"Stop taking the internet so seriously"

Want to be the most antisocial reprobate, spreading misery to people worldwide? Go right ahead, they're just taking the internet too seriously. Sure you insulted just about every family member of said person, sure you just viciously attacked someone with the intent of seriously hurting and upsetting them. It's their fault for taking the internet too seriously, you don't need a conscience. Afterall, we're using a written global communications medium, and every since the rules were written back in nineteen-dippety-doo, written global communcations shalt not be seriouscat.

I wonder why this didn't start on subways? Go right up to someone and start telling them they're a low life with no aspirations and they'll never amount to shit cos they're just a fucking noobcunt. Yeah fuck you fat bastard, i get laid by over a million chicks a year whilst you're sat in your mum's basement room wanking to old gillian anderson photographs because you're too poor to afford anything newer.

Oh what, you're upset fatty? STOP TAKING THE SUBWAY SO SERIOUSLY LOL

Why is it this particular medium that gets moral ambiguity? We're writing things and communicating to other people. In real life, we're speaking and communicating to other people. Some people can't speak so they use hand gestures. What does the rulebook say about hand gestures? Can they wave at you to stop taking hand gestures so seriously?

Stephen Hawking has to use his breath to control a robot which writes something which is then translated into speech by another robot to get his message across. How about there, does that give him the moral high ground so that he can attempt to hurt people? Hell he's even more removed than we are using our computers, surely that lets him be even more of an ass than you can be on the internetz! Is it OK if he robotically rapes someone? LOL STOP TAKING STEPHEN HAWKING-BOT SO SRSLY!!111

Or maybe the philosophy is "well you can ignore it, it's only words" - in which case i'll happily come along to whichever school your child is at and deride them into the ground. I'll spread a whole bunch of rumours and then stand there yelling swear words and insults directly into her face from inches away, screaming with all my might. If that kid cries and comes home saying some big guy just did all that, tell her that it's just words and she can ignore it. I'm sure when she grows up a cowering mess you'll feel proud that you championed some rediculous bullshit phrase which boils down to "sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me." Great job, that phrase really worked on those poor fuckers that got bullied at school and grew up into nervous and depressed wrecks.

Unfortunately, i can't placate my moral clock by saying "stop taking <x> so seriously." I hope others can't either. This is the stupidest phrase to emerge victorious from the internetz. Heralded by offensive individuals who want a second mask to hide behind, make themselves feel even better about aggressively accosting other people.

If you want to insult someone, get some balls. Grow a pair of testicles between your legs and take responsibility for what you say. It's not their fault for being offended, it's your fault for offending them, so either feel proud that you were able to elicit a response, or feel bad for upsetting someone. Don't try and shift the blame on to them because really, at heart, no-one is falling for it. Not even you.

Things are as consequential or serious as you make them. You're a bully who doesn't dare to risk getting their arses kicked by their target. Worse still, you're all of that AND you're unwilling to take the credit.

And if you don't like it, stop taking dannym3141 so seriously. I bet i can troll better than you can.

-----

Coming to you from the rage inside dannym3141 when he sees "stop taking the internet so seriously" comments upvoted 12 times.</x>
rottenseed says...

shut up you fat wanker.

Seriously though, this was well written. The internet is a great infinitely blind social experiment where we learn how people are when there's some form of anonymity and distancing from each other.

I wish I could say I only act like an asshole on the internet. I'm not over-the-top trollish, but I do say some dick things. Unfortunately, I'm actually a dick in real life. I've come to terms with it, but I don't try to be somebody I'm not while under the guise of some "clever" screen name and cute avatar. I have the feeling those that do act out in such a horrible manner are miserable cunts that have issues with people in real life that they take out on people over the internet. You don't need to be a psychologist to figure that out.

Throbbin says...

Part of me sympathizes with this sentiment. Words can be hurtful, and in a place like VS that values community those words may have real life repercussions.

However, the internet is a voluntary medium. It's not like anyone is forced to be here. This is very different from barging into a school to berate kids. We are all here by choice.

The beauty of VS is that the community judges you and your actions/words. It's pretty good at coming down on people who cross the line (and I agree that there is a 'line'). I do understand your dislike for 'internet tough guys' who assume an alter-ego online and harass people because they have social-adjustment issues. I don't see alot of that on VS though (at least relative to other websites).

"Unfortunately, i can't placate my moral clock by saying "stop taking <x> so seriously." I hope others can't either. "

I can, at least when it comes to online discussions (in most cases - not when it has real world implications). It's one thing to suggest that internet tough guys are poorly socially adjusted. It's another thing to let these things get to you. At the end of the day, we're all real people with real lives and real friends and families and jobs and schools and aspirations and problems and trials and tribulations. People should NEVER allow their online persona to become so integral to their real lives that they value it as more than a recreational activity.

