Wednesday 13 June 2012

Internet Trolls

I realise that as soon as I write this I will probably unleash a torrent of hate from the very people I am thinking and reflecting about.


Trolls


Or more accurately those people who hide behind their computer screen and cause havoc on the Internet.


It starts so easily ...




Hitting the dislike button on YouTube
Writing a negative comment on YouTube
Making a negative and personal comment on Facebook


Where does it end ...



  • Obscene messages being left on tribute sites for people
  • Vile rumours being spread
  • Careers and lives ruined
  • Damage to self esteem and trust in others
  • Suicide?

Have I been a victim?

Yes - I have had some very negative comments left both on YouTube and my Blog.

How did I feel?

To have horrible messages left about a video I spend ages recording and editing left by someone who has uploaded no content was hurtful.  Being called quite nasty names because I left a positive review for a video was a shock.

Has it happened again?

Yes - I think that as soon as I started to get more popular on YouTube / Blog the negative and hate comments started increasing - so this will probably will be the future.

How can I deal with it?

- as easy as it sounds, ignore it. 
- don't reply to any comment - don't feed them!
- don't take it personally.
- share what is happening with a friend and don't bottle it up.

This is an interesting article from the BBC News on how websites will be forced to identify trolls.


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