Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 7New Item: Great Flaming Trolls, Batman!
People asked for this section. I think that it is common sense to behave decently wherever you are, but maybe that does not occur to everyone.
There are two simple rules that can help to turn you into a respectable human being both on the internet and in the real world: do not be a troll and do not flame people. Again, this seems like common sense; there is even a note below the comment boxes on this site that says so, although it says it in prettier language.
The important thing to remember is that anonymity on the internet is no reason to act any differently than you would in the real world. This, however, is only meaningful if you act like a decent person when talking to strangers face-to-face. If you can not act decently in the wider world, then it may be time to bring out the forehead tattoos, Snow Crash style. I say this because people on the internet will mentally brand you with "Poor Impulse Control" or "Racially Insensitive" or other such labels if you act like a troll or start flame-wars.
There are some simple things you can do to avoid mental branding and the wrath of moderators. The first is to think carefully, before you even hit "Reply," about whether you have anything constructive to say. If the comment you want to make does not seem as though it will be in any way useful, just abstain from commenting. The second thing you can do is to resist the urge to insult people. Please note that this second thing is covered fully by the first item, and consider that I would not put extra emphasis on it if I did not think it necessary. Lastly, avoid falling into the same trap that many other decent people are caught in by not feeding the trolls. It is best simply to brush off any insults that you may be targeted with.
Let us take a moment to consider the forums that existed in the era of the Roman Empire: The forum was the ultimate public space; everything happened there. Now let us for a moment imagine ourselves in the forum, observing a heated discussion among a group of scholars. We watch as points are made, struck down, revived, and modified; then we see another scholar wander into the circle, tell one of the other scholars that he had sexual congress with that scholar's mother several times the previous night, and then walk away. We then see another, younger scholar walk into the already outraged circle, tell the eldest scholar that he resembles a heap of dog entrails, and also walk off. You would expect that these two scholars would get righteous beatings for their actions, or at the very least they might get a stern talking to and be ostracized from the scholarly community. I use this example because our internet forums are derived from the concept of the Roman forum.
Consider the animosity that you may be the target of as a result of trolling and flaming; at the very least you will have lost any respect that others might have had for you, and you may also be subject to repeated face-punchings by those that you have insulted or riled up in the event that your actual identity is ever linked with your user name or I P Address.
There are two simple rules that can help to turn you into a respectable human being both on the internet and in the real world: do not be a troll and do not flame people. Again, this seems like common sense; there is even a note below the comment boxes on this site that says so, although it says it in prettier language.
The important thing to remember is that anonymity on the internet is no reason to act any differently than you would in the real world. This, however, is only meaningful if you act like a decent person when talking to strangers face-to-face. If you can not act decently in the wider world, then it may be time to bring out the forehead tattoos, Snow Crash style. I say this because people on the internet will mentally brand you with "Poor Impulse Control" or "Racially Insensitive" or other such labels if you act like a troll or start flame-wars.
There are some simple things you can do to avoid mental branding and the wrath of moderators. The first is to think carefully, before you even hit "Reply," about whether you have anything constructive to say. If the comment you want to make does not seem as though it will be in any way useful, just abstain from commenting. The second thing you can do is to resist the urge to insult people. Please note that this second thing is covered fully by the first item, and consider that I would not put extra emphasis on it if I did not think it necessary. Lastly, avoid falling into the same trap that many other decent people are caught in by not feeding the trolls. It is best simply to brush off any insults that you may be targeted with.
Let us take a moment to consider the forums that existed in the era of the Roman Empire: The forum was the ultimate public space; everything happened there. Now let us for a moment imagine ourselves in the forum, observing a heated discussion among a group of scholars. We watch as points are made, struck down, revived, and modified; then we see another scholar wander into the circle, tell one of the other scholars that he had sexual congress with that scholar's mother several times the previous night, and then walk away. We then see another, younger scholar walk into the already outraged circle, tell the eldest scholar that he resembles a heap of dog entrails, and also walk off. You would expect that these two scholars would get righteous beatings for their actions, or at the very least they might get a stern talking to and be ostracized from the scholarly community. I use this example because our internet forums are derived from the concept of the Roman forum.
Consider the animosity that you may be the target of as a result of trolling and flaming; at the very least you will have lost any respect that others might have had for you, and you may also be subject to repeated face-punchings by those that you have insulted or riled up in the event that your actual identity is ever linked with your user name or I P Address.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
4
comments
|
Add Comment
|
Aug 11, 2008. 6:52 PMIron Lotus Captain
says:
I concur wholeheartedly with this instructable. Another thorn in at least my side is not only the constant use of "leetspeak", but the alternating capital and lowercase lettering throughout a sentence, or the combination of the two. For example: "D1D y0u 533 h0w 1 pWn3d tH@t nOoB iN dIaBl0? hE wAs tHe sUxXoRz!!!1" Every time I see this particular style of writing, I literally cringe. Perhaps section 8 should address this particular brand of feculence?
Reply
Aug 10, 2008. 7:27 PMSmurphette
says:
Oh, thank god, a sane person. Thank you for taking the time to explain not only the how, but the why of the importance of proper English usage. yangguang, it has been my experience that people who do not speak English as their first language make more sense, as far as written words, than people who grow up speaking and writing it and have just become lazy. Some days, I am less optimistic and think that these people are just stupid, instead of lazy. Don't worry - your English is easy to comprehend, because you care enough to try to get the meaning across.
Reply
1
May 25, 2008. 8:23 PMA good name
says:
I like making fun of people by imitating shakespeare, like this one time in warcraft I used: Why doth god disgrace this world with the presence of a being such as yourself, and should I ever receive a reason, I will simply reject it, and will refuse to accept whatever reason or lie you try to put into my head. True story :P
Reply
Jul 7, 2008. 8:43 AMJakkRabbit
says:
I would like to know that response you got from that.
Reply
1
Jul 12, 2008. 8:16 AMA good name
says:
They said that they didn't have time for religion because they played world of warcraft. It's sad what our community comes to XD
Reply
Jun 25, 2008. 8:36 PMyangguang
says:
Yes, I like this and do agree with all have been highlighted. I am from None English speaking country, still learning English, I believe I will be learning this language by using it for my whole life. Many times I saw people misusing short-form, I was really confused and disappointed sometimes. Some of them felt troublesome to type in the whole word, some wanted to show their English skill by this way. Of course, some people have hurt others by using obscene words. Yang Guang
Reply
 |
Add Comment
|
