Is the internet creating a new breed of scary basement dweller?

[JulesMaximus]

http://www.bls.gov/cps/lfcharacteristics.htm#nlf

The caller to the show I was listening to said 90 million UNEMPLOYED. It is a rather meaningless statistic if you label someone unemployed when they are retired/going to school/aren't even looking for work don't you think? Unless your goal is to just get your fellow tea party loons all riled up of course.

 

[Nintendesert]

Its kinda true though. Racist, sexist, homophobic attitudes are conservative (conservative with a small "c", does that explanation work is the US?).

Right. Go read through any religious thread and see venom that's not coming from conservative kids. Anonymous hate filled basement dwellers spew hate on any topic from every angle, which is what the OPs point should be rather he became exactly what he posted about.

Free Ireland!

 

[KeithP]

...and another for the ignore list.

-KeithP

 

[BurnItDwn]

I dunno, I'm a bit of a dick to people sometimes, but, I don't "hide behind the internet" Shit, my avatar is a picture of me, and my real name and real city are in the forum.

I think the forums/online discussions are a great way to let off some steam for some folks. Gain some sanity back after dealing with the grind/hostile world.

 

[sixone]

The caller to the show I was listening to said 90 million UNEMPLOYED. It is a rather meaningless statistic if you label someone unemployed when they are retired/going to school/aren't even looking for work don't you think? Unless your goal is to just get your fellow tea party loons all riled up of course.

It's meaningless when you take it out of context, in order to try to label people as "tea party loons".

I still don't think you were listening very carefully, tho.

 

[WelshBloke]

Right. Go read through any religious thread and see venom that's not coming from conservative kids. Anonymous hate filled basement dwellers spew hate on any topic from every angle, which is what the OPs point should be rather he became exactly what he posted about.

Free Ireland!

I dunno, gay insults and racist insults seem a lot more prevalent on the internet than religious ones.

Go on to a public game server and I'll bet you see a lot more cries of "i love you" or "******" than "random religious based insult" (seriously I couldn't really think of a common religious insult so that shows how prevalent they are).

 

[IEC]

Not a dig against conservatives but stating unifying facts (same way most of these kids are male, I tend to not have much man hate - I'm a dude). You NEVER hear a liberal spouting "I WANT TO BLOW UP A BUILDING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN MARRIAGE EQUALITY!" The anger does seem pretty tied to older, conservative values and the posters do seem to associate with the tea party. I view tea partiers as a fringe/niche, and not the face of conservatism (though they are loud!), I hope it's just an awkward phase.

Man, I really yearn for the days of sharp dressed, super-intelligent wall street republicans, they were aspirational and kinda bad ass.Though my politics are firmly in the left, I have a whole lot of conservative relatives I can agree with and respect (I agree with the core value of smaller government, but would prefer more spending on social and educational programs than war), but social issues are something mainstream conservatives are a few decades behind the time on.. I mean, the LGBT community was born that way and all - "all men/women created equal" and all that.

Did you miss all the constant death threats against Tea Party and NRA members? Simply for being people who hold different opinions?

How about all those recent mass shooters? Oh wait, they were all "liberals" as well.

Crazy is on both sides, quit drinking the partisan koolaid and open your eyes.

 

[OverVolt]

The caller to the show I was listening to said 90 million UNEMPLOYED. It is a rather meaningless statistic if you label someone unemployed when they are retired/going to school/aren't even looking for work don't you think? Unless your goal is to just get your fellow tea party loons all riled up of course.

You could argue by a dictionary definition instead of a statistical one.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployed

 

[disappoint]

You've been reading the youtube comments section again haven't you?

 

[PlanetJosh]

So if I accuse you of being racist in your post without proof would that be bile coming from me? Your post is not racist but I'm saying if someone accused your OP of being racist. I'm just trying to gauge some parameters here.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I was going to say that angry, porn-addicted internet types don't have any particular political leaning in my head, but then I remembered shortylickens and realized where you're coming from. This forum and other tech-y places tend to be more right-wing/libertarian in general. When a man can work from home and masturbate from work, he tends to wonder what he needs the outside world for, and it is only natural that when he observes others that can't get along like he can, he fosters his own self-hatred on those outside. But go to a music-centric forum, for example, and laugh at the masses of angry frothing unemployed left-wingers and their student debt.

I dunno, gay insults and racist insults seem a lot more prevalent on the internet than religious ones.

Go on to a public game server and I'll bet you see a lot more cries of "i love you" or "******" than "random religious based insult" (seriously I couldn't really think of a common religious insult so that shows how prevalent they are).

Calling some anonymous guy a lovely human jew in an online game isn't really the same thing as actually holding a strong belief in the inferiority of homosexual practitioners of Judaism.

