Does the internet have a negative influence on society? Are the ''trolls'' to blame?

[game-junkie]

I guess the internet can have a lot of positive and negative influences on people generally depending on how they use it. Overall, from a societal standpoint i believe it is. I think Obama wanted to ban porn at one point.

I'm not saying the internet is a bad thing at all.

I have had bad experience with a ''troll'' online. I had to take action in the end.

I'm not big on social networking sites like facebook, as i believe it opens up negative traits in people. I don't think removing facebook would make a difference if a few people are causing trouble. I guess it wouldn't be right to remove facebook for that reason alone. Hey, it isn't Mark Zuckerberg's problem.

I think people use facebook just to connect with others, and are very naive when they post certain personal information. My dad has facebook and all he wants is to contact old friends. Unfortunately, I have had to warn him not to post too much personal information on the website.

Another social networking site which secrets have been exposed is [deleted]. The owner of the site owns many porn sites, and regularly wants underage girls to get naked. Which is why he made the site in the first place. As he's getting hardly any revenue, or exposure. The only major person they've had on [deleted] was [deleted]. Every day on [deleted] you will see underage girls go on there in abundance. I guess that's the way it goes. Let's have children go on webcam and talk to random strangers on the other side of the country.

And what's with all the ''trolls'' now on all these social networking sites.

Broadcaster Richard Bacon from the UK, not so long ago had a torrid time with trolls on facebook. His son killed himself over facebook abuse. Unfortunately, Richard posted a memorial on his son. And he then got more abuse from the trolls.

I had to deal with a troll once, as he posted my information and pictures he got from facebook onto a website called [deleted], which had a load of indecent images. I had the fbi remove it. The troll then called my house and little did he know i have a box which can track withheld calls. I traced his number, and give it over to the police. They found his address, caught up with him and give him community service back in 2007. The guy had the audacity to go back onto the social networking website pretending he was in the police.

If this happened today he would get atleast 90 days in prison.

The internet seemed a more cosier place back in the day.

I guess it isn't anymore.

[KilljoyKlown]

If you are baited by a troll don't respond and they will go troll elsewhere.

[seagypsy]

maybe I am being paranoid but this seems like some very clever advertisement for child pornography. The guy makes sure to post the name of a website and informs everyone that they can go there and see "abundant" numbers of underage girls on cam.

Sorry but IMO, this thread needs to be deleted. You can discuss the horrors of child pornography online without giving out website names and telling people how to find it.

[KilljoyKlown]

maybe I am being paranoid but this seems like some very clever advertisement for child pornography. The guy makes sure to post the name of a website and informs everyone that they can go there and see "abundant" numbers of underage girls on cam.

Sorry but IMO, this thread needs to be deleted. You can discuss the horrors of child pornography online without giving out website names and telling people how to find it.

Good point, I was wondering a bit about that.

[game-junkie]

I'm not trying to create an advert, or cause any trouble. Perhaps it came off very crass. Sites like facebook, myspace, stickam, twitter, are the problem. [deleted] is linked with facebook and twitter. I just feel it's a problem which needs to be addressed. I'm not a troll. You may think this is a troll, but i honestly wanted to hear some people's opinions on this.

[game-junkie]

The sites i mentioned are very common anyway. Obviously, millions of people use them. I'm not telling, or hinting for anyone to go there. These sites are easy to find without me mentioning them.

It's a japanese guy who owns many porn sites, actually owns [deleted]. I just find it crazy really how it would be allowed.

And i'm guessing people on here have facebook, or a twitter. [deleted] is now in partners with facebook.

The mistake i made really was to go on there years ago when it started, and i didn't know anything about this site. Only reason i went on as a friend of mine told me about it, and we just played online gaming and talked to people. It was easier to use than [deleted].

Then, i got trolled by a user on there.

It may have come off as a crass advert, but honestly, i wasn't intending to make anyone paranoid on here.

[pluto2]

99.9% of the Internet is just a piece of stinky shit.

There are just so many bad, extremely ignorant and negative people on the Internet that I think this world would have been a much better place had the Internet never been invented in the first place.

