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http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 46788.html

This link was posted by gmc In another thread but I think It makes for a good debate.

There's a particularly well-written entry in the comment section:

Brian Jamieson 6 days ago

One of the driving factors behind the lack of online civility is the basic confusion between fact and opinion. A lot of commentators seem to misunderstand that facts are verifiable but opinion is not. Facts together with an argument can support a set of opinions making them sound. Opinions alone are worthless. Commentators that rely only on personal opinion usually attack the messenger rather than the message. All they have is personal opinions and personal attacks leaving them fundamentally void of any rational value. What they do possess is cultural and political value. With the right spin, critical mass and timing a herd of trolls can change government policy. Sophistry is alive online but it in a crude nasty and vile form.

I couldn't agree more.

In Fact It accurately sums up some of the moronic, half-witted opinions that litter the worldwide web especially around the anniversary of 9/11.

Off topic but why don't people use the word "commenter" in place of "commentator"? Unneeded syllables bug me.

SnoozeAgain;1417133 wrote: Off topic but why don't people use the word "commenter" in place of "commentator"? Unneeded syllables bug me.


There's two words with distinct meanings, Commenter as someone who makes or passes comment and Commentator who provides the commentary to an event.

Okay but how does that apply to the quote you provided?

The 8 Most Obnoxious Internet Commenters | Cracked.com

Actually I just ignore prats, in real life as well on line.

I've actually met an extreme form of one of these, a woman if her claims can be believed. She's one of the most deplorable people I've ever had the misfortune of running across online and I've met some doozies.



#4.

Hitler's Apprentice

Typical Comment:

"Damn spic, send him back to mexico!"

(NOTE: This is usually posted in a video about Mexicans actually in Mexico.)

Who Are They?

If you need to be told, then you are probably him. He's white, suburban, middle-class, and the only time he's been to the inner city was when Mom and Dad's SUV took a wrong turn in Atlanta because the GPS malfunctioned.

Why We Hate Them:

The internet has done wonders for racism. This guy probably never utters a racist word out in the real world, but once he can hide behind an avatar on the internet... BAM! Mr. KKK the Nazi Loving Aryan Prince rears his ugly head.

If the video or story or photo has a black person in it, this guy will be there unleashing all of the racial epitaphs he's been forced to bottle up while in polite society.

There is also a second tier of these guys who are slightly more educated, in the sense that they have memorized half a dozen highly suspect statistics that support their racism ("Blacks have smaller brains. It's not racist, it's true.") They don't mind that their views on race would have seemed old-fashioned about 40 years ago. They tell themselves they do it for the humor and shock value, which isn't much better since those jokes stopped being funny or shocking about 39 years ago.

Read more: The 8 Most Obnoxious Internet Commenters | Cracked.com

I don't have a problem with any comment or opinion. When I have a problem Is when the comment or opinion Is not true to self but posted solely to bait or flame In order to get attention or anger the person they are posting to.