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Why is it, and I am very much a culprit of this myself, will we very happily insult or talk to someone on a forum (not just dakka) like something we have just scraped of our shoe.

I am in general a very nice person who does not tend to be sarcastic or derogatory to anyone, yet I have been in the past on forums.

I have read somethings on forums that are clearly so insulting and so rude that if it were face to face I full well beleive that neither person would dream of speaking to each other in such a way.

Why is this, what is we get and where does the odd sense of superiority that people have come from. Is it the fact that you can just basically say what you like and really it has no comeback and that you can pretend to be someone who is far more worldy and knowledgable than you in reality really are.

Intersting thought and no doubt it will incurr the usual angry reactions that even the most innocent of threads do but I was wondering what others thought, especially the people who clearly post a lot on forums

Also is there a reason that people want to make the amount of posts they have higher. I have seen so many responces to things that I can only assume that's why that have written them.

Things like

Do you know where I can get X Y and Z from?

reply - No I don't

Why would you take the time to post that, it does not help the original person and has wasted a minute of your day, it just seems really weird to me.

Anyway letting the insulting and sarcastic replies begin

lukewild1982 wrote:
Anyway letting the insulting and sarcastic replies begin

My underwear is older than you are...boy!

Sorry can't think of anything else at the moment. Not enough coffee.

As Boris from Goldeneye put it "I am Invincible!" seems to be the attitude on lots of forums.

Maybe it is the lack of face to face interaction that enables people to treat others like crap. Communication in most other mediums has more than just words. You have tone, body language and mannerisms just to name things that are missing online. Eye contact and other things that you notice but maybe don't pay attention to also are put of "conventional" communications.

Maybe this accounts for it. That said you still get abusive and sarcastic people. As well as people who like to be involved but not contribute just as much in person/over the phone.

Because there's no threat of retaliation beyond another sarcastic comment in reply. If you act like a moron to someone in real life, there's an outside chance that they may deck you.

Normal Person + Relative Anonymity + Audience (the Intarwebz) = Complete Douche.

Regardless, I find most of the conversations on Dakka to be relatively civil.

This has been asked more times than I change my socks, and thats a lot.

Basically to sum up, people act tougher because they feel braver over the internet as they aren't face to face, if it were face to face then most people wouldn't be as rude.

All things considered, people are very civil here. I've seen forums where saying something that the hivemind found unpopular, wrong, or that they just weren't interested in would leave you completely ignored (if you were lucky) and worst case, all manner of abuse would be unloaded upon you. Not really a fourm, but look at Slashdot, for example.

I've taken a look the threads you've started, and honestly, I can't see where you might have experienced this other than the "original idea" thread, which I've already commented on, and you one about why GW won't bring back squats and WQ. Even in that one you still got some pretty good responses.

It's weird. I'm actually nicer to people online than I usually am in person. People think I'm an donkey-cave when they meet me.

lol what's a Donkey-Cave??

lukewild1982 wrote:lol what's a Donkey-Cave??

Its a cave where donkey's live .. well thats what I've always thought, some poeple say it means someone that purposely tries to be difficult and act like an ass, but I don't believe those rumours, trust me .. donkey's that live in caves .

Being anonymous gives people an air of security.

Its illustrated well here:

http://leasticoulddo.com/comic/20110504

HellsGuardian316 wrote:This has been asked more times than I change my socks, and thats a lot.

Does that include turning them inside out and wearing them again?

As has been stated however, the general rudeness you're likely to find on the internet is a result of anonymity and audience effects. As others have said, however Dakka's pretty damn civil.

Personally I'm typically about as polite as I am in real life; I don't really act aggressively here unless it's warranted; much like real life for me...

So the thread's been answered, now comes either the lock or the slide down-hill and off-topic...

I think possibly because age difference. Majority of posters who seem to be arsey are about 15-22 and really teenagers who don't listen and generally just be arsey.

Sometimes you get other people which I think is for the reasons the OP has said.

Generally I'm ok but sometimes I get fed up and think well people speak to me like it...

Just Dave wrote:

HellsGuardian316 wrote:This has been asked more times than I change my socks, and thats a lot.

Does that include turning them inside out and wearing them again?

I've been rumbled, curses, curses I tell you

Just Dave wrote:
So the thread's been answered, now comes either the lock or the slide down-hill and off-topic...

