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."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Saturday August 20 2016, @05:06AM
Hey, JNCF, (if that is your real login name), only an actual SJW can call another SJW a SJW!! We own the moniker, we take what our enemies call us, stick in our hat, and call it macaroni! With cheese!
But, yes, it would be interesting to know where this first arose. With a colossal lack of evidence, I suspect Brietbart. What with all the new stuff that has come to light, man, it only makes sense. But I could be wrong. We should research this more, so we can help our fellow Soylentils who seem to have been infected. I have heard that "SJW appelation syndrome" can cause microcephaly in otherwise healthy adult males.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Saturday August 20 2016, @10:28AM
words are neither good nor bad, but thinking makes them so...
(with 'thinking' meaning 'it is what our brains do', not 'reasoned logic'...)