Message Boards

1. 60

   JennyDelToroposted 9 years ago

   Has anyone ever participated in message board sites like The Nest or Something Awful? I recently started looking into them and they're so bizarre to me. I tried to participate in a conversation, and was quickly ganged up on and trolled to death by mean words and insulting gifs. They thought I was some blogger they hate using a fake account in order to invade their lair, I'm not, but nothing would convince them they were wrong. They dissected every word I said and gave examples why they were all clues that I was not the person I said I was. People were praising each other for their internet sleuthing abilities and how cleverly they attacked me.
   
   Baffled, I deleted all my comments, then everyone congratulated each other  for being such badasses and catching the troll, and offered to send screen shots of my deleted comments to anyone interested.  It was like everyone thought they were sitting at the cool table in the cafeteria and I was some loser trying to sit next to them, so of course my punishment was to be brutally and relentlessly bullied. I asked them if they enjoyed abusing animals as much as they enjoy abusing human beings and the consensus was that I did it to myself because I'm the one that came over to their turf.
   
   It was one of the most confusing things that has happened to me. Why are these people so wretched? Does anyone here belong to any anonymous message boards?

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   1. 82

      Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The anonymousness brings out the demons it seems.

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2. 60

   JennyDelToroposted 9 years ago

   I know that the internet makes people act like real creeps sometimes, but the most bizarre part was that they got a sense of community from bullying people with their message board pals. They acted like they knew each other.

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   1. 82

      Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Very sad to hear. Thanks for the warning!
      I remember chatting in the way early days of the internet… I thought life was going to really change for the better. At first we were happily philosophizing and sharing info about music and all.
      But, eventually people became more and more awful and predatory for questionable interactions!  I learned a lot about how terrible people could be in those early days.
      Also I would stay up 'til three not realizing how much time I was UTTERLY wasting. Eventually, I stopped altogether in great disgust.
      Lately, I notice here on Hp forums, people pretty much leave their PCs around ten o'clock! so cool…
      (not all, of course. that's cool too. for those who can handle it.)
      
      Also, here, there are boundaries which are enforced.
      People need boundaries.
      Freedom within boundaries.

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3. 82

   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   The potential to communicate, share information and reveal personal insights and experiences as case studies is not being taken advantage of to the extent that it could.  We could be enlightening ourselves (raising our awareness) in so many ways, through so many avenues and on so many levels!
   Yet, how is this amazing gift of the internet used?
   The aliens are probably shocked that the technology they shared with us is so misused and abused.  I imagine we are like a hundred years behind where we should be evolutionally, so they needed to help get us get up to speed. Are we evolving to where we should be?
   NOOOO! !
   I do like internet learning and the educational uses being undertaken in increasingly broader ways.
     My phraseology is becoming worser and and worser, though.

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4. 60

   JennyDelToroposted 9 years ago

   I used to despise HP for all of its boundaries, I've now learned that it's a positive thing. HP also isn't really annonymous for the most part, plus we want everyone to read each others stuff and love it, so it would not behoove anyone to be a random jerk.

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5. 61

   janesixposted 9 years ago

   I tend to avoid other forums, because people are allowed to be so mean, and no one does anything about it. I've looked for other ones, but haven't found one that's good yet. I like HP.

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6. 59

   FatFreddysCatposted 9 years ago

   I guess I must be pretty lucky, because I've never been ganged up on or "troll-bashed." I belong to a couple of music and movie-related forum communities that are (mostly) civil, friendly places for discussion. Most of the regular contributing members to those forums have been there for years, so we all know each other pretty well after all that time.
   
   Like anywhere else on the internet, each of those forums still get visits from an occasional troll/douche who just wants to make trouble, but they're dealt with fairly quickly most of the time - probably because most of the boards' members are middle-aged adults who don't have time or patience for that sort of B.S.

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   1. 60

      JennyDelToroposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The mommy boards can get pretty rough. Especially if the word "vaccine" is ever used.

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