Internet Snipers

I recently wrote an article where I explored my will to live. I wasn’t going to kill myself, but that is a thought I have seriously considered in the past. This morning I got a comment on that article where my thoughts and feelings were mocked. Now, I am actually amazed that I have not gotten more negative comments to the articles I write on Search Wrap. I have written on other sites where the comments were mean, sometimes vicious, and the negative responses were frequent. I am a Democrat and this is a highly emotional political time for our country, so I expected my political views might have gotten me roasted. Instead, the readers seem to be mostly supportive. When people disagree they have given me rationale for their counter position. I am sure many have disagreed and just opted not to comment, having a belief that there are various view points on every topic, and even if they think my position is stupid they follow the Voltaire quote:

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. ~Voltaire

I get far fewer negative comments on Search Wrap than I expected, but the negatives have come. Why would someone mock, or demean someone for expressing their feelings, especially when the commenter has just confessed they are mentally delicate, and they are struggling with depression?

Why do they do this? The reason why is: because they can. Being ONLINE is like being a sniper. You can take potshots at others and the target does not know where the shots have come from, and any response to an Internet sniper is unlikely be effective. If you want to hit someone, then hitting them from the shadows of the Internet is a perfect place for the attack.

Human’s like to name and categorize and this has been done with the Internet Snipers. The big two are Internet Bullies, and Trolls.

The temptation for some to pick on someone, belittle them, mock, make fun of, insult, supplant, and psychologically bayonet the wounded, is just too deliciously easy to let it pass. The problem is that the Internet is the perfect place to find victims. The same reason it is easy to be a Cyber Creep, is the reason why the Cyber Weak are making themselves targets.

The introverted, the delicate, the isolated and the lonely will use the Internet as a way to look for human contact with some safety. The Internet is a big pool and posting is similar sticking your big toe in to test the temperature.

On the web you can whisper, “Could anyone like me?” And if all you hear are crickets chirping you can retreat to the safety of your shadowing room, and rationalize it all away. So the victims are there because they have the safety of anonymity, and the Snipers are there because they have the cover of anonymity.

Sadly, this sniper activity that takes place on line can actually be a matter of life and death. These Cyber Sniper Bullies can and have had such deadly aim that they have hit their targets and killed them.

Þ Sam Leeson, a 13 years old, was bullied on the social networking site Bebo and was later found found hanged in his bedroom.
Þ Megan Meier, another 13 years old, committed suicide after being intentionally befriended and then dumped by someone she believed to be a new online friend named Josh Evans. In reality, Josh Evans - who said he was new to the neighborhood - turned out to be a MySpace account created by the mother of a schoolmate of Megan's. Megan and the child had once been friends.
Þ Stephanie Burlingham, 14 years old, was subject to bullying through Internet instant messaging services and text messages before she was discovered hanged.
Þ Ryan Halligan, 13 years old, hung himself in 2003 after getting mercilessly cyber bullied, and finally, after meeting another depressed kid who encouraged him to commit suicide, Ryan took the suggestion.

Sticks and stones
may break my bones,
but words don’t kill me
they can make me
wish I was dead

These online sites, that invite the anonymous to post, have a lot of trouble with some of their responders.

Bullies

The online bullies that cause trouble on a posting site are nothing like the Trolls, because they are accepted members on the site, often when a big number of postings by their online name. These online bullies are sometimes respected, admired, and are sometimes viewed as a poster with insight and sagacity. Having a reputation on a site means that you can often “get away with” being hypercritical, you can intimidate new people, or someone who is clearly weak, damaged posting newbie. Site administrators and other members on the site will sometimes allow these people to exercise their jerk-dumbness with out a word of protest.

Trolls

One category of responders is called Trolls. A troll is someone who gets their jollies from deliberately stirring things up, wreaking havoc, on the site by making mean, or outrageous comments because they enjoy the reactions of the wounded, and the ferreting out of other reluctant snipers who suddenly see by the troll example, that they too can shoot with random abandonment.

What should you do when you receive negative reactions, constructive criticism, vicious criticism, and cyber sniper fire?

Search Wrap gives you an option to delete the comment. It is very hard to argue with someone who just refuses to respond, who won’t take the bait, who just ignores the cyber sniper.

Critics can be your most important friend. I don't read criticism of my stuff only because when it's bad, it's rough-and when it's good, it's not good enough. ~Kevin Bacon