Fri
Jun 27 2008
12:10:pm
You're an idtiot!
By: djuggler  shortURL

I have never figured out just what it is about the Internet that turns smart people dumb. There is a wonderful book from 1970 called Body Language by Julius Fast. This book discusses this behavior with regard to driving. Drivers feel a particular anonymity in their cars which allow them to act out (road rage) in ways that we just would not do face to face; the Internet provides that same assumed anonymity relaxing people enough to lash out in ways that would otherwise be sociably unacceptable.

I can appreciate your passion for a subject and the ire for someone else's opposing view. However, when you title or begin a message or comment with "you're an idiot", "stfu", "moron" or any of a number of other degrading, inflammatory, subjective remarks, you damage your argument no matter house sound, logical, or fact based. You damage your self image.

Personally, when I see a comment with such language, I immediately assume you are 12 years old and not worthy of an intellectual debate. I have to assume this because only a hormonal, irrational teen would use such an approach in an agrument. Certainly, you would not expect to stand in a crowd of people and sway their opinion to yours through name calling? That's the stuff of high schoolers and middle schoolers.

"Its better to let someone think your an idiot, rather than to open your mouth and prove them right." --when it doubt, attribute all quotes to Ben Franklin

My advice, if you can't say anything nice, don't...well, just stfu.

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Brian A.'s picture

Personally, when I see a

Submitted by Brian A. on Fri, 2008/06/27 - 12:49pm.

Personally, when I see a comment with such language, I immediately assume you are 12 years old and not worthy of an intellectual debate.

Uh, is this intentional irony? It's just a different way of saying, "You're an idiot."

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

djuggler's picture

The call me subtle. Doug

Submitted by djuggler on Fri, 2008/06/27 - 3:10pm.

The call me subtle.

Doug McCaughan
(link...)

redmondkr's picture

In a way this guy is gutsier

Submitted by redmondkr on Fri, 2008/06/27 - 1:30pm.

In a way this guy is gutsier than all of our drive-by 'morans'. He isn't hiding behind internet anonymity. He has put it out there for the world to see and I always picture him at a keyboard when I skim the 'youraneejit' comments.


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Stick Thrower's picture

John Gabriel's G.I.F.T.

Submitted by Stick Thrower on Fri, 2008/06/27 - 1:56pm.

This pretty much sums it up as well as anything:

Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience =

Dwight Van de Vate's picture

Very funny, but sadly accurate

Submitted by Dwight Van de Vate on Sun, 2008/06/29 - 9:06am.

The ability post anonymously on the internet is akin to giving a timid person a pistol. They will post things they would never even contemplate saying publicly. The KNS comments section is a prime example of such.

In the middle class suburban world where I live, social media doesn't seem to move public opinion directly. The people we spend time with, socially, with our kids in youth sports, scouting, church, whatever, don't, to the best of my knowledge, spend time on blogs, message boards, comments section and so forth. On the other hand, I think social media has a huge indirect effect on public opinion, because we all know that assignment editors, producers, reporters, news directors, editors and the like spend copious amounts of time perusing internet dialogue. It has a direct effect on the editorial decisions that they make and frequently influences or even determines what stories find their way on to television or into print. So in a sad way, people who hide behind a veil of anonymity are driving public dialogue and public opinion. A sad damn state of affairs, IMHO. The Fourth Estate as it once existed is graveyard dead.

Sorry Randy, I didn't set out to hijack the thread.

Dwight Van de Vate
(Private citizen, not on behalf of anything or anyone official)

Justin's picture

The ability post anonymously

Submitted by Justin on Sun, 2008/06/29 - 10:03am.

The ability post anonymously on the internet is akin to giving a timid person a pistol. They will post things they would never even contemplate saying publicly.

This sounds just like a certain cowardly (banned) poster that tends to go by a certain number as his nom de guerre.

Hildegard's picture

Well, intellect and

Submitted by Hildegard on Fri, 2008/06/27 - 3:42pm.

Well, intellect and intelligence, while not mutually exclusive, are not the same thing. Almost anybody is NOT intellectual, even if they're smart and have a college degree. Intellect comes from reading and experience. Intelligence is innate. Sorry for the split hairs, but anyway.

Trolling is tiresome and boring. I am rarely offended by the, for lack of a better word, "substance" of what a troll says, but boy howdy I get pissed off at how artless and drab they are. They spew the same crap somebody louder and just as dull made up, and it gets bounced around like a shit-stained volleyball.

But that doesn't mean invective, name-calling, and other forum savagery cannot be wildly fun and entertaining, and even good for the health of a forum. Over on the Blab we get into some very high caliber evil spats, but yeah we're all undignified juveniles, so it's expected and tolerated.

cooperhawk's picture

idtiot?

Submitted by cooperhawk on Sun, 2008/06/29 - 2:36am.

The twelve-year-old in me couldn't help myself.

Up Goose Creek's picture

Mockers

Submitted by Up Goose Creek on Sun, 2008/06/29 - 8:44am.

This discussion reminds me that I'd thought about changing my sgnature line. For the record:

"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."

From the same source:

Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.

____________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

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