[rogermugs]

its like... because noone knows them there are no repercussions...

[sek929]

Shaddup ya stupid jerkface!

[andreas_g4]

Very incisive, thank you for the input.*

*and, yes, I'd have said that also face to face.

[Chuckit]

Penny Arcade! - Green Blackboards (And Other Anomalies)

[Laminar]

Great thread!

[Andrew Stephens]

who are you calling jerkface, gaylord!

[dampeoples]

I think it's anonymous in general. If you're on say, vacation, and you splurge and eat at a fancy restaurant, folks tend to act more uppity than they do at home, eating at McDonalds.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Nah, people who are jerks online are generally jerks in person as well.

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Penny Arcade! - Green Blackboards (And Other Anomalies)

That was my first thought as well. It’s one of my favourite Penny Arcade comics.

Originally Posted by Mrjinglesusa 

Nah, people who are jerks online are generally jerks in person as well.

That’s true, but it’s a question of degree. I once frequented the forum of my town’s local music scene and there was a certain, ahem, ‘gentleman’ on it who was a total, unrepentant ass. He was in a (very mediocre) emo band, and used to make proclamations of his own greatness, get in flame-wars over the slightest thing, take everything personally, break Godwin’s Law and generally act like an extremely irresponsible, spoilt child. He was twenty-six at the time, dating a seventeen-year-old. He got very, very upset when I mocked him for the countless pictures he posted in his gallery of him tarted up in eyeliner bearing legends such as “I am so intense dont even try to undrstand” [sic]—upset to the point of threatening me with physical violence.

As it turns out, I met him in the flesh once, and he was a total douche in person as well, but to a lesser. I think he was probably (rightly) worried that he’d be on the wrong end of someone’s Chuck Taylors if he was his internet-level jackass when he was standing next to them. Strangely enough, his bluster about “being rite in my face and givin me the kickin of my life” didn’t quite come to fruition. When he realised who I was, he meekly wandered away…

P.S. LAWL U R ALL SUPAR GAYz who liv in teh GAYZOR MOUNTENS!!!!!1!one-eleventyone1!/

[rogermugs]

@Koralatov - Wow... that was perhaps the most well written, well thought out, well researched, response I have thus far warranted on nnforums... i'm REALLY impressed. the link was great, and the reference to godwin's law... i've never even heard of this... awesome.

also.
i'm reminded of a time when i worked for a newspaper as a columnist (high school... dont think i was awesome.. .but i was), and someone hung up a sign that said "mean people suck". Someone later crossed out mean and wrote stupid, then someone crossed out stupid altogether, and for nearly a year a sign hung in our office that said "people suck." shocking how much everyone just agreed.

in the interest of full disclosure, years ago when I played Rainbow Six... (the first one), I would join teams online, then murder my whole team, then go shoot strange things into the bathroom walls with my gun so that everyone had to watch through my eyes and be annoyed...

i was a jerk.
but i did eventually turn like 16 and grow up.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by rogermugs 

i was a jerk.

Was that BEFORE or AFTER you decided you were awesome ?

-t

[Atomic Rooster]

The intardnets is like a punching bag.

[brassplayersrock²]

you could always track down and ask a few baninated members of these forums.

[rogermugs]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Was that BEFORE or AFTER you decided you were awesome ?

-t

years and years ago...... I only last week decided to be awesome. Are you STILL skeptical?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by rogermugs 

years and years ago...... I only last week decided to be awesome.

Well, what took you so long ?

-t

[Apemanblues]

Is 'jerkface' an X rated version of Facebook?

Maybe their competitors should launch 'MySpooge'.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by rogermugs 

its like... because noone knows them there are no repercussions...

I think the anonymity is a main driving force. People who feel slighted will lash out even more veraciously when they know that they can do that without people finding out who they are. The same can be said with people downloading software or music. Most people will not go into a music store and put a CD under their shirt but some will go to the net and download music for free
I think there's a few reasons, you yourself have admitted to being a jerk. I thin

Originally Posted by rogermugs 

i was a jerk..

Aside from anonymity then there's people that choose outwardly to be disruptive. The anonymity certainly helps them lash out but they will go out of their way to be jerks.

Personally I've been cutting back my internet usage, in part because of this and in part because I want to better use the little free time I have.

[Oisín]

People who feel slighted will lash out even more veraciously when they know that they can do that without people finding out who they are.

Ferociously? I don’t see much inherent truth in lashing out at others.

Aside from anonymity then there's people that choose outwardly to be disruptive. The anonymity certainly helps them lash out but they will go out of their way to be jerks.

I don’t understand this. How are people that choose outwardly to be disruptive different from those that are disruptive because anonymity allows them to? And how do you mean they’ll go out of their way to be jerks, apart from the fact that they lash out—isn’t that pretty much what the jerk part is about?

[Dakar the Fourth]

Daddy never hugged me.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I don’t understand this. How are people that choose outwardly to be disruptive different from those that are disruptive because anonymity allows them to? And how do you mean they’ll go out of their way to be jerks, apart from the fact that they lash out—isn’t that pretty much what the jerk part is about?

Well in the first case you have someone who may be a generally good guy but then someone pisses them off for some reason, well then the flame wars begin.

In the second case, there are people's sole intent is to be disruptive. Take a look at the OP's admission that he fell into that category. Is there overlap of course, the end result is the same - A bunch of jerkfaces.

[brassplayersrock²]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Daddy never hugged me.

