Congratulations. Two days after the news story everyone had forgotten about it. Now the fellow has at least an extra two days of attention.
How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
11–20 of 49 posts
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#12> Most of us are Internet bullies now, some of us more active than others. Yeah right. Most people I know aren't, and most people I discuss with online aren't either. I'd say the reality is that the blog author belongs to a minority of people acting like bullies and now he tries to defend his behaviour by saying 'everyone else does it'.
It would appear that you hang around on a different internet than I do. I'm envious. The internet I frequent is populated by people who love to forward stories around, post links to Facebook (with comments like "I can't believe how stupid this guys is", and do the same on Twitter. Web sites which showcase said stories, and maybe if they're very lucky, mainstream news will cover them as well. I pay about $80/month for…
It's not that I don't see that happening but it's always from people I don't know and never talked to in real life or on the internet.
I have this strong feeling it's a loud minority. It's the same with real bullying, the bullies think they behave normal but the majority think they are bullies.
edit: changed majority to minority:)
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#13This line in the last paragraph sums it up:
"Stop reveling in the misfortune of others."
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#14> Most of us are Internet bullies now, some of us more active than others. Yeah right. Most people I know aren't, and most people I discuss with online aren't either. I'd say the reality is that the blog author belongs to a minority of people acting like bullies and now he tries to defend his behaviour by saying 'everyone else does it'.
Amen. It's hard to relate to the author when he starts off like this:
That last story just arrived in February. You probably already know that since I'm sure one of your friends "liked" it or tweeted it #assjokes.
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
It would appear that you hang around on a different internet than I do. I'm envious. The internet I frequent is populated by people who love to forward stories around, post links to Facebook (with comments like "I can't believe how stupid this guys is", and do the same on Twitter. Web sites which showcase said stories, and maybe if they're very lucky, mainstream news will cover them as well. I pay about $80/month for…
It's not that I don't see that happening but it's always from people I don't know and never talked to in real life or on the internet. I have this strong feeling it's a loud minority. It's the same with real bullying, the bullies think they behave normal but the majority think they are bullies. edit: changed majority to minority:)
I think you're probably right. I think people don't necessarily associate ridiculing someone on the internet with bullying (in many cases because the target of ridicule isn't there interacting with them).
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#16Of course writing an article in Slate (including photos of the childhood "friend") pushes the whole story from obscure Internet news (which I hadn't heard/cared about) into the mainstream...
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#17> Yes, Neil is a real person with real feelings.
AND 30 THINGS HE ATTEMPTED TO SMUGGLE INTO JAIL INSIDE HIS ASS.
There's the proper sense of shame you should feel when considering whether to mock someone or not, and then there's communal shame that should make us think twice before doing something morally, ethnically and criminally questionable.
Perhaps the next guy who considers doing something like this will remember laughing at Neil, and will decide not to become an internet joke.
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#18> Most of us are Internet bullies now, some of us more active than others. Yeah right. Most people I know aren't, and most people I discuss with online aren't either. I'd say the reality is that the blog author belongs to a minority of people acting like bullies and now he tries to defend his behaviour by saying 'everyone else does it'.
It would appear that you hang around on a different internet than I do. I'm envious. The internet I frequent is populated by people who love to forward stories around, post links to Facebook (with comments like "I can't believe how stupid this guys is", and do the same on Twitter. Web sites which showcase said stories, and maybe if they're very lucky, mainstream news will cover them as well. I pay about $80/month for…
Make different friends. That's all there is to it, I'd say.
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#19I think we're overestimating the "anonymous internet snark" aspect of this phenomenon. Back before most people lived in large cities and could be anonymous, this sort of thing still happened. People got reputations, and they rarely lived down embarrassing things that became public knowledge.
Is it really worse for some random person thousands of miles away to laugh at a mugshot and a story (someone who could meet you a week later and not even recognize you), or to hear "Got anything interesting up your ass today?" from people you run into on the street for the rest of your life?
Re: How my childhood friend became an Internet laughingstock.
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
It would appear that you hang around on a different internet than I do. I'm envious. The internet I frequent is populated by people who love to forward stories around, post links to Facebook (with comments like "I can't believe how stupid this guys is", and do the same on Twitter. Web sites which showcase said stories, and maybe if they're very lucky, mainstream news will cover them as well. I pay about $80/month for…
Make different friends. That's all there is to it, I'd say.
Sorry, clicked down when I meant to click up...