Take a moment before you shout at that guy.

[Ickorus]

This is a pretty basic thread just asking everyone to sit back and think a moment before you hurl abuse at someone, i've known people in my life who really take to heart the stuff said online and i've seen the sort of things it does to these people im not talking about just being sad for a night but people who have been right on the verge of suicide (I have had to talk one person down before, not something I want to have to do ever again) because of the terrible things people say to them without a second thought whilst they are online.

What im getting at is you don't know who you're talking to online or their circumstance so take a moment to think before you hit the enter key when you're online, just remember that the faceless name you're shouting at is another living person and they have feelings too, it doesn't take a moment and in the end everyone and I mean everyone leaves happier from the situation, even if it's a crappy one.

 

[Gibboniser]

I'm not one to throw abuse at anybody, but you can't go on the internet without thick skin, taking to heart everything anybody says, is foolish.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Unlike in a spoken conversation, people have plenty of time to think about what they're writing. They can fact check, proof read and basically make sure that what they're saying isn't stupid.

After all of that and they still end up saying something completely ignorant, they deserve the wrath of billion exploding suns.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

I hope I'm not the only one who re-writes the whole comment just so I don't start a flame war.

I try to be nice even if there is a total Douchebag on the other end of the line.

 

[Agayek]

This is a pretty basic thread just asking everyone to sit back and think a moment before you hurl abuse at someone, i've known people in my life who really take to heart the stuff said online and i've seen the sort of things it does to these people im not talking about just being sad for a night but people who have been right on the verge of suicide (I have had to talk one person down before, not something I want to have to do ever again) because of the terrible things people say to them without a second thought whilst they are online.

What im getting at is you don't know who you're talking to online or their circumstance so take a moment to think before you hit the enter key when you're online, just remember that the faceless name you're shouting at is another living person and they have feelings too, it doesn't take a moment and in the end everyone and I mean everyone leaves happier from the situation, even if it's a crappy one.

It's more a matter of those people you know not being retarded than people not throwing abuse at them. If you're really insecure enough that someone else's criticisms can drive you to suicide, that may be a better alternative than continuing to live.

People will disagree with you, and depending on the issue they can be quite vocal about it. Dealing with that is part of being an adult. If you can't handle it, grow the fuck up. There is no other valid response.

That's not to say unwarranted abuse should be tolerated, as it should be halted, usually violently; but if it gets to you, the only one to blame is yourself. If someone insults you, there's three possible courses it can take.

1) The insult is not true. If this is the case, it can be safely ignored as the blathering of an idiot. No more attention needs be paid to it.

2) The insult is true and you don't think it's a problem. In this situation, you can safely ignore it. Someone insulted you and you find yourself content with that aspect of yourself. All that means is that someone out there disagrees with your assessment. Welcome to life.

3) The insult is true and you do think it's a problem. In this case, you should do something about it. Go out and change yourself so that the insult is no longer true. Then if someone says it again, you can refer to #1.

None of these possibilities include being offended, hurt, or otherwise negatively affected. Take what they have to say and either ignore it or improve yourself, problem solved.

 

[WoodenPlanck]

This should go in a different forum than Game Discussion.

Though, I personally stopped flaming people when I was ten, i survived this long, so I can't really relate to someone who can't suffer words that'll get them red-cheeked. Then again, it isn't the wrath that person is getting from someone online that is their problem in the first place.

 

[Ickorus]

I'm not one to throw abuse at anybody, but you can't go on the internet without thick skin, taking to heart everything anybody says, is foolish.

Luckily I have thick skin but I know people who don't and it's not really fair on them when people shout at them, it only takes a second to think about it and our thin-skinned friends could enjoy the internet as much as the rest of us.

It'd also be pleasant not to even have to deal with people screaming at me every once in a while.

 

[BabyRaptor]

Most people on the internet are assholes. Blunt, but that's what it comes down to. And some people relish in it.

It's sad, really. Because the OP is right...You never know who you're talking to or what that person has in their past. You never know for certain what your words could trigger.

Most of the time, you'll likely just get a flame war. But think about the other cases..People who've been teased and hurt all their lives. It's more complicated than a simple "Suck it up."

Just because you don't have those triggers doesn't mean other people don't.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

As i said in an earlier thread...It's the internet people will say mean things it's part of life.

 

[Ickorus]

It's more a matter of those people you know not being retarded than people not throwing abuse at them. If you're really insecure enough that someone else's criticisms can drive you to suicide, that may be a better alternative than continuing to live.

The person im talking about was in a really bad place at the time and then someone said something to her that was relative to the problems she had been having and it struck deep, the person didn't even give it a second thought and yet I ended up spending an entire night with my friend trying to convince her that life was worth living.

What im saying is that something that to you might just be a throwaway comment might catch someone in a way you don't even consider. I'll admit my example was quite an extreme one and whilst I imagine it's quite rare for someone to be driven that far it's proof that it can indeed happen.

