Internet bullies

Thoughts?

Unfortunately, I see them as a necessary evil. Without such "bullies", all internet forums would become such watered down piles of monkey crap that no one would want to read them.

GOD wrote:

Unfortunately, I see them as a necessary evil. Without such "bullies", all internet forums would become such watered down piles of monkey crap that no one would want to read them.

Good point..

Why do you think they have such a blind following?

I've been accused of being one, but don't see it that way. I only repsond to idiots and never attack without provocation.

Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.

GOD wrote:

Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.

I think that is a very true statement. And I think partly it's people so desperate to be part of what they consider the 'in' crowd - that they will do anything to get into that circle. Including lie, backstab, invent things what have you.

Goddess wrote:

GOD wrote:

Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.

I think that is a very true statement. And I think partly it's people so desperate to be part of what they consider the 'in' crowd - that they will do anything to get into that circle. Including lie, backstab, invent things what have you.

Everyone wants to be liked, and accepted. When you're new to a forum, it's easy to try to join in with the crowd. Things can get real wacky, though. That's why you should never take this stuff too seriously. I have made many online friendships (ended a few too), some that I really care for. But at the end of the day, they aren't my family, and if I never saw/spoke to them again, although I would be sad, it wouldn't be the end of the world for me.

I don't allow myself to be bullied in 'real' life, I certainly won't allow someone I barely know to do it.

shameless1 wrote:

Goddess wrote:

GOD wrote:

Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.

I think that is a very true statement. And I think partly it's people so desperate to be part of what they consider the 'in' crowd - that they will do anything to get into that circle. Including lie, backstab, invent things what have you.

Everyone wants to be liked, and accepted. When you're new to a forum, it's easy to try to join in with the crowd. Things can get real wacky, though. That's why you should never take this stuff too seriously. I have made many online friendships (ended a few too), some that I really care for. But at the end of the day, they aren't my family, and if I never saw/spoke to them again, although I would be sad, it wouldn't be the end of the world for me.

I don't allow myself to be bullied in 'real' life, I certainly won't allow someone I barely know to do it.

Amen Sistah!

I think a lot of times it's a case of somebody exercising what they see as a power or influence in cyber life that they don't have in their real lives. They're being somebody in their cyber world that they don't feel they are in the real world.

Whatever the reason for it, and no matter how interesting and exciting it can make a messageboard when it's kept within sane, humanly decent boundaries, when carried too far it can ruin an internet community as we've all seen in our own experience.

Yup... It's about attention. An invisible voice (or text) can insult and rip someone to shreds without the fringe backlash of the ass beating they'd get in real life. I avoid them whenever possible and I try not to feed into any form of attention (read: response) to their postings. The more people yell at them or lift them up, they are getting exactly what they want -- someone paying attention to them. I akin it to a small child having a tantrum. The more attention, albeit negative, they get, the more special they feel. It's their answer to their own low self-esteem. Shove someone else down lower so I feel better. Ooh that worked, so lets shove MORE people down low. ... OY!

So bottom line, they haven't grown up worth a shit. Same little kid, same bullshit. Ignoring them pisses them off to no end, but if you are consistent, they go ELSEWHERE to do it, and start all over again berating innocents who have no idea what child just lit into their midst.

If all they can come up with is negativity...why would I want to have that in my internet life? Plenty of other places to go without it.

ohsherrie wrote:

I think a lot of times it's a case of somebody exercising what they see as a power or influence in cyber life that they don't have in their real lives. They're being somebody in their cyber world that they don't feel they are in the real world.

Whatever the reason for it, and no matter how interesting and exciting it can make a messageboard when it's kept within sane, humanly decent boundaries, when carried too far it can ruin an internet community as we've all seen in our own experience.

I think you are right about that. If they don't get exercise power or influence in their "real" life, they can do it online and feel good about themselves. Different strokes for different folks, I guess...

playitloudforme wrote:

If all they can come up with is negativity...why would I want to have that in my internet life? Plenty of other places to go without it.

