Reactions on the Internet.

Started by Kanzler January 29th, 2014 3:23 PM
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  • 4 replies

Raine

Age 29
Female
Ontario, Canada
Seen December 16th, 2017
Posted October 5th, 2017
3,722 posts
9.3 Years
It's hard to get messages across to another individual when the internet acts as a source of miscommunication. Reactions are generally exaggerated because people are sensitive and often take anything personally as an insult. Same with text messages. The most accurate you will ever be in communicating your message will be in person, and even that's not 100% because people have different ways of interpreting your verbal/non-verbal signs. Over reactions I think are somewhat of an internet thing, only because the possibility of having a message come across as rude or insulting is much higher than it would be just saying it someone's face.

LoudSilence

more like uncommon sense

Male
US
Seen August 7th, 2016
Posted March 17th, 2014
583 posts
9.5 Years
There has been a rising prevalence of these reactions, hasn't there? Though I agree with Vanille in that as of now, a good deal of it is restricted to the internet as tone/meaning can be more difficult to read from text rather than spoken word. These "misunderstandings" happen a lot when facial expression, body language, voice. etc. can't be conveyed.

That said, with the net effectively "raising" our current gen, you do see this overly sensitive behaviour spilling out into the real world: keyboard warriors fighting for non-causes both on and off the computer. Simply put, seems like it's largely due to net addiction + tumblr "motivational" bs (I'm putting it specifically on tumblr because we all know that's where it comes from). It's a weird problem so I'm not sure how I'd approach it with a solution.

I dunno though, I don't really have any solid evidence to back this up; it's just a feeling.
この世界は素晴らしい。

Kanzler

naughty biscotti

Male
Toronto
Seen April 22nd, 2022
Posted March 11th, 2022
5,957 posts
14.8 Years
Godwin Help Us

Not my line, alas — Jonathan Chait uses it as the excerpt for his report on the WSJ’s editorial defending Tom Perkins, now famed for comparing criticism of the one percent to Kristallnacht. And boy, am I jealous.

Chait also makes a very good point: what the WSJ piece really does is to confirm that Perkins-style paranoia is actually the norm over there. For throughout the piece the Journal equates criticism with persecution. If you say that the one percent is taking an excessive share of the pie, or that the Kochs exert undue influence on American politics, you’re engaged in vile persecution — OK, maybe not as bad as Hitler, but in the same ballpark.

May I say that if being criticized is a form of unjust persecution, every day of my life is a pogrom?

And what about freedom of speech? Hey, that’s only for corporations, I guess.

Slightly more seriously: the attitude of that WSJ editorial brought to mind Lincoln’s description of the attitude of Southern politicians in his Cooper Union speech. Obligatory declaration: I am not saying that a high income share for the top one percent is anything like slavery. The similarity lies not in what is being defended, but in the demands of those feeling insecure — namely, that any form of criticism be banned. Lincoln:

These natural, and apparently adequate means all failing, what will convince them? This, and this only: cease to call slavery wrong, and join them in calling it right. And this must be done thoroughly – done in acts as well as in words. Silence will not be tolerated – we must place ourselves avowedly with them … The whole atmosphere must be disinfected from all taint of opposition to slavery, before they will cease to believe that all their troubles proceed from us.

Yep. Until we all declare that the one percent is the source of all good, until all mention of inequality as a potentially troubling thing is expunged from public discussion, the rich are being persecuted by totalitarian liberals.
Hmm, so not just on the internet I guess. Is this the way of the 21st century? Are persecution complexes becoming a big deal?

source: it's by paul krugman, lol. hardly your average redditor or pc'er or internet person: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/godwin-help-us/

Alexander Nicholi

work hard, play hard

Age 25
Male
Research Triangle / Jakarta
Seen February 15th, 2023
Posted March 5th, 2021
5,498 posts
13.5 Years
I think that albeit there is a trove of people that would fit this description and then some, it's not 100% accurate; we have a database for problematic folk like that. What I'm saying is that there are also people who, while fitting the so-called Internet stereotype depicted by the OP, are kind and loving people that look out for each other. I learned that these people exist through looking at both places like this and other places where the aforementioned lot runs rampant.

Essentially, this is somewhat true; I do find it to be somewhat cynical, though, to be fairly honest.
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