[scorpius]

Internet TROLL

Why do trolls do it?

I believe that most trolls are sad people, living their lonely lives vicariously through those they see as strong and successful.

Disrupting a stable newsgroup gives the illusion of power, just as for a few, stalking a strong person allows them to think they are strong, too.

For trolls, any response is 'recognition'; they are unable to distinguish between irritation and admiration; their ego grows directly in proportion to the response, regardless of the form or content of that response.

Trolls, rather surprisingly, dispute this, claiming that it's a game or joke; this merely confirms the diagnosis; how sad do you have to be to find such mind-numbingly trivial timewasting to be funny?

Remember that trolls are cowards; they'll usually post just enough to get an argument going, then sit back and count the responses (Yes, that's what they do!)

Trolls don't have friends. On the internet, because they interact with human beings, they can convince themselves that they are important, the centre of the universe - that, to them, is better than any friendship. Don't forget, the troll thinks he is always right, and therefore better than other folk. In real life, exactly the opposite applies. the troll has no friends and virtually no interaction with other people.

If he's a teen (many are), then he lives in his bedroom, trolling, playing computer games with 'friends' (who he doesn't know at all), and joining roleplay sites, where - of course - he is a hero, or a powerful villain, who is respected in an inverse ratio to the respect he feels for himself.

If he's an adult, then he has serious social issues. He may work, where people think he's a weirdo, and avoid him, he may sponge off his parents or be 'looking for work', which means he blames everyone for his problems. Except himself.

Most people who are out of work are nothing like the stereotype; most want to work, and gain their self respect through work and being part of the world; but the troll IS the stereotype whining scrounger, to whom the world owes a living.

Sex Life

Almost every troll is male; I don't know why this is.

The troll has few social skills, and most have never had a girlfriend, many never will.

There's a clear pattern among trolls; they are much more likely to ignore posts known to be from women. And when they do respond to women, they are much more likely to be brief, abusive, condescending and patronising.

This is almost certainly more due to fear than misogyny - they just don't know any women. Except Mom. But their attitude rather reduces their chances of reproducing, which is probably a good thing.

[scheherazade]

A very interesting (to me) reply, scorpius, your psychological profile of internet trolls. No doubt in my mind that the internet is changing a great deal of our interactions as a society, from personal through business and I list personal use first because I think it takes some getting used to before many are comfortable proceeding to on-line commerce. The internet, for me, is an incredible resource for research, living as I do in a remote region and not much inclined to travel for a number of reasons. The opportunity to play chess with people around the globe and to participate on a number of science forums on a schedule of my own convenience has virtually displaced television in my life, not that such ever occupied overmuch of my time. It does at least seem in my observation that people now socialize more by means of 'social media' than in person and I do wonder how that may affect their interpersonal skills in future relationships.

As you point out, though, even trolls at least have an opportunity to interact by means of the internet, rather than being shunned or snubbed in person. The anonymity of the internet should have the potential for those who are marginalized ( as I suspect at least some of these trolls may be) to find an avenue for connecting, interacting and coping.

Must get ready for graveyard shift but before I go......I have to ask......the s&m on your profile page......Symphony & Metallica?

[Creation]

This is the sire were are needed specialists for Ecyclopedia about creation of the world http://postanaksveta.blogspot.com/p/...-of-world.html
Has 2 language versions.

[pluto2]

Yes, the Internet can have a negative effect on you if you are using it too much.

The incredible anonomity of the Internet is a killer because you cannot know who you are communicating with.

Also you cannot know if what the person you are communicating says about himself is true. Because as far you know he or she can also be a murderer, a liar, a psychopath, a bully, a rapist or maybe even a terrorist.

[Fraggle Rocker]

It may have come off as a crass advert, but honestly, i wasn't intending to make anyone paranoid on here.

Apology accepted. But everyone should understand this:

Do not post links to questionable sites on SciForums. Many of our members come here on their office computers. Many corporate networks have filters that search for such content and will block a site that has it.

Furthermore, many of our members are very young. We don't want their parents checking up on them and finding a link to a child porn website in the post immediately above their daughter's post.

Okay?

Thanks.