When you stand up and walk away from the computer, you should always remember that no one defines you - only you do.

rottenseed says...

>> ^dannym3141:

I'm often trollish myself, man. I (and you i imagine) just don't try to excuse it.

The important thing is not to excuse it. Although I've been in the situation where I needed to apologize, I try not to "excuse" what I've said...admitting you're wrong is hard, but when you append an excuse to it, it nullifies the apology.

dannym3141 says...

But again throbbin, i could just repeat my argument in rebuttal. You haven't adressed the line that you arbitrarily draw where one side is "internet, doesn't matter" and the other is "real life, does matter".

Words are as hurtful as you let them be, whether it's the internet or real life, their value is identical. This is my question - why are you so eager and so quick to draw the line? Why is there a line? It's so arbitrary, no one has ever explained it. WHY shouldn't we take the internet seriously? WHY is it an online 'persona' to you? I'm just me. Online, offline, in my dreams, in my imaginations, i'm just me.

You seem to say you noticeably change yourself when you're online. This is me online, this is me offline? People do that?

It doesn't matter where you "stand up" from, metaphorically. If you're standing up from the computer, walking away from an argument irl, or walking away from someone insulting you IRL - "No one defines you, only you do."

This line that you accept to exist, i don't. It's bullshit. Explain it to me.

When writing was THE active means of communication, why didn't people say "stop taking letters so seriously?" Now that texting is an active means of communication, can i send texts to anyone and then demand that they're being too serious when i viciously attack their appearance, their personality?

Why isn't that the line? This is my texting persona, this is my non-texting persona.

Bullshit.

schmawy says...

I tend to think of peple who behave badly on the internet the same way I think of rude drivers. They are simple and unclassy, self centered and pathetic when they feel safe. Makes us all look bad.

I am a big fan of manners, decency and politeness. I'm not a big fan of etiquette, law, or rules. Internet suits me fine. Count me as an ally in your fight againt the lowbrow self-amused hordes of trogloditic youtubery, Danny.

We do have to grandfather in joedirt and a few others unfortunately. But that's it, no more.

gwiz665 says...

I'm pretty close to myself online, but with a little rougher edges. I'm pretty amicable in real life, and online too, as long as someone doesn't piss me off. Some people invent a completely different persona online, but I think that's weird - be who you are.

@Throbbin "People should NEVER allow their online persona to become so integral to their real lives that they value it as more than a recreational activity."

Who are you to say that? That's people's own choice. I, for one, value my "persona" on videosift pretty highly, since I think I've made some social connections through it and my gwiz665 "persona" is an extension of my real person. Sure, I could live without being a user here, but my life is richer by being here as well. And how I, or anyone else, prioritize their lives is nobody elses business.

Some things on the Internet I take seriously and some I don't. It all depends on how much effort I've put into it and the subject matter. I do my best not to be sensitive unless something's directed at my own person, in which case I usually respond in kind.

joedirt says...

protip: the internet isn't like your library or your church or your grocery store.

Look at all the lemonparty and pr0n and trolls. THey were here before you so GTFO. The simple rule is don't feed the trolls. This post is soooo fucking awesome, it makes trolling worth it for thousands of people. This might be a mecca for trolls to come and read and make life worth living again.

Any troll on the internet who is getting bored should come and read this post and be reborn anew. Thank you danny m seriously tasty tasty tears.

dystopianfuturetoday says...

For what it's worth, I'd be morally OK with Stephen Hawking robotically raping a fat, jobless X-files fanboy on the subway, whilst reciting passages from 'A Brief History in Time'; partially because of the funny imagery, but also partially because I think the fat nerd would kind of enjoy it on some level: You can't rape the willing.

dannym3141 says...

>> ^joedirt:

protip: the internet isn't like your library or your church or your grocery store.
Look at all the lemonparty and pr0n and trolls. THey were here before you so GTFO. The simple rule is don't feed the trolls. This post is soooo fucking awesome, it makes trolling worth it for thousands of people. This might be a mecca for trolls to come and read and make life worth living again.
Any troll on the internet who is getting bored should come and read this post and be reborn anew. Thank you danny m seriously tasty tasty tears.


No tears from me - troll away, just don't try to take the moral high ground by excusing it. Get some balls and take responsibility.

But i'm not sure you're qualified to take part in this conversation if you didn't understand that.

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