Internet Cowardice

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  • Laharl
    FFR Player
    • Sep 2003
    • 1821

    #1

    Internet Cowardice

    People that use the internet as an outlet to say what they think without ramifications from their peers in the real world vex me greatly. I find that act disgusting.

    It is very true that I am simply incapable of being anything but honest. It's both my greatest strength and greatest weakness. I realize that about myself, and know that bears a great deal into why I feel the way I do.

    With that said, let me get into my reasons why I particularly disdain this practice. Mostly, I feel that people who need to rely on the anonymnity and/or distance from peers in their life to say what they have to say are cowards. They are afraid of what they believe. They are afraid their views will be shunned, and because it is human nature to shun people who have some ideas we feel are too distorted out of reality, that they themselves will be outcast. As I have stated in other threads in the past, I believe humanity is a social animal that needs other people, as much as we might try and deny it.

    I see a level of hyprocrisy in living life one way except when one can get away with following a different set of ideals in a different situation. Let us say, someone who is friendly with everyone they encounter in person yet go out of their way to be rude, obnoxious, and down-right meanspirited toward any and everyone they know online. Why is it okay on the one hand to be, for lack of a better word, a complete jackass to people whom you will never meet face to face and yet it is something you just won't do in person?

    I realize I am as guilty of doing that as anyone. (I am not, however, guilty of saying one thing online while living another in person.) Probably why I felt like bringing up the topic, or at least one of the many reasons. I have met Rai in person, and thought (still think, actually) he's a pretty cool guy, yet his manners here on FFR grate on my nerves. I personally don't like feeling that way.

    Something else that crossed my mind while I was typing this, is that internet manners were almost entirely decided by younger generations. Message boards, chat rooms, etc. are a domain of the youth. I can't really think of anyone over the age of 50 that uses the internet for the social aspect of it, 'cept for maybe e-mail. I wonder how much the fact that people in their twenties more or less defined nettiquette has affected the subject on which I am writing.
    Last edited by Laharl; 09-19-2006, 04:45 PM.
    SIG PICTURES:

    POINTLESSLY TAKING UP BANDWIDTH SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE INTERNET
  • TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons
    Banned
    FFR Simfile Author
    • Oct 2005
    • 1048

    #2
    Re: Internet Cowardice

    Jesus Christ, though I know what you're trying to say, your argument is flawed in so many ways that I don't know where to start.

    But for one thing, I'd like to answer your question with a question:
    Why is it okay on the one hand to be, for lack of a better word, a complete jackass to people whom you will never meet face to face and yet it is something you just won't do in person?
    Why shouldn't it be okay?
    Go on, tell me why.

    Also:

    I have met Rai in person, and thought (still think, actually) he's a pretty cool guy
    I had no idea who you were when I met you in person and therefore socialized normally. I generally choose not to form any radical opinion right off the bat. If you had said something I strongly disagreed with, I would have let you know rather straightforwardly. If you had said something I agreed with, I would have let you know rather straightforwardly. We didn't exactly say much of anything.
    yet his manners here on FFR grate on my nerves. I personally don't like feeling that way.
    If someone posts something utterly retarded, I will retort. If someone says something utterly retarded to me in person, I will retort. Ask mead1.

    Also, TGB is a community in which those who ruin the humor are generally looked down upon. That can easily be turned around by making humor out of getting rid of them.
    I can't really think of anyone over the age of 50 that uses the internet for the social aspect of it, 'cept for maybe e-mail.
    Just wait a couple decades.

    Comment

    • Laharl
      FFR Player
      • Sep 2003
      • 1821

      #3
      Re: Internet Cowardice

      Originally posted by TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons
      Jesus Christ, though I know what you're trying to say, your argument is flawed in so many ways that I don't know where to start.
      Because you disagree with me? Doesn't mean it's flawed. Also, your phrasing here is needlessly argumentative, which really does lessen "the truth" of what you have to say.

      Makes me wish I could go back and not even post the other thread I've created in here recently. I made it while incredibly angry, and know full well that any truth I might have said would inherently be tainted by my tone, causing it full well to no longer be truth. Alas, you know what they say. Hindsight is 20/20.

      But for one thing, I'd like to answer your question with a question:

      Why shouldn't it be okay?
      Go on, tell me why.
      That is not an answer. There is absolutely no reason I should go and answer your question without you answering mine. Trying to answer a question by asking it's inverse to the person who first posed you the query shows that you don't have an answer and want to force me to give my opinion first so that you can pick that apart rather than supply your own thoughts.