I predict off-topic, and yes I can see the irony of my own post as well

Jordan wrote:
Normal Person + Relative Anonymity + Audience (the Intarwebz) = Complete Douche.

This formula has gone from Idea to Theorem to Proof.

Thank you Internet Forum Jerks, in whatever basement you call home!

Jordan wrote:Normal Person + Relative Anonymity + Audience (the Intarwebz) = Complete Douche.

I goin by this "formula" then arnt we all complete douches?? I mean we ar mostly normal(i hope) offline but the second we get online we no have an audience and the anonymity, your logic is flawed it seems.

but yea as has already been said, given people can call you an "asshat" for anything on "the intrawebs"(really hate using leet speak) and suffer no real punishment makes them feel as if they need to.

Oh and grats to the 1st person to call me an asshat, coz i do see it happening.

John .. you asshat, you cant post that on the intraweb.

Moving on. I'm for a digital passport. An online ID that sticks with you for life for everything you do on the internet.

Hows that for big brother for you !

The internet is a great place for people to release their inner angst at anonymous people due to their lack of people skills. This isn't everybody, but theres a population out there.
Discussion boards are the breeding ground for this because it provides a soapbox and an audience.

But if you ever, ever think dakka is bad, go read some choice comment threads underneath youtube videos...wow thats bad.

A lot of things bother people. Different people are bothered differently and at different rates, but the end result is that people are often annoyed. Most of the time, we don't share that, because it is, itself, annoying, and calling somebody out over something minor has repurcussions.

Doing so online, however, is essentially cost free. So people can vent about their pet peeves at will. It's a more complex versiion of the basic theory posted above, but I think the basic theory, while a sound mechanism, doens't explain why people want to act like that.

Also, most people experience powerlessness at some or all points of their day. Kids, henpecked husbands, anybody with a crappy job... they get dumped on all day and can't say anything. Given a chance, they seize on it.

This is very true Seanzor.
Dakka is a bearpit compared to my other forum haunts, but compared to youtube...
actually, nothing compares to some of the youtube comments threads.

Youtube comments threads are the bathroom wall of the 21st century.

I think I'm the opposite. I'm nicer on the forums than in real life.

Polonius wrote:
Also, most people experience powerlessness at some or all points of their day. Kids, henpecked husbands, anybody with a crappy job... they get dumped on all day and can't say anything. Given a chance, they seize on it.

There's just something about human nature that makes you want to cause as much frustration to others as you yourself feel. Of course, this is why I have no kids, canceled the wedding, and get told to "be nice" at work. Probably not an even tradeoff, all things considered.

Forums are combination of discussion and writing. I do persuasive writing for a living, so I tend to treat my posts on dakka that are "general broadcast" as any other writing I do. Responses to individuals I try to tie into a general rule, so likewise get a pretty evenhanded approach.

LIke anybody else, I do sometimes get into personal arguments, and then I'll be more personal and insulting. I still try to keep it classy though.

CadianXV wrote:Being anonymous gives people an air of security.

Its illustrated well here:

http://leasticoulddo.com/comic/20110504

Totally agree, and I'm all in favor of MODS with baseball bats being able to travel to people's houses to beat the tar out of them. Frazzled, if you were still a MOD you could enjoy this idea...alas, you're just one of us again...
If this policy (suggested by a comic-based 8 year old) ever comes into effect, where can I get an application to be a MOD? I've never neutered someone with a baseball bat before, and it could be fun

daedalus wrote:

Polonius wrote:
Also, most people experience powerlessness at some or all points of their day. Kids, henpecked husbands, anybody with a crappy job... they get dumped on all day and can't say anything. Given a chance, they seize on it.

There's just something about human nature that makes you want to cause as much frustration to others as you yourself feel. Of course, this is why I have no kids, canceled the wedding, and get told to "be nice" at work. Probably not an even tradeoff, all things considered.

"the blues aren't about making yourself feel better. They're about making other people feel worse."

I think it's part of a lot of people's nature, and probably most people at least occasionally. While I admittedly live a stress free lifestyle, I try not to make anybody feel worse.

Bat Manuel wrote:I think I'm the opposite. I'm nicer on the forums than in real life.

Junior member of the Gruff Old Bastards Club? Regular monthly meetings at Fudruckers!



If I come off harsh it's usually on purpose.

I'm old school, I'd need a bike (motorcycle) chain.

Thats just the way of the world, the problem is when you start taking gak like that personally.

Polonius answered this thread.