The Inspiration Behind "Trolls"

Last night, prior to posting "Trolls", I was catching up on my reading from all the sources I subscribe to. One of my favorite radio hosts is Dennis Prager because he refuses to argue, preferring understanding to agreement.

I happen to think along the same lines.

His post at Townhall.com titled "Internet Anonymity is as Destructive as Internet Porn" was the inspiration for "Trolls". Since my trackbacks don't work too well with Townhall.com, I'm pasting his entire article here. It's thought provoking and should give all true, rational adults something to think about before they post "flaming" comments on others' blogs. I know I have tightened up my rules and will no longer tolerate "flaming" in my comments sections on my blog. I won't succumb to the childish nonsense instigators choose to toss out. For more on my rules, go back and read "Trolls".

A word to the wise, however. Should you choose to "flame" me, either on my blog or a blog I contribute to, I will have no compunction showing comment threads in all their glory and exposing your childishness for the world to see, complete with links. I'm simply not going to tolerate it any longer and perhaps, if you are shown to be the child you choose to act as, often enough, you may start to see the light that people are tired of such behavior and may actually choose to act as a rational, reasonable adult.

Here's Mr. Prager's article:

Whenever people lament aspects of the Internet, they are most likely to lament the net's ubiquity of pornography. Only God knows, for example, how many kids, searching for some government information, typed in "whitehouse.com" only to be greeted by pornographic images (happily, the website changed hands in 2004). It is almost impossible to completely avoid such imagery even with filtering programs.

But there is something at least as awful -- and arguably more destructive -- that permeates the Internet: the lies, vitriol, obscenities and ad hominem attacks made by anonymous individuals on almost every website that deals with public issues.

Sexual images and prose for the purpose of sexual titillation are not new. But the ability of anyone in society to debase public discourse is new. Until the Internet, in the public's best known venue for self-expression -- letters to the editor published in newspapers and magazines -- people either expressed themselves in a civilized manner or they were not published. And overwhelmingly, even those letters that were not published were written in a respectful manner because the letter-writers had to reveal their real names and their addresses (though only names and cities were published).

Being identifiable breeds responsibility; anonymity breeds irresponsibility.

That is why people -- even generally decent people -- tend to act so much less morally when in a crowd (the crowd renders them anonymous). That is why people tend to act more decently when they walk around with their names printed on a nametag. That is why people act more rudely when in their cars -- they cannot be identified as they could outside of their car. There is no question but that most people would write very different entries on the Internet if their names were printed alongside their submission.

E-mail provides another example. It is the very rare individual who sends a hate-filled, obscenity-laced e-mail that includes his name. As the recipient of such e-mails, I know firsthand how rarely people identify themselves when sending hate-filled mail. It is so rare, in fact, that I usually respond to hate mail that includes the writer's name just to commend him for attaching his name to something so embarrassing.

The Internet practice of giving everyone the ability to express himself anonymously for millions to read has debased public discourse. Cursing, ad hominem attacks and/or the utter absence of logic characterize a large percentage of many websites' "comments" sections. And because people tend to do what society says it is OK to do, many people, especially younger people, are coming to view such primitive forms of self-expression as acceptable.

Some might argue that anonymity enables people to more freely express their thoughts. But this is not true. Anonymity only enables people to more freely express their feelings. Anonymity values feelings over thought, and immediate expression over thoughtful reflection.

There is not one good reason for any website, left or right, or non-political, to allow people to avoid identifying themselves. Anyone interested in serious political discourse, or in merely lowering the hate levels in our country, should welcome the banning of anonymous postings.

It would be interesting to find out how many websites continue to encourage anonymous postings. Presumably, they would pay some financial price by insisting on posters identifying themselves. I don't know why, and I don't know how big a price that would be, but it is hard to imagine that it is higher than the price society pays when hate, anger and irrationality become the normal way of citizens expressing themselves. And even from the websites' own perspectives this policy is probably self-defeating. I doubt I am alone in reading fewer and fewer comments sections because of the low level of so many of the postings. Just as bad money chases away good money, moronic postings chase away intelligent ones. I have come to the point where I even read fewer comments posted about my own columns.

Websites should insist on listing names and cities of those who post comments, just as newspapers and magazines do.

The irresponsible, the angry, the obscene and the dumb have virtually taken over many Internet dialogues. But there is an easy fix, and websites owe it to society to use it. Just ban anonymous postings.

********************

Wise words, indeed.

Cross Posted from Miss Beth's by request.

Trolls

Like a lot of us in the blogosphere, I'm subscribed to many sources where I get my information. If there are articles I feel are relevant to the day, I start hunting down other sources and researching, and then finally posting. It can be extremely time consuming; however, a good "gauge" of relevant issues is my talk radio while I'm working. Since I'm fortunate enough to have my own secretary, I can often wear headphones while attending to my job duties and not be interrupted by the phone. Unfortunately for me, my secretary is only part time.

One of the challenges bloggers face are a phenom called "trolls"--those who trawl posts with the specific intent of causing trouble. They have no interest in discussing a post, debating rationally, logically or reasonably. Most of the bloggers in my sphere have no problem with people who want to discuss issues and come to a modicum of understanding. What we do object to is spamming, anonymous posts, abuse and off topic meanderings. That'll get you banned every time. Then we have to re-edit those who come back screeching we're violating their First Amendment rights by banning and editing their loopiness and craziness.

