NationStates Jolt Archive

For being mean online? Its easy to be a jerk online, right? I mean, you don't know the people you talk to, and thus its easy to be cruel to them, based simply off of what they write on a forum. But, do you ever feel guilty about being mean to certain people? They have their own problems and insecurities, and they don't convey that sometimes, so its easy to just spew a bunch of hateful words towards a person. So what say ye? Do you feel bad about being an e-jerk?

Let's expand it a bit. Do you feel bad for being mean period, IRL or online?

Psh, feel bad?.....Im only a jerk to other people when I feel people have been Jerks to me....


Ill be sittin there at work like, "Wait, ill leave in a minute, SOMEONE IS WRONG ON THE INTERNET!!!" lol

Do you feel bad for being mean period, IRL or online?No.

Simple questions, simple answer.

The only people I'm rude to on the Internet (and I could count them on one hand) would think of me as their supporter if I didn't drive the point home that I'm not.

Online? No. For me at least there's a bit of a disconnect between myself and Geniasis. I mean we're the same person and we share the same personality, but even so I don't equate flames directed to him as flames directed to me, and I sort of unconsciously assume this applies to others as well.

...I explained that really stupidly, I think. But I'm too tired to do a better job of it.

If I'm mean to someone, it's usually because they needed me to be mean to them. So no, I don't feel bad about providing a necessary service.

Meh not really.

I wouldn't say that I "feel bad" about it. I would say that sometimes I regret allowing myself to become so emotionally involved/angry/irritated about something someone says on the internet that I lose my cool. Because really, my mindset is the only thing I can control. If someone doesn't like what I'm saying, they can put me on ignore, and I can do the same.

I wouldn't say that I "feel bad" about it. I would say that sometimes I regret allowing myself to become so emotionally involved/angry/irritated about something someone says on the internet that I lose my cool. Because really, my mindset is the only thing I can control. If someone doesn't like what I'm saying, they can put me on ignore, and I can do the same.

If something really pisses me off, I go away for awhile and do something else. If, when I come back, it still pisses me off, at least I've calmed down enough to be slightly rational.

Meh, pretty much I'm the same in real life. I love to argue. My family considers arguing a form of high entertainment and we've been known to get into screaming matches about politics over the Thanksgiving turkey. The only difference between NSG and real life is that I do have a tendency to jump to full out attack mode in an argument here than I do in real life. Of course that could be due to the nature of NSG where diplomacy and tact are something we read about in Wikipedia and laughed at.

Which is why I have to constantly remind myself that it's only a game and take some vacations from it every so often so it doesn't spill out into the rest of my life.

I´m not mean, period.
Though I do take criticism personally,
and instead of attacking them, I retreat.

I´m not mean, period.
Though I do take criticism personally,
and instead of attacking them, I retreat.

What you need are testosterone shots.

What you need are testosterone shots.

Hehe, no thanks,
that would surely make me like sports,competition and cars!!? ,)

I don't think I've been mean to anyone ever online.

Hehe, no thanks,
that would surely make me like sports,competition and cars!!? ,)

*injects you with Testosterone* Too late! :D

*injects you with Testosterone* Too late! :D

You're mean!

*retreats, only to later turn in to a full-blown Hooligan*

Now see what you did?

For being mean online? Its easy to be a jerk online, right? I mean, you don't know the people you talk to, and thus its easy to be cruel to them, based simply off of what they write on a forum. But, do you ever feel guilty about being mean to certain people? They have their own problems and insecurities, and they don't convey that sometimes, so its easy to just spew a bunch of hateful words towards a person. So what say ye? Do you feel bad about being an e-jerk?

Let's expand it a bit. Do you feel bad for being mean period, IRL or online?Online, not often, but i have before.
RL, not anywhere near as often as online.

No, not really. People seem to escalate things to insulting levels much more quickly online than in real life, so I don't think much of doing it in response.

For being mean online? Its easy to be a jerk online, right? I mean, you don't know the people you talk to, and thus its easy to be cruel to them, based simply off of what they write on a forum. But, do you ever feel guilty about being mean to certain people? They have their own problems and insecurities, and they don't convey that sometimes, so its easy to just spew a bunch of hateful words towards a person. So what say ye? Do you feel bad about being an e-jerk?

Let's expand it a bit. Do you feel bad for being mean period, IRL or online?

I can't really say, because I don't think I am a jerk.
I might complain or mouth of about an issue, but not about a person, generally. I could be wrong, though, and just not realise that I am in fact a total jerk.

I'm much "meaner" offline than online because a) I can't get myself to care enough over words on a screen from people I've never met face-to-face to actually get angry (and I wouldn't be mean just for the fun of it), and b) my kind of "benevolent meanness" doesn't get conveyed very well in the written form, so I don't to it as much online.

Offline, I'm often mena as in "sarcastic" or "teasing", but I won't let it cross the border to "hurting" or "seriously" (and I can take at least as much as I give).


