If You're Stupid And You Know It... GET OFF THE INTERNET

This cartoon sums it up for me:



I don't usually read through ALL the comments on other peoples blogs, just don't have the time. But I do try to read at least some comments attached to posts I've enjoyed.

From my experience most comments are left by people who: 1. enjoyed the post. 2. Were in some way moved by the post. 3. Are leaving answers to questions in the post. But then there are the others...

It seems that there is a pack of 12 year old boys (either literally or figuratively) out there that have nothing better to do than leave nasty comments on other peoples blogs. I actually couldn't at this time find a good example to post here as most bloggers (at least the ones I read) are pretty fast about removing them. But the type of comment I'm talking about usually is along the line of the "poo poo" joke; a couple of bad words directed towards the blogger. Mostly these type of comments just make you wonder why these "kids" find this so funny. What I find amusing about them is that often they will put the blogger down for wasting their time blogging, but the commenter doesn't think it's a waste of time to comment on it.

These type of comments can range from the boringly misspelled "fuk yu, yur stoopid" (Yes I've actually seen that one, just can't find it now" To the slightly more comprehensible and longer "helpful" message. Dooce periodically writes about some of the email that she gets that falls into this category.

Here is a perfect example from her archives:

Now let me get this straight...you actually blog for a living? If your webaite doesn’t demonstrate that any idiot can make a living by posting crap on the internet, I don’t know what does. You have a great scam going on let me tell you. Write letters to your daughter, post pictures of your dog and ...AND GET PAID for it. Wow you’re living the American Dream...sitting around your house with a camera on your neck just waiting for SOMEBODY...ANYBODY...to do SOMETHING...that I CAN WRITE ABOUT.

Yeah I don't see you regretting your life 20 years from at all.

You're an absolute joke of the worst kind...GET A FRIGGIN LIFE.

And I hope your dog runs away and never comes back because that would be the best day ever!

So this fine gentleman spent 129 words telling Dooce that she is wasting her time. And isn't his spelling and grammar wonderful!

IF YOU DON'T ENJOY THE BLOG, DON'T READ IT - this isn't rocket science people.

Of course there is another level of hate comments / mail:

For proof that the Internet should be licensed, read this entry from Creating Passionate Users. I'm not going to quote anything here, because there's too much to quote and it just pisses me off!

August update: Link now leads to main page of Creating Pasionate Users and explains why the site is no longer updated. For background on the original post check out this BBC post.

I could give you a kazillion more examples, but the trolls already know where this stuff is, and decent people really don't need to see more.

Of course it's very easy for me to la-dee-da about the issue as it has never happened to me because no-one ever comments! I know people read this piece of crap as I do check my stats.

So please if you read this blog and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section. If you don't like it and you have constructive criticism, let me know that too. Hell, you can tell me anything, just please be polite about it.

Thanks for visiting and please, have some toast