Formspring controversy

Started by Reina April 12th, 2010 1:06 PM
  • 5852 views
  • 36 replies

Reina

pandasaur!

Non-binary
New York
Seen October 21st, 2014
Posted June 14th, 2010
337 posts
14.1 Years
There's been a lot of it lately, huh?

With the formspring-related suicide of Alexis Pilkington on March 22nd, and the March 12th rumor of formspring revealing anonymous users, formspring has got a lot of controversy. My question here is what PC members think about the site and the ridiculous amount of controversy and hatred / harassment on it.

I have one, and I use it, and I personally haven't gotten any hate messages, its usually just my friends and I sending inside jokes back and forth to eachother, but I've seen some nasty stuff said to my friends. It's fun for a time, until people abuse it, I think... I wouldn't go as far to organize a huge boycott of it, but I think Facebook & other social networking sites were a bit better without it. So PC, what do you guys think?

otakulily

Pokemon is okay, I guess.

Seen July 25th, 2014
Posted March 31st, 2011
244 posts
13.1 Years
Not much in term of hate messages - pretty much all I get are troll messages. And yes. People do abuse it, mostly due to the anonymous factor. People don't even use it to ask questions. They just post random crap. But I like random crap. I honestly don't mind. And the way the questions are phrased, I can usually tell who the anonymous users are since everyone who posts on my formspring are people I know from various forums. So I'm not too bothered by it.

It's a great idea. It's just very poorly executed. If people want to ask serious questions, then fine. If people want to use it to anonymously post hate mail then that's a bit of a problem. But remember, if you're seeing "nasty stuff" on other people's formspring pages, that means that the user chose to respond to that question/statement. If the user gets hate mail and chooses to expose it to the entire world, that is their choice. People are not obligated to respond to every single post on formspring. They can choose to ignore it. That doesn't change the fact that the posts are read. But if things get really bad, you can block anonymous messages. But it's nothing new, really. It's the internet. It's full of hate. And it's not like random people are choosing to hate you. It's most likely someone you know and they probably have their reasons for disliking other people. I'm sure everyone has someone they don't like and they all deal with it in different ways. Some people choose to vent their anger through the internet. I'm not saying it's a good thing, or even an "okay" thing. But the world is not ideal. Just be grateful the people who hate your friends don't choose to stab them of beat them up or something. No need to boycott formspring. Or even change it. It's not the most secure thing. But it's secure enough to also allow for some fun.
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Anxiety.

Walking on sunshine.

Birmingham, England.
Seen February 5th, 2011
Posted June 16th, 2010
1,669 posts
15.7 Years
Oh god. Don't get me started.

I have one, all my friends have one, and sadly, so do all the people I don't like. So they spam us (Most recent spam: Taking the piss out of my sister and her girlfriend because the split up. Also, usually it is unprovoked, but yeah, we have provoked them sometimes) and at times it can get pretty bad. They made one of my friends cry indirectly because they were calling her second best to her girlfriend. But yes! I wont get into a rant about how much I hate them. Formspring does get abused, and trolling and spam is a constant thing for some. But whatever, man, you make one and you have to accept that this will happen.
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Timbjerr

T-o-X-i-C

Age 36
Female
Texas
Seen May 30th, 2022
Posted January 28th, 2016
7,415 posts
19.7 Years
Anyone care to enlighten old farts like me that have no idea what Formspring is? XD

From what I can gather from context in this thread, it's like twitter, but with the option to post anonymously...and it's primary purpose is asking silly questions...Where does controversy come in and how does this cause a girl to kill herself? o_0

*prepares to post an "Internet - Serious Business" image macro*

Eeohnex

Illuminate

Mexico
Seen May 30th, 2014
Posted July 18th, 2012
417 posts
13.1 Years
Some of my friends have it, I find it hilarious and stupid to be honest. It's just like a free anonymous online bullying site, most of my friends get the most random crap ever, and I usually just spam them with jokes. But I have seem other peoples Formspring and they get pretty harsh comments, I think it's just stupid to have one, specially the ones who really care what other people think, which can lead to suicide and low self-stem.

That's the reason why I don't have one.

Aureol

Kanto/Electric-Type Enthusiast

Age 32
Male
Utah, USA
Seen November 19th, 2015
Posted November 3rd, 2013
422 posts
13.3 Years
Anyone care to enlighten old farts like me that have no idea what Formspring is? XD

From what I can gather from context in this thread, it's like twitter, but with the option to post anonymously...and it's primary purpose is asking silly questions...Where does controversy come in and how does this cause a girl to kill herself? o_0

*prepares to post an "Internet - Serious Business" image macro*
Apparently, I'm not the only one to have no clue what Formspring is... haha. This does not sound like a place I want to go though.
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Age 29
Female
Seen May 1st, 2010
Posted May 1st, 2010
38 posts
13.1 Years
My thoughts? They have an option in which you can opt out of anonymous questions, so people are forced to ask with a registered name. Something for people who dislike anonymous things to take them away, and for those that do like them to keep them.