 

[SoulSalmon]

I have NEVER understood how people are even SLIGHTLY affected by verbal stuff...
Quite frankly, and as harsh as it sounds, I think the people who take verbal abuse seriously need to grow up.
I've come to a more harsh viewpoint on the matter recently thanks to this new "Calling people names online is worse then punching them in the face" bullhit I've seen over the past few years.

Keep in mind I'm not one of the people who usually dish out abuse, nor am I insinuating that this thread is one of the QQs I mentioned above, I'm just stating my view.

 

[Ickorus]

I have NEVER understood how people are even SLIGHTLY affected by verbal stuff...
Quite frankly, and as harsh as it sounds, I think the people who take verbal abuse seriously need to grow up.
I've come to a more harsh viewpoint on the matter recently thanks to this new "Calling people names online is worse then punching them in the face" bullhit I've seen over the past few years.

Keep in mind I'm not one of the people who usually dish out abuse, nor am I insinuating that this thread is one of the QQs I mentioned above, I'm just stating my view.

I get that, I hate all this publicity cyberbullying is getting as much as the next person, I was bullied like hell in reality when I was at school and it's much much worse than anything people can say to me online, the best way to get rid of cyberbullying is to sort out the bullies in the real world.

But that's a different subject, im just asking people to think before they type. Im as guilty as anyone else of saying stuff that I regret when im online and im pretty sure im not a 'cyberbully'.

 

[Ickorus]

This should go in a different forum than Game Discussion.

Though, I personally stopped flaming people when I was ten, i survived this long, so I can't really relate to someone who can't suffer words that'll get them red-cheeked. Then again, it isn't the wrath that person is getting from someone online that is their problem in the first place.

I put it here in gaming discussion because originally I had an example from a game and this was mostly to ask people to be nice to each other when playing games for all the reasons I have stated.

I of course ended up changing it a bit because I mentioned my friend and I really didn't want people to think she was driven to the verge of suicide by someone telling her to L2P.

 

[WoodenPlanck]

I figured that's what you were getting at, and I understand that saying the story that way wouldn't exactly lend credit to your cause.

I play HoN and LoL, and I know how bothersome negative feedback gets when the tide of war is going poorly. It's too bad when a virtual refuge turns into another 'shouting' match.

 

[Da Orky Man]

If people take everything said to then to heart, the Internet is a dangerous place. Thick skin is a must when traversing these twisted skeins.

 

[Agayek]

The person im talking about was in a really bad place at the time and then someone said something to her that was relative to the problems she had been having and it struck deep, the person didn't even give it a second thought and yet I ended up spending an entire night with my friend trying to convince her that life was worth living.

What im saying is that something that to you might just be a throwaway comment might catch someone in a way you don't even consider. I'll admit my example was quite an extreme one and whilst I imagine it's quite rare for someone to be driven that far it's proof that it can indeed happen.

And my point was that no one, regardless of situation, should allow an internet fuckwad to drive them to suicide. People's opinions of you are irrelevant unless they've earned your trust and/or respect. If someone in the world disagreeing with you is enough to drive you to suicide, then you really need to grow the fuck up. Someone, somewhere is going to vehemently disagree with everything you are, do or stand for; it's part of life. Either deal with it or shuck the damn mortal coil already.

I'll freely admit that my stance on this is more than a bit tainted by my stance on suicide, but the point remains.

Edit: As something of an analogy, the scenario you describe is equivalent to you walking down the street and someone drives by in a car and shouts "Hey fuckhead, you suck!", and in response you go home and eat a bullet. It's literally the exact same scenario. Don't be enough of a pathetic waste of space that such can get to you.

 

[Radeonx]

Instead of asking everyone around you to change, you should have the select few people change and learn to not give a fuck about random people's opinions.

 

[C95J]

I will speak my mind on these forums, which sometimes does provoke a negative response, but I don't think I will ever directly insult someone without them taking a jab at me first.

 

[Xprimentyl]

As i said in an earlier thread...It's the internet people will say mean things it's part of life.

That's no excuse; anonimity is not a free ride to say what one will. It's a coward's way of cheap shotting. 99% of the shit entitled jackasses flame in forums/during online MP is garabage they'd never say in real life to anyone's face. The fact that there are so many people out there taking advantage of this is only proof that people take freedom of speech too far and thusly don't even deserve said right. I take the moral high ground and simply exclude myself when I feel respect is not the order of the day, but when I inevitably come across it, I don't take it to heart because I know a plea for decency only brings out an asshole's fangs.

Whomever the OP knows that's been severeley affected by Internet assholes should offer that of all things in life, Internet banter should NOT be taken to heart so easily; those people know just as much about "you" as you do about "them" which is NOTHING. Their words cannot possibly be directed at an individual anymore than a nuke can be directed at a specific person; what the victim feels is the wrath of wide-spread ignorance and should not take it personally.