I don't really want to spend my life online, it's just necessary that I do.
Normally the people who interact with me are people like me—sane, rational, ... actually the main thing about them is that they are nice. They aren't out to hurt anybody, they want others to be happy they want to communicate with me in a share the life sense.
Nearly all of them that is.
Every so often you encounter someone who isn't like that. Someone who, for some reason feels that they have the right to transduce, degrade and despoil another person. And it is always another, singular person, an individual. It's never an attack on a group, it's focused on some poor bastard.
It's always targeted at a person and done in such a way that they can plausibly deny that they are targeting you.
I see craft in this.
Why do people do this? I have no idea. I'm not even going to suggest that such people are either mad or bad. But they cause massive harm. Whatever their personal devils are this can't be right.
Even if they mean well they are maiming people.
For the victims, and let's be clear there are victims, it's the sense of impotency that hurts the most. Nobody listens, and if they do take notice you are the one most likely to get whatever punishment is on offer.
You are blamed because someone has fastened onto you in an odd way. Because it's easier that way for them. Otherwise they'd need to make a judgement against someone who is clearly scary-bastard-mental. Best that you cope with that, I have a life of my own.
So there's nothing we can do?
Some time soon, after my exams, I'm going to have time to write some javascript. I'm going to write a wee bookmarklet that will block your favourite twat[s] from what you read here. Others will still be able to read what twat[s] say. But you can pretend that he [it's mostly he] isn't there.
Perhaps not a solution but a something?
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I think I'm hearing you Nellie and I wish I had the answers. I don't understand it either.
Sue
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I was flames a decade ago and it made me temporarily paranoid - I shut down my blog for a few months and kept looking at the window in the middle of the night genuinely believing that some nutter had taken offence and my liberal sharing of all matters. Twice, the same person has hit my blog here with foul language. I wrote a polite response, but did a screen grab. alerted the OU and this person was warned or as likely banned. Working on an access to learning disability module however I am more aware and potentially tolerant - though cautious.New comment
When my youngest wanted to upload his work to You Tube he did so with my warnings in his ears. Being autistic & about 10-11 at the time, I knew the harm negative comments could have on him.
I painted a picture of such people, akin to imagining a bully naked in the middle of the high street. He's took to this and shrugs off life's twats. I'm so lucky that he's been able to see them for what they are.