      I had no idea who you were when I met you in person and therefore socialized normally. I generally choose not to form any radical opinion right off the bat. If you had said something I strongly disagreed with, I would have let you know rather straightforwardly. If you had said something I agreed with, I would have let you know rather straightforwardly. We didn't exactly say much of anything.
      The FFR meetup this spring. I forgot the name of the town and the name of the place we all met up at. I was the really, really tall guy, dark hair, wearing a Megaman T-shirt.

      (This in regards to the age of internet users) Just wait a couple decades.
      Obviously. Those that use it now, will most likely do so later. Either way, we're more or less the internet generation.
      SIG PICTURES:

      POINTLESSLY TAKING UP BANDWIDTH SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE INTERNET

      Comment

      • Specforces
        Yes
        • Jan 2004
        • 5028

        #4
        Re: Internet Cowardice

        Originally posted by Laharl
        It is very true that I am simple.
        For once you and I agree on something.

        IN ALL SERIOUSNESS:

        I would tell you everything here to your face.
        Last edited by Specforces; 09-19-2006, 04:32 PM.
        Check Out My Music

        Comment

        • TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons
          Banned
          FFR Simfile Author
          • Oct 2005
          • 1048

          #5
          Re: Internet Cowardice

          Originally posted by Laharl
          Because you disagree with me?
          No, and I am wholeheartedly against the pushing off of opinion as fact.
          Originally posted by Laharl
          Doesn't mean it's flawed.
          Once again, I said nothing about simply disagreeing with it. My statement was to point out that several portions of your original post are highly questionable and I don't currently have the time, the patience, or the drive to point them all out.
          Originally posted by Laharl
          Also, your phrasing here is needlessly argumentative, which really does lessen "the truth" of what you have to say.
          No. Anyone who, while debating, argues about their opponents word-choice and tone of voice shouldn't be debating. This isn't the Manners Forum. This is Critical Thinking. It's the debate that matters, not who says "please" and "thank you."
          Originally posted by Laharl
          I made it while incredibly angry, and know full well that any truth I might have said would inherently be tainted by my tone, causing it full well to no longer be truth.
          Tone only changes the message if you're shallow, retarded, and oversensitive.
          Originally posted by Laharl
          That is not an answer. There is absolutely no reason I should go and answer your question without you answering mine. Trying to answer a question by asking it's inverse to the person who first posed you the query shows that you don't have an answer and want to force me to give my opinion first so that you can pick that apart rather than supply your own thoughts.
          No, it shows how ludicrous the original argument is. There is no reason why anyone "should" act a certain way. Your argument is about ethics and is pure opinion.
          Originally posted by Laharl
          The FFR meetup this spring. I forgot the name of the town and the name of the place we all met up at. I was the really, really tall guy, dark hair, wearing a Megaman T-shirt.
          I knew who you were, I just didn't know anything about you.

          Comment

          • Laharl
            FFR Player
            • Sep 2003
            • 1821

            #6
            Re: Internet Cowardice

            Originally posted by Specforces
            LOL I CAUGHT LAHARL IN A TYPO I GUESS THAT MEANS HE IS DUMB LOL
            What's that new internet acronym everyone's been using...? "GDIAF" I believe.
            SIG PICTURES:

            POINTLESSLY TAKING UP BANDWIDTH SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE INTERNET

            Comment

            • Specforces
              Yes
              • Jan 2004
              • 5028

              #7
              Re: Internet Cowardice

              See, here's a prime example of you spazzing out over something that was obviously posted in jest. I explicitly stated: IN ALL SERIOUSNESS. But you are all butthurt over simple things. Let's have a hug and cry session in your honor shall we?

              Dude, you have an anger problem. I think you need to seek help.
              Check Out My Music

              Comment

              • banditcom
                FFR Player
                • Mar 2003
                • 6243

                #8
                Re: Internet Cowardice

                Did you use yourself for inspiration in making this thread?

                Comment

                • TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons
                  Banned
                  FFR Simfile Author
                  • Oct 2005
                  • 1048

                  #9
                  Re: Internet Cowardice

                  Originally posted by banditcom
                  Did you use yourself for inspiration in making this thread?
                  I thought something similar.

