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9 comments:
Every romantic idealist, free-thinker, liberal and lover has a right to an inflated ego. When one is happy, one feels good about one's self. I sure like being me. There's nobody else I'd rather be. Hope the rest of you can say that about yourselves. --Jim Broede
Main Entry: gut·ter·snipe
Pronunciation: 'g&-t&r-"snIp
Function: noun
1 : a homeless vagabond and especially an outcast boy or girl in the streets of a city
2 : a person of the lowest moral or economic station
- gut·ter·snip·ish /-"snI-pish/ adjective
Oh Jim. You poor poor man. I can honestly say I would rather be ANYONE but you. My God forgive your lack of empathy, your hatefilled words and your total inability to hear anything but your own voice. Sad.
*Jim used the word "guttersnipe" to describe those who don't agree with him.
So what do you do when you aren't here trashing the Alz.forum care givers? Pulling the wings off butterflies?
Goodness different places yield different definitions..My online dictionary Encarta dictionary says a guttersnipe is
Definition:
1. somebody from lower class: somebody regarded as having a rough or vulgar manner, especially somebody with a lower-class background ( insult )
2. dirty child without means: a child who wears dirty ragged clothes, has rough manners, and lives in the streets ( dated insult )
The primary definition appears to fit some of the comments of contributors.
Jim's established a pattern of showing showing others more respect than he is shown speaks for itself...Especially to any long time forum member who is capable of remembering deleted posts.
Well, when I'm not here, I'm tending to animals. I love animals. I've worked as a volunteer at the local animal shelter. I also go back to Birchwood, the nursing home where Jeanne lived for 38 months and one day, to visit my acquaintances and friends. And I go walking -- 10 miles daily. And I write. About lots of things. And I do some gardening. And I follow baseball. The Chicago Cubs, mainly. And I listen to music. And I read books. Have a book or two or three going all the time. And I listen to music. I love string quartets. I also audit courses at a seminary. And then after all of that, I try to find time to do evil things here. --Jim Broede
scaricheri,
How are the definitions so different?? I also do not see how this name-call fits, either. However, do think you should not exclude yourself and friend rose in this group, as you both are sniping, right along with the rest. I wouldn't assume about the "gutter" part, as I am mature enough to realize that what we "see' on line is only a glimpse of that person.
Jim Broede has always claimed to enjoy creating dissension. Yes, I, too, remember old posts, deleted posts. Some of us even have copies, like Jim has copies, just not of everything, as he seems to have. I can probably pull up the exact statement of his, to that effect.
That you can suggest that Jim has shown more respect here, than shown him is laughable! Seems to me, that contributors are simply reacting to his obvious(well, to all except 3) slanderous writings. And to exploit such personal, upsetting
experiences as he has, and to hit people when they are so down, speaks VOLUMES about him.
I see absolutely no empathy, but so much of a superiority complex.
Oh, I think I have empathy. Just look at my posts on the Alzheimer's message boards. Read 'em. Objectively. Some of you folks just look at things negatively. My posts on the message board are overwhelmingly upbeat and positive and happy. That's what annoys some of you. Because you are in the doldrums. Feeling sorry for yourselves. And there are different ways of dealing with that. My way may not be the best way for everyone. But it's good for some. If you don't like my way, all I'm suggesting is dismiss it. Drop it. Forget it. Don't become riled because I advocate it. --Jim Broede
What is an Internet Troll?
An Internet "troll" is a person who delights in sowing discord on the Internet. He (and it is usually he) tries to start arguments and upset people.
Trolls see Internet communications services as convenient venues for their bizarre game. For some reason, they don't "get" that they are hurting real people. To them, other Internet users are not quite human but are a kind of digital abstraction. As a result, they feel no sorrow whatsoever for the pain they inflict. Indeed, the greater the suffering they cause, the greater their 'achievement' (as they see it). At the moment, the relative anonymity of the net allows trolls to flourish.
Trolls are utterly impervious to criticism (constructive or otherwise). You cannot negotiate with them; you cannot cause them to feel shame or compassion; you cannot reason with them. They cannot be made to feel remorse. For some reason, trolls do not feel they are bound by the rules of courtesy or social responsibility.
Why does it Matter?
Some people -- particularly those who have been online for years -- are not upset by trolls and consider them an inevitable hazard of using the net. As the saying goes, "You can't have a picnic without ants."
