The Virtual Mob spreading spite online…

I am conscious that many of us are not necessarily readers of the DT, so provide this link to an article in today’s DT. It attempts to explain the modern phenomenon of bloggers leaving their natural courtesy and manners – if they ever had any – behind them, when they take to the keyboard. This could so easily have referred to any of the many puerile flame wars which turned MyT into a bearpit. (No offence intended, Bearsy!)

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Author: coldwaterjohn

CWJ travelled extensively with his family, having worked in eleven countries over thirty years. A keen photographer, holding a Private Pilot's Licence, he focuses mainly on landscape and aerial imagery. Having worked in the Middle East extensively he follows developments in that region with particular interest, and views with growing concern, the radicalisation flowing from Islamic fundamentalism, and the intolerance for opposing views, stemming from it.

17 thoughts on “The Virtual Mob spreading spite online…”

  2. Hello CJ,

    There are many theories on this. PC & so called decorum prevents us speaking out, anyone having the courage to speak boldly would not see comments in newspaper comments thanks to cowardly editors.
    Blogging is where we can, for the most part, relieve those pent up thoughts on evolving problems… which leads to heated arguments. It’s like a safety valve.

    Being controlled can be good & essential in a civilised society, but I can’t help feeling it’s that which is to blame for the apathy now facing the country.

    Once upon a time the only choice people had, was to take to the streets to express strong feelings.

  3. Thanks for the link CWJ.

    I think the subject of the article and the state of MyT are two totally different animals.

    You have been around MyT long enough to know that the flamers have always been present, IMHO over the last 2.5 years very little has changed on that front.

    The problems really began on MyT when the system changed and allowed IDs to be copied/stolen and the ridiculous system of PC/auto censorship allowed spoilers and malcontents to destroy the work of others. Coupled of course with the utter contempt shown by the DT staff when we raise valid concerns over the decline/neglect of a site we have supported for many years.

    The article is far more sinister, the school teacher who suddenly finds herself in fear for her life? How the hell can that be allowed? 99.9% of the threats may well be annonymous cowards using the cover of the WWW to vent spleen, but ask Ms Dando about the 0.1%.

    I subscribe to the Bulletin, RIP, school of thought. None of it is real, calm down dear it’s just a blogsite.

  4. Interesting CWJ: I read this earlier and yes. The comments on the article quite enlightening. I quote a part of one of them by DavidUK48, which is I think rather pertinent
    “I think it’s partly just the general decline of good manners in society (sorry to sound really old, but it is). It is socially acceptable to be rude and abusive and even threatening in a way that it wasn’t in the past. Indeed if you look at TV, being rude, aggressive, and sneering at people is encouraged and celebrated in a way that it wasn’t even when I was little (I’m only in my twenties.) Good manners has been replaced by the cult of political correctness, which says you can be as grotesquely abusive to anyone as you like as long as you don’t use certain taboo references.
    Everyone talks about how the internet bring people together, but generally when I go online what I see is people screaming scorn, contempt and outright hatred at each other. “

  5. Katie: this safety valve effect, well it is not exactly that for the victims of some of these campaigns. There have been instances of hate campaigns on Facebook, for instance that result in violence and misery and bullying against school children, teachers and so forth.

  6. This may sound trite, but you can always turn off the computer and walk away. Of course not so easy for the headmistress . But I think the whole enterprise was daft. It was obvious that the children would become fond of the animal and then upset when it was slaughtered.
    Many years ago a neighbour of ours reared a lamb slaughtered and butchered it, his wife won’t eat lamb to this day. My grandfather reared a pig during the war and the family never let him keep another.

  7. Minty MBE,

    David also has this to say:

    “There is in my opinion another issue with the internet is that it encourages people to isolate themselves into little groups of people who all agree with each other. This tends to make them egg each other on to more extreme views (Islamists being an example) and to demonise those who don’t agree with them as “the enemy”. If you go onto most forums and post an opinion they don’t like, the amount of abuse you get will be diminished only by a very good moderator.”

    It rings a bell but I just can’t quite put my furry little claw on it.

  8. Jazz,

    Like I said, none of it is real as far as MyT goes.

    But the school mistress was made public on the www. Laid bare to every nut job and psychopath in the land. You only have to look and see what the ALF terrorists will do to people they so much as suspect have been involved in infringement of animal rights.

    Everone of these crazies now knows exactly where this woman lives and what she looks like. This is a terrifying state of affairs.

  12. People scare a sight too easily.
    I agree with jazz, turn it off, walk away.
    Dando was not killed by a person who met her on a blogsite was she? I thought she was stalked by someone who saw her on TV?
    Please correct me if I’m wrong.

  13. Thanks for the link, CWJ. It was an interesting read. In the past, hate campaigns were essentially local, fuelled by malicious gossip, whereas now they can be international, because it is free. Only the method has changed. Are we not just blaming the medium for the message?
    On the other hand, I do agree with David, as quoted by Ara, to the effect that people are more publicly spiteful. This was made plain to me when I attended a public meeting recently, called to discuss the town council’s proposal to sell a listed building. The meeting was ill-tempered and “the mob” resorted to catcalls and jeering, organised across the floor, obviously totally ignorant of the rules of debate. Lady T and I walked out after an hour, despite beforehand being broadly in favour of “the mob’s” sentiment, and I will not be supporting them again.

  14. Christina.

    My point exactly, this poor teacher is now in th epublic domain. Her address, photo, name and place of work are easily discovered online. If she is not in fear for her life right now, she is a fool.

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