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Net Drunks

Scotty: > I'm a proponent of these newsgroups, but it's a bit hostile in here. > Please stop the name calling now. I'm amazed. Is it really possible that some people here have no idea when they're being suckered into an argument by those who simply like to argue? That's really disappointing. Fished in, fished in! You've been fished iiiiin! Raven: > Call me juvenile too if you want, but hey, why can't people just > NOT flame each other in the first place? Whoa, you've totally missed the point! You're still young and idealistic about other people, whether you think you are or not. The truth is, many people have no good reason for behaving badly. Sure, you (or they) can blame poor upbringing, or others' bad behavior (the "he started it" excuse), or (and this is my favorite on the internet) the right of public forum — that is, the "I bought a ticket so I can talk as loud as I want in the theater" argument, as though mere ability and access gives one the right to insult and provoke others and obligates those others to put up with such behavior as acceptable. The truth is, the relative anonymity and impunity of the internet give individuals a freedom that they would normally not enjoy in a regular social setting, where they would suffer for overstepping the conventional bounds of acceptable behavior by getting punched in the stomach like they did in high school. And such freedom is a heady draught, one that many can't take and remain in control of their faculties. The comparison has been made to being drunk: What is someone's personality like when all his usual social controls have been circumvented? We all know that when someone drinks heavily, their personality changes — sometimes slightly, sometimes drastically. There are jovial drunks and there are quiet drunks, and there are mean drunks and violent drunks. The net has a comparable effect. Regardless of someone's normal personality, once on the net we are all in a bar with a lot of other heavy drinkers. Some of them aren't looking to do anything more than pick a fight — and like any dedicated drunks they see absolutely nothing wrong with doing so, and will take a swing at you too if you try to stop them. I've found it really helps to think of newsgroups like this. They really are one of the custom drugs of the internet, and there's a reason that people become addicted to them. It's not possible to reason with a mean newsgroup troll, any more than it's possible to reason with a mean drunk. They feel invulnerable and powerful, and extremely intelligent too — all the best feelings they can get from such electronic intoxication. When they argue with people they feel important and paid attention to, and right because someone is yelling at them. The reason hardly matters — let's remember, their whiskey-talk logic all makes perfect sense to them. The only consolation in all this is that on the net nobody can get a bottle in their guts, which generally saves on the endless police interviews bar fights generate. So where does that leave everybody else? Well, if you can hold your 'net, you may feel superior to the mean drunks — but that won't help you. You're still in the bar, and they'll still take a swing at you if you say anything to them. So your best bet is to keep on having the conversations you want to have, and ignore anyone you don't want to talk to. I'm sure it's terribly galling, especially for all of you who are completely, totally "in the right"; but if you can't let go of something or let an insult pass, you sure as hell can't expect that anyone you're yelling at will. And if the main reason you've guzzled a pitcher of 'net is to screw yourself up enough to pick fights with anyone you can find, then take it out to the parking lot — oh sorry, I mean to email. Everyone else who's here for the social drinking doesn't want to deal with it. Me, I'm a gregarious drunk. I stay articulate, and there's apparently a whole list of jokes that I can only remember when I'm plastered. Going with my earlier simile, I suspect that this is the reason for the constant traffic of email joke lists. 'Net responsibly, people! — Joe

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