It would be nice if everybody was so easy-going, but the sad fact is that trolls do discourage people. Established posters may leave a message board because of the arguments that trolls ignite, and lurkers (people who read but do not post) may decide that they do not want to expose themselves to abuse and thus never get involved.
Another problem is that the negative emotions stirred up by trolls leak over into other discussions. Normally affable people can become bitter after reading an angry interchange between a troll and his victims, and this can poison previously friendly interactions between long-time users.
Finally, trolls create a paranoid environment, such that a casual criticism by a new arrival can elicit a ferocious and inappropriate backlash.
The Internet is a wonderful resource which is breaking down barriers and stripping away prejudice. Trolls threaten our continued enjoyment of this beautiful forum for ideas.
The Webmaster's Challenge
When trolls are ignored they step up their attacks, desperately seeking the attention they crave. Their messages become more and more foul, and they post ever more of them. Alternatively, they may protest that their right to free speech is being curtailed -- more on this later.
The moderator of a message board may not be able to delete a troll's messages right away, but their job is made much harder if they also have to read numerous replies to trolls. They are also forced to decide whether or not to delete posts from well-meaning folks which have the unintended effect of encouraging the troll.
Some webmasters have to endure conscientious users telling them that they are "acting like dictators" and should never delete a single message. These people may be misinformed: they may have arrived at their opinion about a troll based on the messages they see, never realizing that the webmaster has already deleted his most horrific material. Please remember that a troll does have an alternative if he has something of value to say: there are services on the net that provide messaging systems free of charge. So the troll can set up his own message board, where he can make his own decisions about the kind of content he will tolerate.
Just how much can we expect of a webmaster when it comes to preserving the principles of free speech? Some trolls find sport in determining what the breaking point is for a particular message board operator. They might post a dozen messages, each of which contains 400 lines of the letter "J". That is a form of expression, to be sure, but would you consider it your duty to play host to such a person?
Perhaps the most difficult challenge for a webmaster is deciding whether to take steps against a troll that a few people find entertaining. Some trolls do have a creative spark and have chosen to squander it on being disruptive. There is a certain perverse pleasure in watching some of them. Ultimately, though, the webmaster has to decide if the troll actually cares about putting on a good show for the regular participants, or is simply playing to an audience of one -- himself.
What about Free Speech?
When trolls find that their efforts are being successfully resisted, they often complain that their right to free speech is being infringed. Let us examine that claim.
While most people on the Internet are ardent defenders of free speech, it is not an absolute right; there are practical limitations. For example, you may not scream out "Fire!" in a crowded theatre, and you may not make jokes about bombs while waiting to board an airplane. We accept these limitations because we recognize that they serve a greater good.
Another useful example is the control of the radio frequency spectrum. You might wish to set up a powerful radio station to broadcast your ideas, but you cannot do so without applying for a license. Again, this is a practical limitation: if everybody broadcasted without restriction, the repercussions would be annoying at best and life-threatening at worst.
The radio example is helpful for another reason: with countless people having a legitimate need to use radio communications, it is important to ensure that nobody is 'monopolizing the channel'. There are only so many clear channels available in each frequency band and these must be shared.
When a troll attacks a message board, he generally posts a lot of messages. Even if his messages are not particularly inflammatory, they can be so numerous that they drown out the regular conversations (this is known as 'flooding'). Needless to say, no one person's opinions can be allowed to monopolize a channel.
The ultimate response to the 'free speech' argument is this: while we may have the right to say more or less whatever we want, we do not have the right to say it wherever we want. You may feel strongly about the fact that your neighbor has not mowed his lawn for two months, but you do not have the right to berate him in his own living room. Similarly, if a webmaster tells a troll that he is not welcome, the troll has no "right" to remain. This is particularly true on the numerous free communications services offered on the net. (On pay systems, the troll might be justified in asking for a refund.)
Conclusion
Next time you are on a message board and you see a post by somebody whom you think is a troll, and you feel you must reply, simply write a follow-up message entitled "Troll Alert" and type only this:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.
By posting such a message, you let the troll know that you know what he is, and that you are not going to get dragged into his twisted little hobby.
Ann Alias
All I can say, folks, is that I'm not a troll. I'm a romantic idealist, a free-thinker, a liberal and a lover. All that in addition to being a nice guy and a diehard fan of the Chicago Cubs. And I'm a writer. And there's nobody else I'd rather be. I just wanna be me. --Jim Broede
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