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posted by janrinok on Saturday August 20 2016, @03:18AM   Printer-friendly
from the troll-on-trolling dept.

Paraphrasing an article by Time Magazine's Joel Stein:

The Internet's personality has changed -- once it was like a geek with lofty ideals about the free flow of information. Now the web is a sociopath with Asperger's. [ Submitter's note: the "Sociopath with Asperger's" comment is not my addition, but a verbatim phrase in the source article ]

The people who relish their online freedom to act under influence of the online disinhibition effect are called "trolls." Trolling is, overtly, a political fight; but it has become the main tool of the alt-right, an Internet-grown reactionary movement that works for men's rights and against immigration. They derisively call their adversaries "social justice warriors" and believe that liberal interest groups purposely exploit their weaknesses to gain pity, which allows them to control the leverage of political power.

When sites are overrun by trolls, they drown out the voices of women, ethic and religious minorities, gays -- anyone who might feel vulnerable. The alt-right argues that if you can't handle opprobrium, you should just turn off your computer. But that's arguing against self-expression, something antithetical to the original values of the Internet.

The article closes with a description of an exchange between Stein and a detractor. In meeting the detractor in real-life, he was surprised by her lack of bravado, to which she responds, "The Internet is the realm of the coward. These are people who are all sound and no fury."

Stein ruminates in response, "Maybe. But maybe, in the information age, sound is as destructive as fury."


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2, Flamebait) by aristarchus on Saturday August 20 2016, @04:09AM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Saturday August 20 2016, @04:09AM (#390433) Journal

    Leave Cuban alone! He's just like Britanny! Fragile! He does not want to explain himself, he just want to be banned! Then we will all see the violence inherent in the system! Then he can say, "See, I told you! Ban-happy SJWs!" Except, of course, evidently, we cannot ban poor cubancigar. All we can do is mod him down and hope some readers will not read him and spread his shame. Encouraging him to explain more will only end up like the troll in the FA, a normal person, but one with issues, and chemical imbalances, and one who we will have to accept as one of us, and assist on his path to becoming a more normal, more liberal, more justicy person.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Flamebait=2, Troll=1, Insightful=1, Informative=1, Funny=1, Underrated=1, Total=7
    Extra 'Flamebait' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 3, Informative) by aristarchus on Saturday August 20 2016, @05:45AM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Saturday August 20 2016, @05:45AM (#390485) Journal

    Just to set the tone, I have modded no one in this thread down. We are all here to help us all be better Soylentils. Let's keep this in mind. Cuban needs our help. Do not retaliate. Cuban needs our love.