                  Comment

                  • Cavernio
                    sunshine and rainbows
                    • Feb 2006
                    • 1987

                    #10
                    Re: Internet Cowardice

                    I think that's its down right awesome how people develop different net attitudes. (And I can't believe I used the word awesome. Am I just dating myself using that? Can it still be around? That's a Ninja Turtle word. Yes, I'm 20 something.) I also think it's totally awesome that in my generation, and when I was a teenager to-boot, did the internet become popular. I was part of developing the dawn of a new era. Sooooooo cool. I was in the first wave of people to get crushes over the internet chatting on ICQ. I was in that first wave to experience how differently people can interact with each other online. And quite possibly because I was teenager then and my emotions ran high that the experience was amazing. God knows that I don't act the same way now as I did then. I've not turned into the rabid MSN or AIM<--evil user of these days, I'm rarely on, and when I am, I use it more like a "hey, what're we doing later" instead of having emotionally draining personal conversations with people whom I would never (or probably never have) had with in real life. What I'm not sure about nowadays is has this same lull happened to everyone? Was it just the novelty of it all, the impersonalness which makes it more personal oddly? Or do all teens/tweens go through somewhat of the same thing with it? When the phone came out, was it such a novelty then too? Did people all of a sudden decide that they could communicate now because they didn't have to look at the person? Or is the phone still too personal, hearing someone's voice too personal?

                    I just find it fascinating the way people can turn into someone else than the person you would meet and may even befriend in real life.
                    Another thing I find odd is that especially when using instant messaging services, there's the complete ability to take a long time, erase what we were going to say, change the wording, make it better, which I certainly did all the time when I was using them, although not nearly so much anymore. Yet, there was still a need to add inflections of sorts, non-perfect dialogue. In fact, we make things purposefully not perfect. For instance, instead of making oneself sound like a casanova, people will put something nervous and loserish instead. It's just odd that...we want to act in these certain ways.

                    But this is really getting off-topic from the original post. Firstly, as you can probably tell, I don't think that changing one's online persona is cowardly. It can be I suppose, but I like to think of it oppositely. The non-social socialization of the internet empowers someone who would otherwise not be heard. This is a GOOD thing. It is a better thing to hear more about what people ACTUALLY think, it is MORE communication. Also, to tell people who are much more outspoken on the internet that they're being cowardly in real life when they don't say controversial, or seemingly controversial things, just isn't fair. Can you imagine how insane the world would be if everyone were as outspoken and loud as they are the internet? Seriously, there'd be chaos and arguing and rioting.
                    And you're probably thinking that if the way people act on the internet is such that if they acted like that in real-life, then they shouldn't be acting like that on the internet either. But I'll say again, voices are a good thing. Flying off the handle isn't good, but it's not causing serious harm.
                    The internet's a whole new world for that. A place where differences can be voiced and discussions AND arguments be held in safe environment, where no one's going to punch someone, and where people are probably not going to get as offended as if someone told them something like that in real life. I'm sure there's gotta be some carthasis studies about it.
                    The day that netiquette has evolved so much that arguements should never happen if everyone's following it, is the day that we'll have handed over a means of expression and openess we may never see again.
                    Last edited by Cavernio; 09-20-2006, 07:10 PM.

                    Comment

                    • Cavernio
                      sunshine and rainbows
                      • Feb 2006
                      • 1987

                      #11
                      Re: Internet Cowardice

                      Oh, also, I play bridge online. Lotsa grannies socialize while playing that.

                      Comment

                      • Specforces
                        Yes
                        • Jan 2004
                        • 5028

                        #12
                        Re: Internet Cowardice

                        I like you, you can play in my treehouse.
                        Check Out My Music

                        Comment

                        • duhh_
                          FFR Player
                          • Sep 2006
                          • 429

                          #13
                          Re: Internet Cowardice

                          Not at all true. ( At least in my case)

                          If someone upsets me online, then I retaliate.
                          Same case in real life.

                          Most people arn't two -sided. There online persona reflects the way they are in person.
                          use small words when you talk **** about me, because you'll be eating them later

                          Originally posted by Tokzic
                          i hear there's this amazing new invention

                          it's called google

                          you take words that you want to know more about and you type them in and OH SHIT YOU GET INFORMATION

                          Comment

                          • Cavernio
                            sunshine and rainbows
                            • Feb 2006
                            • 1987

                            #14
                            Re: Internet Cowardice

                            I agree that an online persona reflects who they are as a person. I just don't at all think that grasping at more than 1 persona is wrong or 2 faced. You're not going to act the same way in a church as you are at a bar. Does that mean you're being 2-faced?

                            I'll play in your treehouse as long as there's no earwigs in it

                            Comment

                            • Specforces
                              Yes
                              • Jan 2004
                              • 5028

                              #15
                              Re: Internet Cowardice

                              no, no earwigs.
                              Check Out My Music

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