The Internet shows people more like they are really like, without the fear of being smacked or shouted at.
I think there's some of that, but more than bringing out everyone's inner asshole, I think the Internet amplifies the voices of the small minority who are always assholes. Nobody wants to listen to those people in real life. The Internet gives them the illusion that people are listening.
Heck, that's why I've got a blog! And why I don't check the visitor stats very often.
Faceless and anonymous would be a precondition for this to work. Full disclosure: "ducloqu" is not my real name, and the webcam is switched off for me to write.
Not necessarily. I distinctly remember getting bitched at by some older guy on youtube, complaining that us young 'uns don't listen to good music anymore. I'm not sure what he thought I listened to exactly, we were both watching the same Who video. And it was completely random too, didn't have anything to do with what I was saying.
Interesting, Michael. The internet is quite likely to attract a lot of the no-lives who are too socially inept to speak to people in real life.
Now, to thank me for my support of your comment, please visit my blog and click on many links. If my counter rises enough, I'll be able to make money by hosting Viagra ads. (And dare claim that I am a big d**k.)
The Internet shows people more like they are really like, without the fear of being smacked or shouted at.
ReplyDeleteI think there's some of that, but more than bringing out everyone's inner asshole, I think the Internet amplifies the voices of the small minority who are always assholes. Nobody wants to listen to those people in real life. The Internet gives them the illusion that people are listening.
Heck, that's why I've got a blog! And why I don't check the visitor stats very often.
Faceless and anonymous would be a precondition for this to work. Full disclosure: "ducloqu" is not my real name, and the webcam is switched off for me to write.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a mixture of punk kids enjoying the anonymity, and a lot of lonely, angry people.
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily. I distinctly remember getting bitched at by some older guy on youtube, complaining that us young 'uns don't listen to good music anymore. I'm not sure what he thought I listened to exactly, we were both watching the same Who video. And it was completely random too, didn't have anything to do with what I was saying.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Michael.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is quite likely to attract a lot of the no-lives who are too socially inept to speak to people in real life.
Now, to thank me for my support of your comment, please visit my blog and click on many links. If my counter rises enough, I'll be able to make money by hosting Viagra ads. (And dare claim that I am a big d**k.)
"and the webcam is switched off for me to write"
El-oh-el!
It took me long enough to SUCEED in displaying an avatar [™ & © James Cameron].