Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Just because it's cyberspace, doesn't mean you can be nasty
Ug. Nothing makes me more angry than people getting nasty in cyberspace. Can't we all just get along???
I am a member of many online groups and communities, some writing related and for the purpose of networking, some just for fun. Today I was on one of my just for fun communities and answered a post. I got a private message that was kinda nasty. So of course I go back and reread my post...no it was pretty nice...wasn't being nasty...don't think it could have been taken as anything nasty...just a straight up informative comment...sharing what I found on another website. No reason what so ever for this person to reply to me nastily.
So I replied back...taking the high road and kept my reply simple. No point in fueling a fire with some cyber stranger.
Do you often experience this online?? What do you do?
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Oh yeah... I had a drama moment a couple times on facebook with someone who kept escalating nothing.It was crazy. I think some people just thrive on drama and conflict.
ReplyDeleteMe... there's enough of that in real life. I'd rather not run into ugliness where I can control it.
I tend to think people are more brutal online, too, because they don't have to face you. What a shame they don't see there are real people behind the screen names!
Fortunately, I've only had that happen once. It really upset me. Then I realized it wasn't my fault, and that I had no reason to feel bad. It still sucks, though. :-)
ReplyDeleteI try not to let it get to me...after all...these are strangers. But it's hard.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by ladies!!
I swear some people just have nothing nice to say ever. I stopped commenting on one writers forum because so many people would bash on others as if they were the best writer in the world.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say thank you so much for your comment on my post today. I could not agree with you more!!! Thank you thank you thank you
ReplyDeleteThis has happened to me too. No matter how hard I try to not let it get to me, it always does. Sometimes other people just don't realize how their bad attitudes affect others. Hope your day gets better!
ReplyDeleteYes! Not only have I witnessed cyber nastiness, I've felt negative vibes from certain peeps. It's weird. It's like there's these little blogger cliques and some peeps are excluded. Okay, whatever.
ReplyDeleteI've seen peeps go back and forth bickering online on certain writing sites. The problem is that sometimes the sentiment is lost in translation. After all, we're merely reading words. How I read a sentence and how you read a sentence may be different. Nothing we can do about that. But there's certainly no time for negative peeps in our life.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThe best solution: ignore it, unless it really really really p*ssed you off! If that happens stop and think up the greatest put-down, consider it a while and if pleased with how it sound - post it! ;) Then IGNORE!
best
F
Don't let it bother you. I think people have a tendency to be harsher online because they can sit behind their computer, it's not face to face. I've had to unfriend a person on fb because they kept antagonizing me and it was better to cut 'em loose then to put up with it.
ReplyDeleteThese people are trolls -- stirring up trouble online because they get some kind of kick from upsetting other people. The Amazon Discussion Board is full of them -- trolls who follow certain users, voting "unhelpful" on their reviews and posts, just to be mean.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I'm glad Facebook has not succumbed to pressure for a "dislike" button. The trolls would show up in droves.
How do I handle it? I thought about writing a short story in which we find out that internet trolls are actually low status demons from hell -- on the same level as trolls who leave shopping carts in parking spaces and pee on public toilet seats. The story would involve these low level demons and their plot to "get ahead" in the demon world and rise up the corporate ladder ... but all their schemes fall pitifully flat.
Sigh. It's still a good idea. I should get on that!
Thanks for all your posts!!! So glad I am not alone here!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLike all of you, I'm sure, I usually take a lot of time when I post...it needs to sounds just right. I need to make sure it comes across as I want it to...though I'm sure people still misread it anyway.
Funny that you are posting about this ... yesterday ... crazy things went on during a "live" scrapbook weekend registration on Sunday ... and the comments that some people posted to the yahoo group were absurd! so glad i'm not attending that one this year!! found another (thank goodness otherwise my scrapbooks may never ever get worked on!)
ReplyDelete