How to be a Bully.....online?

[skysidhe]

@ footfoot A flamer can be discriminating or not. :p Believe me I know. I used to flame at will
No, I don't think he is waiting to flame just about anyone and he dosn't but the fact is there was someone who 'felt bullied' so I relate my answer to the problem of mari.

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My first real response would have been to make a sarcastic remark and tease you about appearing humble but I don't want to be disrespectful to a genuine and sincere question so I won't.

When I think of bullying it involves slander and libel. Defamation of character of one person in a community. We don't stand in our employee break rooms and defame someones reputation so the idea is perhaps we shouldn't defame people online either.

A bully usually goes beyond the ordinary troll and flame. It involves implying you have special information on a person that someone else dosn't have. We are practically strangers on the net and all things being equal there is just so much you can presume to know about a person via text so when we start connecting dots that may or may not have any basis in reality we could be called a bully, or a cyber bully.

I looked up some definitions of 'online bullying or cyber bully' and this is what I found to support my thoughts about it.

Do these definitions describe online bullying? To me they do.

http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilre...yberspace.html

In law, defamation is the communication of a statement that makes an express or implied factual claim that may harm the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government or nation. Most jurisdictions provide legal actions, civil and/or criminal, to punish various kinds of defamation.
Libel & Defamation in the Information Age
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slander_and_libel

The Internet is an informal forum and people often write personal things
about other users, but you can be held accountable in court for making
libelous or defamatory remarks in public forums just like Hardwick was.

Anybody can sue you for libel or defamation if they think you damaged
their reputation, but if you can prove what you say is true, chances are
that you won't end up in court.

"Make it clear when you are stating your opinion," says Donaldson,
"Always state the facts that your opinions are based on just to be safe.
You probably won't lose a libel or defamation lawsuit if you can back up
what you write with solid facts."

[edit- I was trying to be analytical about it and went a little overboard. 'scuse me ]

[Elspode]

LJ, I don't think you're a bully, but I do think you find at least some moderate entertainment in people getting whipped into a frenzy, even if they're mostly whipping themselves.

You don't usually pour gasoline on the proverbial fire, but you rarely reach for the extinguisher, either. "Bully" doesn't describe it, but perhaps "insensitive" - at times - does.

My .02, and yes, I still love you, you big hunka lumbercock, ya.

[lookout123]

i don't think you are a bully. i do consider you to be a certified, grade a shit-stirrer. i don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. you tend to very bluntly post what many others think and that is followed up with a whole lot of "me-to's" which can activate the defense mechanisms of many who are looking to be victims.
i usually find humor in your posts though.

[Griff]

I think part of the deal is that Tony feels the need to hold back a bit, so you get a little protective of our man. You are part of the bare knuckles atmosphere here, which is, frankly, what makes us charming. It can look like bullying when folks have not been paying close attention.

[lumberjim]

actually, i was referring to this part:

Originally Posted by skysidhe

A bully usually goes beyond the ordinary troll and flame. It involves implying you have special information on a person that someone else dosn't have. We are practically strangers on the net and all things being equal there is just so much you can presume to know about a person via text a so when we start connecting dots that may or may not have any basis in reality b we could be called a bully, or a cyber bully.

i'm missing the leap from a to b

did you write that, or was it clipped from one of your links? (sorry, i'm a shit about following links)

[Spexxvet]

LJ, stop bullying Sky