 

[Sluggo]

I was going to say that angry, porn-addicted internet types don't have any particular political leaning in my head, but then I remembered shortylickens and realized where you're coming from. This forum and other tech-y places tend to be more right-wing/libertarian in general.

To me AT in general and specifically P&N tend to lean left. Maybe our Mods tend to lean left, maybe our members tend to be coast dwellers as opposed to flyover country dwellers.

But this site, to me, has always seemed to lean left.

Of course there is a slight possibility that I am so far right that everything else seems left. Nah, that can't be it.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Nah, P&N has had a pretty recent (over the last year or two) upswing of right-wing trolls and crazies. If this was ~2006 I'd agree with you, though.

I'd describe myself as strongly right-wing myself fwiw.

 

[T9D]

Damn this thread had potential until he pointed fingers at only one specific group and everything after went off the rails. This should have been a thread in general about people and humans but it to turned into another crap political mess and side taking.

 

[OverVolt]

But go to a music-centric forum, for example, and laugh at the masses of angry frothing unemployed left-wingers and their student debt.

Is this true? hahaha...

 

[schmuckley]

Illegal immigrants are not taking the jobs people want, I think it's MORE Americana to admit that lots of American kids are just lazy and entitled, and I have much respect for my Mexican neighbors who clean out toilets for 80 hours a week because some American would rather play video games and bitch.

Speak for yourself.A job is a job.I compete with them directly.Me and my Cuban friend vs crew-of-8-mexicans.

High school kids used to be able to pick fruit during the summer;That's all Mexicans now.Illegal ones..that get welfare,food stamps,and send their money back to Mexico.

 

[Sulaco]

Nah, P&N has had a pretty recent (over the last year or two) upswing of right-wing trolls and crazies. If this was ~2006 I'd agree with you, though.

I'd describe myself as strongly right-wing myself fwiw.

Is this even up for debate? I mean, plenty of "how do you identify yourself politically?" polls over the last months and years, have pretty clearly shown the forum really without question is left leaning.

Now, as far as trolls go, that's more involved a question. There are obvious ones on both sides, some just post more frequently, and therefore get more exposure. Hence, seem to the casual observer that they are more numerically represented.
It's tough to discuss without literally calling out names, but if we were able, I don't think there would be a question.

What's less obvious, and more in keeping with the OP's question, is just vitriolic, hostile, abrasive personalities. You know the ones. They can't post a response to anyone without a DIRECT ad hominem attack, personal insult, and profanity. That can go both ways, but seeing as how there are simply more left-leaning active members, it's not surprising that a good many of that type are leftwing.

If conservative members outweighed more liberal ones, I'd fully expect more of that type on the right on this board. It's just demographics. Dicks are dicks no matter what political affiliation.

 

[WelshBloke]

...Calling some anonymous guy a lovely human jew in an online game isn't really the same thing as actually holding a strong belief in the inferiority of homosexual practitioners of Judaism.

It doesn't make it a nice place for Jews or gays though does it?

 

[marmasatt]

This.

Lost all respect here freedomsbeat. You were making some good points which I tend to agree with. But this was a fucking stupid, mediocre intelligent, venomous thing to assume.

This.

 

[CptObvious]

I'm in the camp that believes the prevalence of crazy people in the world has been about the same, but the Internet has just given them a platform to voice their insanity, whereas in the past they were limited to writing angry letters and books that no one read.

I think the Internet/technology has more affected *normal* people than anything. I agree with Louis CK's observations about smartphones and admit I'm one of those people who are too tied to their devices.

 

[alkemyst]

You NEVER hear a liberal spouting "I WANT TO BLOW UP A BUILDING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN MARRIAGE EQUALITY!"

It's clear, your bias is showing.

 

[Staples]

For they guy disputing the 90m unemployed number, they may also count those on disability (the new form of permanent welfare, many on it have no excuse but it is easy to qualify), those on welfare and then those who decide that they are old enough and dont need a job and move in with their kids and call it a day.

 

[Markbnj]

High school kids used to be able to pick fruit during the summer;That's all Mexicans now.Illegal ones..that get welfare,food stamps,and send their money back to Mexico.

They used to be able to, yeah. Do any of them still want to? At least here in the suburban northeast part-time jobs for high schoolers go begging. Ask any restaurant or small shop owner.

 

[Imp]

Youtube and CNN comments show the underbelly of humanity.

It'd be interesting to see how much of a different place the Internet would be if we were required to use our real names on all websites...

Need an address/ directory to really make that work like a phonebook. Something about knowing exactly where to find someone that makes people filter themselves better. Even with the phone you can *69 someone, in person you will find him/her within 50', and probably leaving their car somewhere.