Sunday 27 February 2011

It’s Not Just The Trolls That Need To Grow Up…

I'm afraid I'm going to let my unsympathetic side out for a stroll.
Yesterday Natasha’s grieving father Andrew, 47, a chartered surveyor from Worcester, criticised Facebook for not monitoring the site more carefully.
Excuse me? They should have devoted a full-time moderator to this particular site, just in case?

Is that what you are asking?
Mr MacBryde said: ‘I am disgusted at these comments made by some seriously sick individuals. I simply cannot understand how or why these people get any enjoyment or satisfaction from making such disgraceful comments.

Facebook has a responsibility to allow people to express their grief properly while weeding out these sick people. I am trying to concentrate on the many, many beautiful and heartfelt comments which have been written.’
Facebook has no such responsibility. None. They have a responsibility to ensure their T&Cs are adhered to, and anything outside that is dealt with, and that’s it.

If that seems harsh, well, maybe. But that’s the nature of anonymous internet trolls (perfectly explained here), particularly the kind that infest the new social media. Complaining that someone else should protect you from it isn’t going to get you very far.

Facebook in particular breeds these sort of horrors, one of the reason I (and other sensible people) wouldn't be caught dead using it.

If you don’t want to expose yourself to it, then don’t turn on the computer.
Following the hijacking of the Facebook tribute to Natasha, friends expressed their anger. One said: ‘It isn’t enough that Tasha is dead, these evil bullies can’t leave her in peace.’
Then take down the site. You are giving them what they want – publicity. In fact, by whinging about it to the newspapers, you've simply rung a dinner bell for even more of them to head on over to feast on your grief and outrage.

Or register and set up your own tribute page outside of Facebook and police it yourself, if you feel that the world will stop spinning without a digital memorial to your friend.
A police source said: ‘We are investigating several incidents of malicious messages being posted on the internet. The postings will be traceable.’
It’s a police matter? Seriously? Taking up valuable time from hard-pressed computer specialists?

God, everyone in the country needs to grow the hell up!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

yep because publicly airing your laundry is going to get everyone on your side init?!? Celebs have got the message, or some of them, if you court the public be prepared for stuff you disagre with and may even find upsetting, if you don't want that attention stop walking round with your most personal detail displayed for everyone to see. I quite happy to share some personal detail and absolutely expect people to disagree with me and even take the piss but then i too know where the off button is. The definition of harrasment bieng doing something that you knew or should have known would cause offence. did these trolls give thier targets no choice? well this is what happens when people embrace a technology of communication without first thinking what do i do if someone replies to my opinion using the contact detail i gave out publicly with thier opinion. stick your mobile number on the wall of a public toilet and see how far you get, lol.

Quiet_Man said...

Grief to me is a private thing shared between friends and family. I feel no need to advertise it nor look for sympathy outside. I wouldn't advertise any tragedy in my life online either on a social network or even on my blog as I'd have no control over the comments that could be made unless of course I turned them off, then what would be the point?

Anonymous said...

A facebook tribute page or account is easily policed by the person who set it up.

Can't be bothered to sit there clicking delete and removing offensive posts or "friends" ? Then either a)don't set it up in the first place or b) don't whinge.

You can't help those that won't help themselves by accepting even a tiny smidgeon of personal responsibilty :/

F***W*T TW****R said...

Some people really don't like the idea of taking responsibility for themselves do they? They want everything done for them. It's not facebooks problem.

UK Fred said...

I was reminded of the comment that the world is divided into two categories: people who don't know me and people who don't like me.

As a society we seem to take great delight in hiding the consequences of an individual's actions from that individual, and then trying to look after them when they squeal blue murder because someone else who has never had to answer for their actions is nasty towards them. You are right, Julia, the whole country needs to grow up.

Lord T said...

Well Facebook don't actually have an obligation to enforce their T&C's. They do however have an obligation to keep legal. Not the same thing.

As far as Plod is concerned someones feeling were hurt. In the UK today that is a very serious crime. More so than someone being robbed or having their bodies damaged.

JuliaM said...

"...this is what happens when people embrace a technology of communication without first thinking..."

Spot on!

"Grief to me is a private thing shared between friends and family. I feel no need to advertise it..."

And yet, it seems to be 'the modern way', at least for some sections of society. Including those you think should know better.

"A facebook tribute page or account is easily policed by the person who set it up."

Is it? I've never had one, and it seemed from the article that he was complaining that only Facebook themselves could remove the comments?

"As a society we seem to take great delight in hiding the consequences of an individual's actions from that individual..."

And look what it's breeding us. As Lord T points out, the 'hurt feelings' are now enough to get a police reaction, of all things!