YouTube - Austin Powers: Daddy wasn't there music video

[voodoo]

People get exactly as much respect as they themselves give, is my guideline. I therefore give more respect than necessary to begin with, but if that isn't reprociated then I simply mirror the attitude of the person and if it further deteriorated I simply ignore the existance of that person.

The internet as it is, a polite or intelligent conversation is a thing enjoyed only with a select few. Since this is all voluntary, it isn't too bad.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

People get exactly as much respect as they themselves give, is my guideline. I therefore give more respect than necessary to begin with, but if that isn't reprociated then I simply mirror the attitude of the person and if it further deteriorated I simply ignore the existance of that person.

The internet as it is, a polite or intelligent conversation is a thing enjoyed only with a select few. Since this is all voluntary, it isn't too bad.

Why not simply be respectful all of the time? Why lower yourself to someone else's standards?

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Why not simply be respectful all of the time? Why lower yourself to someone else's standards?

I give all people a chance, more than one. It's just a guideline.

On the internets as in real life, one just isn't interested in communicating with every person that stumbles across one's path.

[brassplayersrock²]

could always be a vent. typing out in anger can be a good stress reliever. actually, typing in general can be a good stress reducer.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

Daddy never hugged me.

You can't hug a bomb.

[brassplayersrock²]

something you wanna tell us osiris?

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by osiris 

You can't hug a bomb.

Maybe if I had my remote control?
you are making zero sense today

[osiris]

Well, don't all gang up on me. I'm having my man-period.

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by rogermugs 

@Koralatov - Wow... that was perhaps the most well written, well thought out, well researched, response I have thus far warranted on nnforums... i'm REALLY impressed. the link was great, and the reference to godwin's law... i've never even heard of this... awesome.

Even with my outburst of jerkfaceness at the end? Wow. Thanks. Godwin’s Law is scary because it’s so accurate. It’s surprisingly rare on MacNN (I’m not sure exactly why), but it’s rife on the rest of the internet. In some places you can’t even disagree with someone without them labeling you a Nazi or comparing you to Hitler. It’s amusing at first, but grows tiresome quickly. It’s a fantastic one to pull out in conversation though: just watch people fall strangely silent after you inform them they’ve broken Godwin’s Law.

i'm reminded of a time when i worked for a newspaper as a columnist (high school... dont think i was awesome.. .but i was), and someone hung up a sign that said "mean people suck". Someone later crossed out mean and wrote stupid, then someone crossed out stupid altogether, and for nearly a year a sign hung in our office that said "people suck." shocking how much everyone just agreed.

We had a very similar sign on the door of my common room in fifth- and sixth-year at high school, and nothing was said about it. We even expanded on the theme by adding another sign saying “All People Who Fall Into the Following Categories Suck: Men; Women; Children; Those Who Breathe. Everyone else is cool.” We were sixteen, and thought we were clever (we weren’t).

Originally Posted by Apemanblues 

Maybe their competitors should launch 'MySpooge'.

Uh… Isn’t that effectively MySpace as it is now? How would MySpooge differ? Even more scantily-clad teenagers pouting into their cameras?

[olePigeon]

[besson3c]

What about the moratorium?

[sek929]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Hilarious

BTW I am SO high right now everyone.

[brassplayersrock²]

so this friend of mine, and some random guy were talking about how much they should sell weed for while i was eating with them. nice an loudly, in the cafe. a lot of people over heard them. anyways, I write on the friends wall "don't do anything stupid" in a just being a friend sort of way. no way people would know what I'm referring to. his response: "retard"

my point: people usually write out automatic responses sometimes, a lot of time there is no thought on what you type and send out to the world. if it'll hurt the person/people, if what you say will make you seem like an ass.

[sek929]

So these friends of yours...they got a cell phone?

[brassplayersrock²]

i'm assuming pagers.

[brassplayersrock²]

i think the word friend is too strong a word. people that i hang out with on occasion; i don't smoke anything.

[sek929]

Except man-pole, you big girl!

In all honestly my pot-intake has gone from an ounce a month to a gram a month, if that. Damn these crazy withdrawal symptoms, just kidding.

Edit: My beer drinking has kinda tripled though, funny thing about more socially acceptable drugs.

[brassplayersrock²]

did my point not get through?

[sek929]

No, I to have people I consider associates, and not friends.

Or am I missing something?

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Except man-pole, you big girl!

This just made my day.

[rogermugs]

Originally Posted by sek929 

No, I to have people

i know i'm missing something.

[sek929]

I as well?

Or was I missing an 'O'

yes that's it, f**k it, I refuse to edit for you jerks... I mean you NAZI jerks!

[brassplayersrock²]

damn cape codians

edit:
it would probably help if I mention that I live in Boston

[sek929]

I remember your location from the previous nick.

BTW you Bostonians drive like nutcases with a death-wish.

[brassplayersrock²]

it must be our taxi drivers that you're thinking of.

[glideslope]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

I give all people a chance, more than one. It's just a guideline.

On the internets as in real life, one just isn't interested in communicating with every person that stumbles across one's path.

I'll second that comment.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by Apemanblues 

Is 'jerkface' an X rated version of Facebook?

Maybe their competitors should launch 'MySpooge'.

What the kids are shouting:

[Oisín]

^ Wasn’t that a joke someone here on MacNN invented a month or two ago?

Or did whoever it was (can’t remember) steal it from these people?

[- - e r i k - -]

My joke. My shirt.