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Sean Duffy and Internet Trolls
**helen**
Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
Hey :wave:
Guessing most of you have read about Sean Duffy today...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/13/internet-troll-jailed-mocking-teenagers
I have to say it took me back to horrible memories of the fall out after Jake0 died...(aware not all of you were around for this but basically not happy times). I'm glad that our lovely memories of Jakey do outweigh all the craziness that hit the forums and other websites afterwards though. Small mercy that it was before the days of facebook...
What's been interesting though is an article someone sent to me which is an interview from an internet troll (found through comment is free)
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/09/interview-with-a-troll/
So, what are your thoughts on both of these...
Guessing most of you have read about Sean Duffy today...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/13/internet-troll-jailed-mocking-teenagers
I have to say it took me back to horrible memories of the fall out after Jake0 died...(aware not all of you were around for this but basically not happy times). I'm glad that our lovely memories of Jakey do outweigh all the craziness that hit the forums and other websites afterwards though. Small mercy that it was before the days of facebook...
What's been interesting though is an article someone sent to me which is an interview from an internet troll (found through comment is free)
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/09/interview-with-a-troll/
So, what are your thoughts on both of these...
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Comments
In some ways it helped because I then joined messageboards like this one and was able to voice my opinions in a much more constructive way and I think it's made me a slightly more confident person.
'Trolling' seems to be something people should grow out of. It's the most obvious answer but at the moment I think it's true. The people who troll obviously feel powerless in their offline lives and this is an easy and anonymous way to express it and act out.
Its a shame it would cost too much for thesite.org/youthnet to look over old IP logs and get in touch with the police and ISPs to go give a wake up call to the horrible people who came on here after Jake0s funeral.
Coincidentally if any of those people are still around lurking, I hate you muchly.
I agree. There's another forum I post on, and there's someone who constantly creates new usernames and posts the same issue over and over again. He does it elsewhere too and he faked his own death.
I agree. I know sometimes, I've disagreed with stuff and said so - because I do disagree and not to stir things up. Forums like debate would be so boring if we all had the same opinion.
Someone who posts abusive messages to people, creates FB groups slandering the dead or bullies people over the internet is a criminal and a dick. There are some laws covering this (misuses of telecommunications in particular) but we receive no guidance whatsoever on dealing with it.
I
However, this wasn't trolling but abusive communication.
Sean Duffy appears to be trying to hide behind his Asperger's, claiming he didn't understand he was hurting people, now he's been caught. And I'm sorry but that's bullshit. Asperger's means that you don't always understand the implications of your behaviour on others; it often means that you're blunt to the point of rudeness. If you go to the trouble of making a video mocking someone who's committed suicide you know fine bloody well what effect you're having on people and you choose to do it anyway.
I have concerns about criminalising being a cock- The Daily Mash's take on it is pretty accurate- but in this case I think it's gone beyond being a cock and has reached abusive levels. Those who abuse should face the consequences.
It's just a shame that professional abusers like Jan Moir and Richard Tinydick won't be joining Duffy in prison.
A lot of this trolling is about doing it for 'the lulz', or in other words the whole point is to get a reaction. Pursuing the strongest possible reaction for entertainments purposes becomes the principle aim, which means especially in groups or communities it can escalate and escalate until it's completely inappropriate. Kind of ties into other problems too, if you look at all the 'rioters' a few weeks back - a huge proportion of them were guilty mostly of blind ignorance to what the impact of their actions were and getting caught along with the crowd mentality and the crave to get that kudos from their peers from doing increasingly dangerous, risky and shocking acts.
In general, people online say things that they wouldn't dare say to peoples' faces.
Exactly.
I mean we all do that to greater or lesser extents every single day, plenty of things are not good but we do it and don't worry about it especially if the consequences are hidden from us, as long as we try to be good where possible to fulfil our need to be happy with ourselves. The problem facing largely teens and young people in the online forum is as they are figuring out what it means to act in a way that makes them feel good about themselves - that they're a good person - increasingly the consequences are more and more remote.
As online communities have sprung up the 'older generations' haven't stayed in touch and have no real oversight of any of these communities. Thats a big draw in some way. Look at 'anonymous' - the point in part is its a group of people who share some values, reject authority other than their own consensus and are all the same 'niggers' or 'faggots' - terms which are used almost endearingly. They identify with each other, and there is no influence like parents, bosses, teachers or otherwise indoctrinating a standard set of norms - they've created their own.
Wouldn't that technically make everyone a troll?
I think that sometimes calling someone a troll, does mean you're losing the debate and are trying to change the subject. Different of course, if they are a troll.