I'd feel bad if I were "maliciously mean", no matter the medium, and extra bad if I were to hide from the emotional consequences (as one'd be likely to do online).

i try to remember that its still a person on the other end of the keyboard, so i should be just as nice as i try to be IRL when i'm online. so, yeah

Mean? I'm a harmless little kitteh really.

No, I'm never deliberately horrible online, but I'm incapable of going through an extended conversation or debate online without deploying near continual sarcasm, which, against particularly stupid people who give me too much ammunition, can sometimes turn a bit mean. But thats what I do, both online and off, and I don't really know any other way. Something I developed at school to deter people from giving me hassle, and its a habit thats difficult to break.

I don't make any pretense about who I am.

I don't make any pretense about who I am.
Don't, or can't? Also, MSN? I is bored.

Can't, or ain't able to? Also, MSN? I is bored.

either/or really. I mean I suppose I COULD were I to wish to, but why bother?

either/or really. I mean I suppose I COULD were I to wish to, but why bother?

Cross-threading: There's two things I hate. One, when people reply to my posts before I had a chance to edit them, thus quoting my nonsense, and two, when people don't reply to the salient points of the post.

Cross-threading: There's two things I hate. One, when people reply to my posts before I had a chance to edit them, thus quoting my nonsense, and two, when people don't reply to the salient points of the post.

1) you should be faster

2) one would think subsequent actions would serve as a reply to the salient points, unless it's not working again, which is possible. In other words, yes, I'm on

1) you should be faster
I'm typing one-handedly, surely I get a bonus?

2) one would think subsequent actions would serve as a reply to the salient points, unless it's not working again, which is possible. In other words, yes, I'm on

One would think so, but one is much mistaken if the respective other isn't alerted to the subsequent action. Yes, it's not working, and I'm currently trying to re-sign-in.

I'm typing one-handedly, surely I get a bonus?



One would think so, but one is much mistaken if the respective other isn't alerted to the subsequent action. Yes, it's not working, and I'm currently trying to re-sign-in.

we appear to have reached a technological impass.

we appear to have reached a technological impass.

Actually, we appear to have reached a technological solution and literary bombardment that is terribly, lonesomely one-sided, even though the other potential participant is blatantly visible.

No, if anything being mean online reminds me that I should be mean more often in person. I'm too fucking nice, and nice people get used as a doormat.

the only thing that really bothers me is that I can't use a "tone of voice" when on-line.

I can sound mean, and not mean too. And when I am being truly viciously sarcastic, sometimes, the words don't have the same "bite" because so much is lost without the dripping venom in my voice.

Uh... so, no, if I am trying to be "mean," (I prefer "poignantly confrontational!:rolleyes:) I don't feel bad - I only address someone that way if they've earned it.

If I come across mean, and it wasn't intentional, I apologize. I can't do anything more than that.

No, if anything being mean online reminds me that I should be mean more often in person. I'm too fucking nice, and nice people get used as a doormat.

No. Weak people get used as doormats. My niceness is my major strength, and it gets me very far, further than most people I know - and it is a very effective cushion that protects me to not be hurt by others.

Niceness isn't the reactive "smile 'cause it's the line of least resistance" crap many people pass off as niceness (and that might get you walked over). Niceness is pro-active, it's a lot of work, and it takes some strength. And people recognize that.

I save my meaness and my niceness for the people I care about. Seldom if ever online people are worth that you get angry at them. Most of the people one "knows" online, one will never meet in reality so.

I feel bad for the people that feel any need to be "mean" online.

oh, look everyone, Rachmaninoff is back!

I sense a Guiltmongering.
I usually try for pity with angry people, if someone relies on making fun of others in a negative way then that person will in many cases have very low self-esteem.
Other than that generally repeating my opinion in a number of ways usually gets my messages across okay.

Now that I'm not 16 any more - yes. Sorry for being a dick to people in 2005 or 2006 or whatever.

I'd challenge someone to find one incident of me being mean to someone who wasn't already being mean to me/everyone else. I'm never mean until its the reasonable thing to do, so I never feel bad about it (in public).

No. Weak people get used as doormats. My niceness is my major strength, and it gets me very far, further than most people I know - and it is a very effective cushion that protects me to not be hurt by others.

Niceness isn't the reactive "smile 'cause it's the line of least resistance" crap many people pass off as niceness (and that might get you walked over). Niceness is pro-active, it's a lot of work, and it takes some strength. And people recognize that.

This! Have I ever mentioned I'd like to be seduced by you? :P

This! Have I ever mentioned I'd like to be seduced by you? :P

Occasionally. Have I ever mentioned you automatically get a bonus point every time you agree with a post of mine? And you know what you do with bonus points: You can exchange them for Frequent Flier Miles!

Occasionally. Have I ever mentioned you automatically get a bonus point every time you agree with a post of mine? And you know what you do with bonus points: You can exchange them for Frequent Flier Miles!

Sweet!