Is Internet Bashing a Sickness?

[Super Joe]

Why should I alter my interests or behaviour when they do not breach forum rules

Not getting caught does not equate to no breach MrP

I'm interested in comments from other forum members because looking ahead, balance in the forum should concern everyone

It's a pity your concerns for the forum do not extend to freeloaders using the forum in order to promote their business interests in town, hey

You reap what you sow I'm afraid. And after several years of seeing discussions hijacked with illogical CT's about the medical profession -- which invariably resulted in your promotion of some form of 'detox treatment' -- it would of hardly come as a surprise that someone of Sarge's character would react badly when you say it's 'all in his mind'. When it was known you were running the very busy you had been promoting for years instead of manning up to it, you elected to challenging, and ultimately mocking, Sarge's 'mental state'. Classy guy.

You have little respect for the forum or your fellow posters... even in this thread you attempt to pull the wool over members eyes with your deceipt... why would you expect those you publically ridicule treat you with respect. And now that you don't like the response to your posting history you invoke the 'future balance of the forum'.... you couldn't make it up!!

SJ

[MrPlum]

Hello, SJ. Nice to see you back.

[cheapercharlie]

A more accurate term would be cyber-bullying. A bully is a bully: The internet is just a delivery system.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/b ... IVhq65WkYs

http://mediasmarts.ca/backgrounder/cybe ... fact-sheet

So to answer your question: Yes. You can read the posts and read their quotes and see the bullies, as plain as day. Can you reason with a bully? NO.

[STEVE G]

Personally, I think that most of the problems on the internet are due to the retired or those who are otherwise underemployed. If I want to let off steam, I can simply go to work and call my boss an incompetent bufoon and then get paid an hourly rate for venting my spleen whereas those not working have to pick on faceless strangers on the internet to get similar satisfaction.

[Siani]

Personally, I think that most of the problems on the internet are due to the retired or those who are otherwise underemployed. If I want to let off steam, I can simply go to work and call my boss an incompetent bufoon and then get paid an hourly rate for venting my spleen whereas those not working have to pick on faceless strangers on the internet to get similar satisfaction.

Gosh STEVEG that is so unfair!! How can you say retired people cause problems like you describe? I am semi retired, helping my son in his business, unpaid, probably working harder than when I was in employment. Even if I were fully retired, I would not want to "internet bash" anyone I would have thought calling your boss "an incompetent bufoon " (do you mean buffoon? ) That would be enough to make you one of the "unemployed" ...you wrote "underemployed" what ever that means!

[MrPlum]

A more accurate term would be cyber-bullying. A bully is a bully: The internet is just a delivery system.

http://mediasmarts.ca/backgrounder/cybe ... fact-sheet

From your link...

Forms of Cyberbullying

Insulting: Posting or spreading false information about a person that will cause harm to that person or that person’s reputation.

Targeting: Singling someone out and inviting others to attack or make fun of her or him.

Identity theft: Pretending to be someone else to make it look like that other person said things he or she doesn’t believe or that aren’t true about him or her.

Uploading: Sharing images of a person, particularly in an embarrassing situation, without her or his permission, or sharing emails without the writer’s permission.

Excluding: Pressuring others to exclude someone from a community (either online or offline).

Harassment: Repeatedly sending someone nasty, mean and insulting messages.

I haven't seen identity theft or uploading on here. Sounds more suited to Facebook. If I was a basher I might create another ID to give the impression of consensus or increase attacks on the targeted victim.

We have had one member (perhaps more) banned for bullying but as mentioned previously, there are other dysfunctional types. Some people are addicted to conflict. It thrashes their adrenals into life and gives them a bit of a rush. Flaming, mocking or being overly argumentative is designed to provoke a reaction. Their 'fix', if you will.

Some enjoy 'piss-taking', which is a normal part of uniformed life. The 'If you can't take it, you shouldn't have joined' brigade. The onus is on you to accept it and if you can't it is your problem. Such banter can be good-natured and entertaining but invariably one individual is targeted and it becomes destructive. If you aren't thick-skinned, or give as good as you get, you aren't going to enjoy it. Some though are just 'junkyard dogs'. Perhaps they or their parents were aggressive and the behaviour is just instilled in the child.

There is a copying element to it. The media and politicians have coached people in how to put down their opponents or to disparage scientists or anyone who dissents. You soon learn to ignore the merits of the topic and insult, smear, mock and disparage. The idea isn't to engage in debate. Only to destroy the reputation of your target via personal attacks.

Once the pattern is established it is, like all patterns, hard to break.

[caller]

There is a copying element to it. The media and politicians have coached people in how to put down their opponents or to disparage scientists or anyone who dissents. You soon learn to ignore the merits of the topic and insult, smear, mock and disparage. The idea isn't to engage in debate. Only to destroy the reputation of your target via personal attacks.

Once the pattern is established it is, like all patterns, hard to break.

So that's where you got it from! Did you have private lessons?

[sand_dancer]

There is a copying element to it. The media and politicians have coached people in how to put down their opponents or to disparage scientists or anyone who dissents. You soon learn to ignore the merits of the topic and insult, smear, mock and disparage. The idea isn't to engage in debate. Only to destroy the reputation of your target via personal attacks.

Once the pattern is established it is, like all patterns, hard to break.

So that's where you got it from! Did you have private lessons?

At a rough guess..... I would say he probably helped pen the training manual.......

[MrPlum]

So that's where you got it from! Did you have private lessons?

Service-trained.

[Pleng]

Personally, I think that most of the problems on the internet are due to the retired or those who are otherwise underemployed. If I want to let off steam, I can simply go to work and call my boss an incompetent bufoon and then get paid an hourly rate for venting my spleen whereas those not working have to pick on faceless strangers on the internet to get similar satisfaction.

Gosh STEVEG that is so unfair!! How can you say retired people cause problems like you describe? I am semi retired.... working harder than when I was in employment.

I think you're the exception to the retired norm.

I think really what STEVE was eluding to is that it stems from boredom, the predominate cause of boredom on this forum is undoubtedly retirement.

[STEVE G]

I think really what STEVE was eluding to is that it stems from boredom, the predominate cause of boredom on this forum is undoubtedly retirement.

Exactly, I wasn't having a go at retired people in general. Where I work there is quite a lot of daily confrontation and you don't need the internet for that sort of thing.

[richard]

Boredom can be a big factor.

Most of us before we were retired were burdened with bills, family growing up and work pressures. Retirement alleviates many of these pressures and boredom can set in.

When I worked I was subject to long hours and a set of rules to abide by. Letting off steam to alleviate these along with mounting cost of living bills and raising a family was by playing squash (the ball was my bosses head), gardening, golf and the pub.

Now retired and slightly infirmed I no longer have these pressures and a forum is an outlet with very few rules as the likes of squash and golf are no longer possible to relieve the pressures of boredom

[hhfarang]

I'm with you Richard. I'm retired and bored, but I've never F#!k$^& bashed or bullied any of the G$&D!%# Ar!#H*%&s on this forum...

[sand_dancer]

So that's where you got it from! Did you have private lessons?

Service-trained.

What Service would that have been......?

They were not very good...... whoever they were.....

They obviously never taught you the #1 rule......

Do not commit to written script anything that you do not want to bite you in the @ss....... Or be used against you.......

[kendo]

So that's where you got it from! Did you have private lessons?

Service-trained.

Silver service.

Kendo.