Blog Bullies - Freedom of Speech My ***
Sorry, for the harsh asterisks, but this post needs them.
Every now and then I feel compelled to write about blog bullies. You know, the people who rear their ugly heads and come to your virtual home (i.e. blog), are rude and act like you have no right to ask them to leave or remove their presence from your blog.
If you don't have a blog, you may have seen a blog bully in action or you may have even been tempted to be one yourself. Just because this is the Internet doesn't mean we should treat each other any differently than you would face-to-face.
We have been dealing with a blog bully over the past couple of days. She was posting anonymous, snide and completely IRRELEVANT remarks to one of our valued contributors and I asked her to stop. I said if she posted like that, her posts would be deleted. Well, she decided to continue, so her posts were deleted.
Now she keeps trying to comment on the blog by saying that I am stifling her free speech. She even had the nerve to say:
"...you don't like it when someone has a different opinion than you, so you erase it? I feel sorry for your children if this is what you teach them. Being able to express yourself freely is vital in this world that we live in."
This has nothing to do with OPINION. We have plenty of moms with different opinions here and they are free to state them intelligently and with respect to others. Heck, I don't even always agree with some of our own contributors here, but that's just the way life goes.
But opinions are opinions - personal attacks are a whole different ball game.
This has everything to do with being downright RUDE. She claims she is sorry for my children. If my children were even privy to this exchange, they would see:
1. I don't tolerate rudeness by guests in my (virtual or real) home.
2. If I see a friend or colleague being abused, I will speak out. I don't just stand by and let it happen.
So, if those are bad qualities to teach my children, I am sorry. Anyway, let's all try to remember there are real people behind these computer screens. A keyboard is not a license to throw our manners out the window.
Every now and then I feel compelled to write about blog bullies. You know, the people who rear their ugly heads and come to your virtual home (i.e. blog), are rude and act like you have no right to ask them to leave or remove their presence from your blog.
If you don't have a blog, you may have seen a blog bully in action or you may have even been tempted to be one yourself. Just because this is the Internet doesn't mean we should treat each other any differently than you would face-to-face.
We have been dealing with a blog bully over the past couple of days. She was posting anonymous, snide and completely IRRELEVANT remarks to one of our valued contributors and I asked her to stop. I said if she posted like that, her posts would be deleted. Well, she decided to continue, so her posts were deleted.
Now she keeps trying to comment on the blog by saying that I am stifling her free speech. She even had the nerve to say:
"...you don't like it when someone has a different opinion than you, so you erase it? I feel sorry for your children if this is what you teach them. Being able to express yourself freely is vital in this world that we live in."
This has nothing to do with OPINION. We have plenty of moms with different opinions here and they are free to state them intelligently and with respect to others. Heck, I don't even always agree with some of our own contributors here, but that's just the way life goes.
But opinions are opinions - personal attacks are a whole different ball game.
This has everything to do with being downright RUDE. She claims she is sorry for my children. If my children were even privy to this exchange, they would see:
1. I don't tolerate rudeness by guests in my (virtual or real) home.
2. If I see a friend or colleague being abused, I will speak out. I don't just stand by and let it happen.
So, if those are bad qualities to teach my children, I am sorry. Anyway, let's all try to remember there are real people behind these computer screens. A keyboard is not a license to throw our manners out the window.
posted by Alice at 9:28 AM
NEW! 
4 Comments:
Internet trolls - or bullies - are everywhere. I simply can't understand the mind set behind someone just wanting to cause trouble on a website just because they can.
They most be truly lonely, sad people.
I think a lot of it is boundary issues. Many people have very weak emotional boundaries. When anyone is doing something they feel guilty for not having done, or have low self esteem issues, their "stuff" shows.
Some people think they know you after reading a few innocent posts where you mention a couple of your kid's antics? It's a little obsessive if you ask me.
Almost like people who become obsessed with celebrities and then become violent when the object of their obsession does something they don't like... as if they were ever in control in the first place.
I totally agree with you. I don't mind that people disagree with me. That is their choice. I do mind when they resort to name calling or verbal abuse of any kind. Let this anon poster feel sorry for your children. That's her problem. I think you are teaching your children great qualities by showing them that you will not let someone be disrespectful to you or your friends without a word from you. You can't let people walk all over you or it will become a habit!
I'd just delete the comments and move on.
Blogs are "virtual private property" and just like a forum owner has the right to delete offending comments, so too bloggers.
Rather than spend time engaging in non-productive debates, I'd focus on more positive activities.
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