Exactly, why does anybody need that in their life? It kind of makes you wonder doesn't it?

GOD wrote:

Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.

given my experience on the boards over the last couple of years, i would say that the followers became worse than the bullies themselves. and i think many of them did it because they liked being part of the "cool kids". i'm sure many people can look back over their time on mr and see that they did just that.

iRockJava wrote:
GOD wrote:
Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.


given my experience on the boards over the last couple of years, i would say that the followers became worse than the bullies themselves. and i think many of them did it because they liked being part of the "cool kids". i'm sure many people can look back over their time on mr and see that they did just that.





There will always be posters who will push it to the limit but it is ultimately the responsibility of the moderator or board owner to keep the board in check. If he/she allows personal attacks, foul language and porn, especially after posting in the rules that it forbidden, then ,if misfits rule the board, he/she is to blame. I think that the owner of a certain board owes apology's to a lot of posters that he/she allowed to be mistreated and than added insult to injury by banning them when they took him to task for it.

atthistime wrote:

iRockJava wrote:
GOD wrote:
Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.


given my experience on the boards over the last couple of years, i would say that the followers became worse than the bullies themselves. and i think many of them did it because they liked being part of the "cool kids". i'm sure many people can look back over their time on mr and see that they did just that.


There will always be posters who will push it to the limit but it is ultimately the responsibility of the moderator or board owner to keep the board in check. If he/she allows personal attacks, foul language and porn, especially after posting in the rules that it forbidden, then ,if misfits rule the board, he/she is to blame. I think that the owner of a certain board owes apology's to a lot of posters that he/she allowed to be mistreated and than added insult to injury by banning them when they took him to task for it.

I realize what you're talking about, but can we not go there... ? Then this moderator will have to come in and put his foot down about trashing other forums, and people get offended, feelings get hurt, etc.

I've been bullied, and I guess I've been somewhat of a bully at times too. What I find interesting is the concept of "gang mentality". It cracks me up that there really is such a thing only when someone is on the receiving end of it. If the same person is a part of, then it doesn't exist... Yeah, right.

Gang mentality DOES exist, unfortunately, and it's the bully's weapon more than anything. And if you don't agree with me, then F*#K YOU!!!
















just kidding...

atthistime wrote:

iRockJava wrote:
GOD wrote:
Followers are simple. They follow and agree so as to keep themselves out of the crosshairs of said bully.


given my experience on the boards over the last couple of years, i would say that the followers became worse than the bullies themselves. and i think many of them did it because they liked being part of the "cool kids". i'm sure many people can look back over their time on mr and see that they did just that.





There will always be posters who will push it to the limit but it is ultimately the responsibility of the moderator or board owner to keep the board in check. If he/she allows personal attacks, foul language and porn, especially after posting in the rules that it forbidden, then ,if misfits rule the board, he/she is to blame. I think that the owner of a certain board owes apology's to a lot of posters that he/she allowed to be mistreated and than added insult to injury by banning them when they took him to task for it.

I agree that the Mods are responsible - of any forum that is allowed to run wild. Doesn't matter which forum - it's any forum that rules apply to some and not others. People will push the envelope until they are stopped.

I used to moderate a forum board that had the most annoying internet "bully" I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. I banned this guy so many times, it wasn't funny! Just the way he talked about everybody who didn't agree with him....tried his best to make them all seem sooo small! But one day, he made the mistake by posting a link to some website (I forget what website it was) and he wound up posting all of his personal information on it. Now, this was a local forum board, and I pretty much knew who a lot of those folks were that posted on the site anyways, but this one particular gentlemen always prided himself into being "one step ahead" of everybody else.

Soon after, he finally left and I never had to worry about the creepo ever again.

Could I be seen as an internet bully just because I threatened to sit on a few posters?

I hate bullies.

Moon Beam wrote:

Could I be seen as an internet bully just because I threatened to sit on a few posters?

LMAO Ger Where ya been woman? Miss you.

Gerene, you are the least bullying person I've ever met, well, let me amend that. You and Larry are the least bullying people I've ever met