I read this article on Cracked.Com (3 Despicable Internet Behaviors That Really Are Your Fault) and one of the topics got me wondering.

The idea goes like this. If you saw a homeless, obviously crazy person on the street screaming that the world was going to end, or that the President was a lacky of the Lizard people, you wouldn't stop to try and correct him, because he's crazy. You can't argue with crazy. Even if the topic isn't completely off the wall, you still wouldn't sit there and argue with him.

Yet we do it all the time on these forums. People come up with crazy, off the wall and delusional things to complain about, and then other people come here and argue with them about it.

Why do we do this? What is it about moving a completely insane conversation to an internet forum that makes it an acceptable conversation?

Who's this "We", Kemo-sabe?

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Originally posted by Grunty
Who's this "We", Kemo-sabe?

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Because online you're anonymous. Using the crazy guy in the street corner vs the crazy guy on the internet argument is the same as asking why are some people jerks online, but those same people wouldn't dare do the same things offline.

Its because the internet gives them that power. Now, granted, there ARE some people that behave the same way on or offline, but in general, most of us are willing to do and say things in an online invironment, that we wouldn't dream of doing or saying anywhere offline. 

I think theres a sense of safety online thats not present in real life. Its both a physical thing and a mental thing. You don't argue with the crazy guy in real life because 1) hes crazy. He could cut you or something. And 2) someone you know could see you doing it and then you'd forever be labled as "that idiot that argues with the nutcases".

But online no one knows you, no ones able to physically harm you for arguing with them (unless they know where you live, but I'm pretty sure most of us are smart enough not to give our addresses out to crazy people). There is this idea, that I think a lot of people have, that our online actions don't have the same consequences that our offline actions have. So people tend to do things online that make no sense and that they wouldn't normally do in other situations.

Undiagnosed Mental Illness and Serious Depression. I work part time on weekends with people with this who have no friends and just sit on the computer all day arguing, and generally very unhappy so they go online to vent their frustrations.

It seems there is a lot of people who use the internet in a negative way which are mentally ill or depressed and are not happy with their lives. I'de say 65% of youtube users that comment are undiagnosed who are seriously ill. Just read some of the comments on there.

Not to say Mentally Ill people all act this way, because most don't or seriously Depressed people for that matter, but with how they act, and the dalusional things they say makes me believe they are very disconnected with people and the real world. The same could be said for people who watch T.V and believe everything in the news as well.

People online are very uncaring, unempathetic because a lot of people who don't fit into normal society go to the internet.

Originally posted by rpg_gunner
For the fun of it and to prove how awesome and smart we really are.

i agree.. FOR FUN :D

The crazy thing is applicable to some topics you can't ever talk people out of - core beliefs. I've learned the ones to stay away from without an argument that spans over months. Politics and religion are two big ones. Spelling can be corrected on some forums, some they get boohoo about it. The ones where you can correct spelling are more fun I think, they have great pun jokes and it's not putting people down as much as having fun. 

There probably are plenty of crazy people online but it doesn't mean we should let them drop crazy all over the place and not clean it up sometimes. Suppose it just depends on how much you want to clean up how much effort you spend on trying to get their heads on straight. It wouldn't be wise to think that you can change people though just with type, your message usually gets sent to the person that doesn't respond anyway. Every once in awhile you'll get some private message from another person that wasn't in the thread saying - I never thought of it that way, good read, thanks. Never know who is watching... dun dun dun.

You know what I find funny about the internet. I imagine that big superstars post on it too. People argue with them and the whole time they are thinking - if only you knew who I was you would kiss my arse. Well not today, Mr. Bond. That even playing field makes it feel right to sometimes do a clean up. It may not just be crazy that you attempt to set straight but someone who just has too many yes men telling them everything they decree is magical.

Because you know it's so cool to argue with me!

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Err...

^^

And who IS crazy, eh?

If you pick the right crazy person, you're in for a treat.

Mostly it's because they're seen as an easy target to bolster your standing within a community.  "You remember that time I told Xxx_Fruitloop64_xxX that frogs and toads are the same?"  Bickering with nutjobs often results in hilarity, and memories of it will forever be linked to your name.

It's fun too.

We have a built in "  I'm right " we all have it.  It's a defense feature.

Some are ok with letting people live there lifes, others like to impress there opinions. Reasions why could vary and can not be changed.

Originally posted by delete5230

We have a built in "  I'm right " we all have it.  It's a defense feature.

Some are ok with letting people live there lifes, others like to impress there opinions. Reasions why could vary and can not be changed.

YOU ARE CORRECT :)

130212
false equivalence a fallacy perpetuated where one shared trait between two subjects is assumed to show equivalence.
(i.e. 'you saw a homeless, obviously crazy person on the street screaming that the world was going to end')

pejorative: Having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force (i.e. 'crazy')

Shills with an agenda usually use fallacies and outright lies or ridicule to avoid having to defend their bogus positions.
Much of brainwashed "reality" is little more then not rocking the boat.
You are unable to 'argue' with 'crazy' because either you are to ignorant to formulate an effective rebuttal or B. you intend not to expose yourself by defending fraudulent propaganda (e.g. great and mighty Oz, 'do not look behind the curtain')

It is quite easy to present an informed response based on truth and verifiable evidence, especially if the purpose is to show why your rebuttal is valid and the audience can recognize that.

But in RL most of the world is comprised by sheeple and debt slaves. Prophets are almost always ignored/imprisoned/murdered by those with something to hide.

one step ahead of the crowd is genius, three steps is crackpot. btw, 100iq is only average.

Originally posted by Maidenberry

Originally posted by rpg_gunner
For the fun of it and to prove how awesome and smart we really are.

i agree.. FOR FUN :D

see ;) it kills boredum!