I don't know if it's my imagination or what, but it seems that people are adopting a writing style of "write outrageous, messed up statements and see how people react". Basically just stirring up shit.
I'm not sure if it's (always) intentional or more of a symptom of our "internet age" (imagine finger quotes). Basically everyone can write / publish, so to be a content provider these days means less than it used to. The only way to be noticed seems to be that you provide something that gets under people collars and they react.
I think that in the old days (i.e. paper based), the time that someone read, thought about, got some paper and a pen, found the address, and mailed the feedback allowed people to think a lot more about the original writers purpose. Now it's more "hey! That makes me angry! I'll click on the comment form and rip them a new one!". It's all reactive without thinking why the person seems to be stirring the pot.
When the only reaction that you can count on is instant, negative emotion by doing something like kicking puppies, you know people are just going to be looking for the cutest puppy in order to drop-kick.
And I'm getting tired of it.
I'm starting to ignore a lot of that tone as well but it's like history repeating -- when the quality of Slashdot comments went downhill in ohhh, 1997 ... and flamefests on newsgroups before that.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that a large part of the problem is anonymity and proximity. If you're anonymous or not in front of someone in person, there are no (perceived*) consequences for what you say.
*perceived: the Internet never forgets anything. I've found newsgroup posts I made back in 1995 using Google! The digital trail is endless, people just can't appreciate the long-term consequences of what they say.
The truly good voices seem to be the balanced, measured ones. They are the blogs I stay subscribed to and they are few and far between.
The moderation system on Slashdot are supposed to help get rid of the trolls, and flamebait and all the other -1 posts. The problem is that rather than just mod these people down, so their posts never get seen, people go the other route and respond to them. Feeding the trolls is the reason they come back, and the reason they keep on stirring up shit. It's just like the bully's in grade school, the more attention they get, the more they bully.
ReplyDeleteI still read Slashdot, because there's still a lot of quality posts on there, and because it's easy enough to ignore the trolls. I also haven't found any sites that are really any better. I prefer it much more to any non-moderated system I've ever seen. If you look at any commenting system where things aren't moderated, then things are really bad.
really bad like this site?
ReplyDelete(+1 Insightful)
Sorry Jim, but your site isn't popular enough to attract the trolls. Then again, neither is mine. But sometimes that's a good thing. I'm modding myself +1 Awesome.
ReplyDelete