Formspring is website where you set up a page, and people ask you question, or post random drabble.
When talking to people, I tend to call them things like "Sug(Shug)" or "Hon" or even "Dearie." You get the point. Some think of it as condescending, and it isn't intended in that way. If it offends you, tell me, and I will try my best not too.

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Niprop

The Fighting Porygon Team

Male
Somewhere Between the Internet and Reality
Seen January 25th, 2012
Posted January 23rd, 2012
846 posts
14.7 Years
Never heard of it, but sounds like the 4chan equivalent to Twitter.


Not for the faint of heart, be prepared to get taunted, teased, threatened, trolled, and otherwise spat on like crazy. It's basically a train-wreck in a box, allowing you to view the worst humanity has to offer from a click of the mouse. Delightful, isn't it?
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Male
Nevada
Seen January 16th, 2012
Posted April 25th, 2010
19 posts
13.1 Years
I kept getting hate messages from a couple people in the Alexz Johnson community that hate me and my fan site... They hate the site because Alexz and her team support the site and not their's. Anyways, I just reported them for spam and the messages stopped...

It's easy to hit SPAM and block their IP.

EDIT: Oh and I don't know anyone who has me on their hit list at school to bug me with mean messages either, so I'm in the clear.
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Female
Seen April 24th, 2010
Posted April 23rd, 2010
143 posts
13.1 Years
my friends have one and i like to send them weird messeges but nothing mean. id never get one because people like to target me.

formspring works great in theory but has many flaws when practiced.
Not that I don't like you |
I'm just at a party |
And I am sick and tired of my phone ringing |
Sometimes I feel like I live in Grand Central Station |
Tonight I'm not taking no calls 'cause I'll be dancing |
'Cause I'll be dancing 'Cause I'll be dancing |
Tonight I'm not taking no calls 'cause I'll be dancing |
Stop calling, stop calling; I don't wanna talk anymore |
I got my head and my heart on the dance-floor |
Stop calling, stop calling; I don't wanna think anymore |
I got my head and my heart on the dance-floor |


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Completed |
Age 30
Male
Melbourne, Australia
Seen January 8th, 2013
Posted April 30th, 2012
1,031 posts
14.1 Years
If people are able to be anonymous, put simply it's only a matter of time before somebody abuses it. I don't really care about Formspring or Twitter, but if people want to use it, that's the risk they take. If you can't handle abuse, don't make an account. It's as simple as that.
Female
Baltimore, Maryland
Seen July 24th, 2013
Posted April 14th, 2010
29 posts
13.2 Years
I have one, and personally my friends spam it with random stuff. No hateful emssages though. I get random questions are some serious one's.
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein

mikey

Age 30
Male
Seen 9 Hours Ago
Posted 4 Days Ago
6,229 posts
14.1 Years
I know of it because some of my friends have one. And I think it's really pointless and dumb. I have seen people write hate comments and stupid things on my friend's pages. I don't see the point in formspring.

Moderator
of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Discord Moderator
Age 32
Female
Blackthorn City
Seen May 16th, 2010
Posted April 29th, 2010
161 posts
13.1 Years
Formspring is the next Twitter. Except that it's more of a troll-bait, and even more useless. I prefer Facebook over such trashy websites.

BTW, the serious business thing and suicide, it's not amusing nor witty. There's a difference between an argument and someone killing themselves.

INB4 acting someone acting like a cold arsehole and saying "LAWL it's their fault for letting that get to them". Really, some people have it real hard. Have some respect, will ya?
Male
Connecticut
Seen February 4th, 2011
Posted January 30th, 2011
327 posts
14.1 Years
I think it's stupid I made one and deleted it, no point to it. It's made for anonymous questions then people complain when people ask them anonymous questions, at least where I live. It's just an invitation for haters and trolls. I THINK it should make you have to reveal yourself to stop all the harassment. I didn't know about that formspring suicide either, so sad.



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Age 30
Male
541
Seen January 2nd, 2014
Posted February 20th, 2012
349 posts
13.3 Years
I find the constant trollage amusing. I have a formspring, and apparently I'm the most hated person in the history of evar.

Formspring is the next Twitter. Except that it's more of a troll-bait, and even more useless. I prefer Facebook over such trashy websites.

BTW, the serious business thing and suicide, it's not amusing nor witty. There's a difference between an argument and someone killing themselves.

INB4 acting someone acting like a cold arsehole and saying "LAWL it's their fault for letting that get to them". Really, some people have it real hard. Have some respect, will ya?
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