When its a Bully.

The Internet is full of terms and names that date way back into the mists of Internet-Time, when all these sites were tree’s and the Internet Denizens roamed and grazed in peace. A Time when you could use a term like “Hacker” or “Spod” or “Newbie” and people would know exactly what it meant.

But alas, we now live in a time where the Net has been bulldozed down to make way for cheap malls, and playgrounds, The Denizens have scattered and hide in reservations trying to maintain and uphold the rich history of their land.

But keeping hold of the True meaning of Net-Speak, Terms and names is getting harder and harder as the general media keep doing poorly researched articles misusing Net-Terms. And then the newer Net-Denizens think that’s the real meaning of the terms, and Ignorance of the poorly researched articles is propagated.

Reporters, stop jumping on terms for the wow factor to increase the affect of your poor articles. Take for instance the term “Hacker” it used to mean something, a badge of respect implying a certain level of knowledge or skill, but now? All the press have been on about for the last year or so is the “Phone Hacking Scandals” Hacking? Some people dialled the voice-mail phone number and listened to recorded messages, something anyone can do because no one ever sets their password. Really you think someone who can’t use a computer but who can make a phone call is a Hacker?

Learn the meaning of the words you use….

Now we have loads and loads about “Trolls” Now the Denizens will tell you something along the lines of someone posting a comment/message/etc in the attempt to catch someone into a fight, flame war, or to simply hijack a legitimate thread/conversation. (Based on the term “Trolling”: Trolling may describe the fishing technique of slowly dragging a lure or baited hook from a moving boat”), the best way to deal with these people is to ignore them because without attention the go away, hence the oft used phrase “do not feed the trolls”

But, the popular press has decided the name Troll relates to anyone bullying others on-line. So if someone gets a death threat they are being trolled, Err. No, they are being bullied and threatened and the person doing the threats should be hit with the full force of the law for bullying or threatening behaviour!

There are calls for new laws to be made to deal with “trolls” but WHY? we already have laws against people making threats? ignore the fact its online, deal with the base crime as if the person had sent them a note with the threat. Giving the Bullies the name Troll is making it seem like a lesser crime, as if “Oh they only threatened them online”

Its like stealing a car and driving it around really fast damaging the car, we call it “Joy Riding”? that makes it sound fun and ok. It should be called “theft, vandalism, etc”

WORDS HAVE POWER

So can we please start referring to things and people for what they really are, and stop trying to mutate existing net-terms because it makes better print in a newspaper story?

They are not Trolls.

They are Cowards, Bully’s.

They are guilty of threatening behaviour.

Lets stop giving them a badge of honour. I have heard people boast “Oh I trolled X good”

Lets call them what they are, Lets hold them up to the light of day and say “you are a bully” and deal with them accordingly.

P.S.

DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.