an 11 year old doing with a webcam and a youtube channel in the first place? That's some real awesome parenting.

The motto of that little story is to not send your kiddies into the dark places of the internets unless you're prepared for the consequences. And for god's sake, don't piss off the Anonymous.

Tried to take on the might of 4chan at age eleven? I'm sorry but that is a moronic act right there and her parents should be ashamed of themselves. People need to teach their kids that not everyone online is nice and shits rainbows.

[ZedOmega]

Tried to take on the might of 4chan at age eleven? I'm sorry but that is a moronic act right there and her parents should be ashamed of themselves. People need to teach their kids that not everyone online is nice and shits rainbows.

You kidding? Trying to take on 4chan at any age is moronic.