The Internet Crazies

This is probably pointing out the obvious, but there are a lot of crazy people on the Internet. I like the Internet. I enjoy interacting with people all over the world and having an ever growing pool of friends in different countries. The downside to forums, Facebook, Twitter and whatever else you opt to indulge in, is that you run the risk of meeting people who can ruin the whole experience for you.

Over the weekend, I found myself knee deep in people's issues, wading through their snap judgements and ignorance. I know I'm a bit of a loud mouth, but I've never considered myself to be rude or narrow-minded. If someone presents their opinion to me, I don't dash it on the jagged rocks of my own feelings and emotions. And I value that everyone doesn't always see eye-to-eye. I like that. It means we aren't robots.

I feel I am a reasonable person. I venture forth each day with the intention of giving everyone respect and acceptance. That said, I can get fairly feisty when defending myself or someone I know. Although, unlike others, hurling insults and uttering threats just isn't my style. I'm more of a sarcastic, barbed comment kind of gal.

I know, I know. If you opt to poke a piece of shit don't be surprised when you get poop on your finger. I am aware of the consequences in engaging in a virtual Tête à tête with people, as we all do. Unlike a lot of other people, I remain, for the most part, unemotionally involved in these situations. For one, these people don't know me, no matter how much they think they do. And secondly, when they attack people in this fashion it really shows a lot more about their own character than about mine.

I'm not saying I never have a problem with it. As most of you know, I post my vlogs on Friday. They are fun for me to do and I know a few other people enjoy them, and so, I've kept at it. I get that some people might not like what I have to say, especially with the Sled Dog one and the Beauty Pageant tangent I got on, but those are the breaks. And people can say whatever they like about me. I don't think I am talented or full of myself, I think I'm a right nerd who is just messing around for shits and giggles.

But riddle me this. Why on Earth would someone attack my dad? My last vlog was thanking him for the support he has been giving me as of late. It's a nice thing, you know, thanking those people in your life that you appreciate. So it really is confounding when someone has a problem with it. It makes you sit back and go, "Really? No, really?" It doesn't make sense, now does it. I suppose if I put on my therapist hat I would chalk their anger up to jealousy and daddy issues that run deeper than any of us can even imagine.

Everyone knows a vlog is almost exactly like a blog. You don't have to watch it. You can ignore it. So why do people opt to project their hatred onto the world? I mean, it can't be healthy. I was honestly worried at one point over whether a few of these people were actually capable of existing in the world without padded walls and a white jacket, if you know what I mean.

The thing is, unlike blogging, vlogging makes things a lot more personal.

Your face is out there. And people have the option of commenting on it. It isn't like Facebook where most of my 200 friends already knew what I look like, strangers can take a look. And not only can they take a look, but they can leave comments, sometimes even anonymous comments. Oh, and they do. People love to be cloaked in a blanket of anonymity. Of course, the crazies have an excuse for everything. If they tear into your blog, they wonder why you can't take feedback. If they rip how you look apart, you're way to sensitive. And on and on, the excuses never end. They always have a way to reason away their poor behavior.

To be honest, this sort of thing dumbfounds me. What would possess someone, on the other side of the country, to comment on someone who they have never met and try to bring them down a peg? Why? I don't actually have an answer for that. It stumps me. Probably because it's something I would never do. I always laugh when someone attacks me physically or starts calling me names, it really signifies to me that they aren't very creative and can't come up with any better verbal sparing. On top of that, when people react in this manner over a discussion, it amuses me to no end, because they are incapable of articulating their point and defending it in a calm and collected way.

That doesn't mean it doesn't get annoying. Over the weekend, I had four interactions with the crazies on the Internet. To the point where I took down my vlog and censored the address that was showing on the envelope. That's sad. Isn't it? That I actually thought to myself, Fuck, I don't want these people having my address. Who in their right mind would want to appear that unstable? And when they wake up in the morning, are they not mortified they acted in that fashion?

My shit stinks. That's the truth. I egg people on, I say things I know will stoke the fire instead of smothering it, and sometimes I even say things I later regret. I am flawed and fucked up at times. Because, after all, I am only human. People take what I say too seriously. I joke far too often. And I play off serious things to the point where it is probably a bit dangerous.

There are times when I have fought tooth and nail over something. I can count three people on my fingers who I do not like and would not want to meet in real life. Three, out of hundres of thousands of people I've interacted with over the internets. THREE. I should learn when to shut up and leave things be, but I figure, they might as well be taking a round out of me instead of someone else, someone who might take it a lot more personally than I do. People are merciless. I see comments on little kids videos on the internet, and people are just mean. I don't have that mean bone in my body. And I don't understand how other people think it's their right to say whatever drivel comes to mind.

For the most part, I know how to conduct myself with decent decorum on a forum, facebook or twitter. I don't hate anyone and cannot believe people would just toss that word around. I've never torn into someones physical appearance or threatened them. And I personally think attacking someones creative endeavours is one of the most cruel things you can do. So why do some people have common sense and others don't?

People think they can say whatever they want on the Internet and there are no repercussions. What they don't realize is that the repercussions are things they can't even see. Losing friends, people losing respect for you, people not taking your opinions into consideration and people, some you don't even know, thinking you're bonkers. I mean, I know I can be eccentric and odd, but if people actually thought I was nutso, that would cause me concern.

I suppose the intention of this blog is to say:

The crazies can be really annoying.

Even though you know it shouldn't bother you, sometimes it does.

And be careful what you put out there.