Well, here's a news flash for you. On our individual blogs, we are the reigning authority as to what we will or will not accept in our comment sections. Three of us have moderator rights on each other's blogs to "cover" when the owner isn't available or is extremely busy.

Here's another news flash for you. The Freedom of Expression you are so upset about having suppressed goes both ways. It's not an exclusive right of the lunatic fringes. And along with that right to expression comes consequences to your expressions. That's the beauty of a "right"--it also has "responsibilities" and if you don't exercise your "right" properly, you face the consequences of your actions (or in this case, words). Further, while you are more than free to express yourself, I am also free not to want your expressions polluting my life. That's my right-to choose to listen or not, based on your demeanor.

In short, if you want people to listen to what you have to say, use your right to express yourself in a responsible, logical, rational manner, backed up with facts (or, if you only have opinions, explain why you hold those opinions--and "because so and so said so" isn't a valid explanation--think for yourself).

If you want me to see your side of something, present it to me in an adult manner. Coming onto my site, commenting on your speculation of my private life, throwing out threats, name-calling, etc., is not going to persuade me to your point of view. Present your side in a well prepared manner with verifiable links and stick to the topic. Otherwise, you're going to be banned and edited.

And if I tell you your presence is not welcome at my site, leave and don't come back--and you do--I consider your actions as I do in the real world, to be that of a criminal stalker and I will respond with reports, backups of your posts, lists of times you visited my site after being told to stay away--in short, all the evidence I need to prosecute you through local, state and federal channels. That is my right and I exercise it.

If you consistently threaten me, my children and family, contact my children's schools, threaten my livelihood, etc. because you don't like what I write--and I've told you repeatedly to stay away from my site and don't come back, all of the above will happen to you. In fact, in one case, it is already happening. Spree, from Wake Up America, is the acknowledged queen of research; I am the queen of documentation.

There is a group out in the blogosphere called "Muslims Against Sharia". Their stated goal is reforming islam, basically "growing up" islam into the 21st century as Christianity matured out of the dark ages and the Inquisition. When I first heard about them, I was very encouraged at what they were trying to do and the obvious risk they were taking in doing so, with all the fatwas thrown out for those trying to break away from the stated purpose if islam. I even had them linked to my site in a spot all their own.

That link has since been erased. While their stated goals are honorable and I acknowledge the danger they are in for their goals, their methods of persuasion leave a lot to be desired. Over at Snooper's Take Our Country Back, they degenerated into a complete hissy fit/temper tantrum, complete with name calling and abuse. After reading their diatribe, I wrote my own comment. Thereafter, they chose to contact me on my personal email, attempt to dictate to me what banners and buttons I should display on my site, and every single line of every single response to me contained an obscenity, another denigrating name, or some other form of abuse.

What was interesting was they didn't contact the men--they contacted me, a female. While one of the members is female, presumably they were thinking along the lines of traditional islam in that as a female I would be cowed by their attitudes and give in to their shenanigans. As it turned out later (and things are still on-going), it APPEARS the female member of the group is the one responsible for the majority of the filth. This is NOT the way to persuade someone to your point of view and I won't be re-linking them to my site, no matter how honorable their intentions may be. They have shown themselves to be as intolerant as their shari'a loving brethren.

There is another camp follower of ours who has stalked us from the GOP.com blog to our personal sites, much like camp follower whores who follow soldiers for sex.

She has nothing constructive to say on any of the posts and appears to live simply to instigate trouble. She doesn't like being moderated and when she goes from blog to blog she is summarily banned and deleted. She uses something akin to Anonymouse and changes IP's frequently. She blogs over at "blogging for jesus" (I won't pollute my blog with the link) and suffers from acute delusions of grandeur. She purports to be extremely intelligent; however, she is actually acutely mentally ill. She hides behind the name "Raoul" or anyone of a kazillion nicknames she considers "cutesy".

Her rantings and ramblings are relatively cyclical, either from running out of her psychotropic medications and not getting them filled properly, or we believe, she is institutionalized and receives periodic time on some institutional computer. She loves jihadis and communism. She also rambles how she has God's direct line. Further, she can't decide where she lives--it could be anywhere from France to Canada to the moon--although her IP's always originate in New Jersey.

Her blog is nothing but her insane ramblings against those of us she has chosen to stalk. Truly a sick individual. From the way she treats other women, it's obvious she's miserable being a woman.

Her attitude toward others would be akin to Dana Carvey's "Church Lady" on methamphetamine laced with a bad dose of LSD.

She admits to lurking and contacting my children's schools because she doesn't like what I write. She's threatened my job and place of business. She has been told to stay away from this site and not come back. She is the person referred to above who has been documented, from comments to site visits, and reported to local, state and federal authorities.

So, if you wish to comment on my blog, I'll welcome speaking to you. Until you go nuts or fruit loops. When you start calling me or my other commenters names, abusing me or others, veering away from the post topic, keep in mind the rules.

Don't post anonymously. It will be erased. Stick to the topic in a reasonable fashion. Mind your manners. Act like civilized ladies and gentlemen and not like barbaric animals. Don't repeat talking points without backing them up with cold, hard facts and logic. Talking points for the sake of talking points will be erased as propaganda. I'm not here to be your spamming board. You may not be Christian, but you will listen to others religious views if you expect yours to be listened to. Debate is always welcome from reasonable adults. Act like it.

And, as Spree says, if you don't like the rules, you have two options: 1) don't come by here--no one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you; 2) there's a little red "X" at the top right corner of your screen--click it and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Cross posted by Miss Beth by request.