This is my hypothesis for today: If you are on the internet and have the option to give input on a particular topic or expression of opinion anonymously, then you will probably do so, and be a douchebag about it.
For example, a while back, I posted a blog titled “Top 10 Signs You’re a Douchebag,” and it’s still getting hits today. The worst part about that blog post was that even though I explicitly stated that I’ve been guilty of the things in that list, I got the worst comments from people on that post. Apparently, I offended some douchebags out there.
The only good reading I’ve done on the internet as of late is when someone makes a clear, intelligent, well-organized, and on-point rebuttal of an issue. But most of the time, that isn’t the case. It seems to me that on any given topic, there’s a general sub-race of scum that pollute the internet with ignorant replies.
The other day, Digg had featured a story about the most common bad commenter types that troll forums, message boards, and comment systems. So I know I’m not imagining things. I am willing to bet that even on this post, there will be some anonymous jackass who will write something ignorant in the comments, thinking he’s clever.
Is it just the attitude “I’ll probably never meet you in person, so I’ll go ahead and trash you on the internet since you’re someone who’ll never have any relevance in my real life” that makes people show their hind parts to the world, or are these same people also douchebags in person?
Again, I’ll admit that I’ve “Rick-rolled” a few people, and left a few lame attempts at humor on various news site comment sections. But I don’t know what possesses people to go to town posting sometimes racist, biggotted, presumptuous, and ignorant crap on the internet.
One last bit of advice that I hope to take on myself: it’s not your job to correct everyone out there to your own way of thinking. It is, however, acceptable on a site that is open to comment and conjecture to input your opinion, without being an ignorant fool.
If you don’t agree with this post, or just want to share your comments, feel free to do so as long as you can do so thoughtfully and with some modicum of intelligence.