On receiving anonymous comments.

[davywavy]

Well, I’ve been getting anonymous hatemail on LJ again. I periodically consider turning on IP logging, but you know I’m so fascinated by the endless variety of humanity that I never get around to it – after all, anonymous illiterates wouldn’t post to me if I did turn it on, and they’re just as interesting as anybody else. I suppose I regard anonymous posters in the same light as the HG Wells’ Martians regarded general humanity: ”… watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than theirs; …they were being scrutinised and studied, perhaps as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water….”
Oh, if you’re wondering what I’m referring to, it’s here.

I often wonder why people don’t put their names to what they write. I mean, it’s not like they say any worse to me than ukmonty or puddingcat or rosamicula do on a daily basis, and they’re brave enough to put their comments to my face, so why not others? I mean, these faceless posters - do their mothers know how they’re spending their evenings? Maybe they do…

The scene: A squalid terraced house, filled with chintz, chipboard furniture and a flight of plaster ducks up one wall. The air is filled with the scent of rancid chip-fat, week old socks, and Regal King Size. Ian (Internet Anonymous Numpty) has come home with big news for his parents)
Ian: “Mam, mam! I’ve something to tell you. I made my first abusive anonymous internet post today!”
Mother: “Did you son? Oh, son. We’re so proud. Your father and me always hoped you’d grow up to do something like that. (Shouts) Did you hear that Gerald?”
Father (Appears at the top of the stairs. He’s a fat, balding little man with a moustache, dressed in a string vest) “What is it Mabel? I was telling someone in Arizona that they’re a Suxxor LusR from an unidentifiable mail client.”
Mother: “It’s our Ian He called someone names anonymously on the internet today.”
Father: (Comes downstairs. It may be seen that he’s flushed and sweating, and his palms are sticky) “Son. I’m right proud of you. Ever since great uncle Egbert used Marconis telegraph to tell someone in New York they were a prat more than a hundred years ago, random, anonymous abuse has been a proud tradition in our family. I’m glad you’re carrying it on. I hope one day you’ll have a son of your own…”
Mother: “He’ll have to get a girlfriend first.”
Father: “Plenty of time for that, Mabel. Why, we didn’t start courting until I was forty-three and mother let me out of the house unaccompanied for the first time.”

I suppose this is what happens in the home lives of these people. I’m glad I was raised with different expectations of success, is all I’m saying.

Comments

So...

[applez.livejournal.com]

Quite a pet peeve of yours then?

[inskauldrak.livejournal.com]

The thing is, that set of anonymous posts really doesn't seem to hit the spot.

After all, they crudely try to 'imply' they know stuff about you in the hope you'll say "no, that was when me and xxx was 15 and she's lost a lot of weight since then" or similar nonsense.

If they'd done their research, they'd have known that bait wouldn't have been taken... unless of course they're stupid... ah.... yes ; )

*grin* I bet you're just ttying to make a leet-stalker an LJ fashion accessory and have dozens lined up on your agency's books! : )

Re: So...

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Peeve? Not really. I find it funny than anything else.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

If I've got someone posting stuff like that, I count it as a tick in the 'win' box - they hate me enough to post abuse, but they're too scared of me to sign it. Score!

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Nice :/

I see that, not only are they too cowardly to sign their name, they're too cowardly to insult these weighty women of yours to their faces. At least, I assume they are; who knows what [name deleted] has been receiving recently?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

There have been weighty women? I'm not sure I ever noticed - and definitely not recently :)

Here's a thought....

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

Disable anonymous posting on your LJ as a matter of course. I'm not Nerdy enough to do IP tracing but my general belief is, if you're not strong enough to put your name to what you say, then the opinion isn't worth the virtual space it's written in - at least put your name to it so we can all laugh at you :)

Re: Here's a thought....

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Oh, but I have people like Grim and my sister who occasionally pop up to give me their 2p worth. Not all my readers have LJ accounts.

Re: Here's a thought....

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

well, these days it's not hard to get an LJ account - you can just sign up for one rather than have to have a code from a mate with LJ. You could nudge them and say that they don't have to publish in their LJ, but it will deter the witless masses from failing to entertain us all.

Re: Here's a thought....

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

But I *like* the witless masses. they entertain me, like those strange creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.

Re: Here's a thought....

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

Well, I can see your point, although truly I find that the limited repertoire (not to mention vocabulary) tends to simply bore after a while. I mean, waiting for something even vaguely entertaining to be said by an anonymous vitriol poster is rather like waiting for those infinite monkeys to write something worth reading.

But I do love the way some of them feel compelled to try and defend their viewpoint, even when posting anonymously...

Re: Here's a thought....

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

I never cease to find them amusing, in the same way that I never cease to find small children falling down manholes, Jackie Chan gurning, and fat people falling over laugh-out-loud funny

[cygny.livejournal.com]

Hm, never had an anonymous poster call me names before, I guess this does say something about the content of my posts :P
Although I'm not sure what that one you referred to was going on about, I somehow just got lost more than anything else. But I do hope that Ian will stick up for himself after this post about him :D

Re: Here's a thought....

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

Now here's where we differ, I feel - I have to rate the humour value from anonymous posters as lower than slapstick of The Krankies variety, as the quality tends to be so lacking. Mind you, I find reading them can get a little like watching Dynasty....you can't believe people can be that dumb, and you can't help wondering what they're going to do that's dumb next in a kind of horrific I-can't-believe-they're-doing-that fascination

Re: Here's a thought....

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Now anonymous posting from the Krankies *would* be funny.

Have you had anonymous posters? I don't remember ever seeing any on you.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

You just need to be more arrogant and insufferable. It alienates people ever so quickly.

[cygny.livejournal.com]

How does one become arrogant and insufferable? How did you? :)

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Years of practise.

Re: Here's a thought....

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't had anonymous posters, except occasionally to some of my replies in other people's lj's.

As you know, I automatically distrust a huge amount of what used to be mutual acquaintances, so have barred anon posting on my LJ. Life's too short, frankly.

And quite frankly, if you're bloody reading my lj, have the guts to friend me you voyeur, you!

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

Don't believe him, it's hereditary.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

When did you ever meet any members of my family?

[cygny.livejournal.com]

Hm, this makes me think one should make a scene in the house of an arrogant and insufferable LJ poster :)
You seem to know what you're talking about ...

[cygny.livejournal.com]

May I call you master and hope to receive your wisdom taught to me?

[arralethe.livejournal.com]

Murder on the Orient Express, sweetie.

And of course, anecdotal and observational data.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Oh, Lord, yes. I inflicted you upon them, didn't I?