Please understand that except for one very specific case, I am referring to comments made by means of example, and have tried to mask the language enough so that you can still tell what it was, but not go so far as to cast the term myself. Considering the context, and severity of the message I am attempting to communicate, I needed to refer to the particular phrases for impact.
I give much thanks to Emperor and Highlander from the podcast The Emperor's Court on www.VTWProductions.com for spinning me up on this one.
Penny arcade, a rather great online comic strip that has spawned its own subculture. Their ability to satirize the Geek experience is the stuff of legend.
None so much as my personal favorite, the GIFT, also known as the Greater Internet F*$#wad Theory.
This very simple theory stats that Anonymity + Audience = total F*@#wad.
Although I mostly see this in gaming, it is true in most environments where a degree of anonymity is guaranteed.
When people are in a social environment with those who have little or no chance of discovering their true identity, such as social games(MMO's, online games, etc), the decency barrier begins to dissolve.
People being to say things that they wouldn't dream of saying in person or over a phone call. The worst types of racial and hate speech comes to the front. From simple swearing and trash talk to the purest type of offensive terms that would send vietnam vets running for the hills.
In the online games I play, it is not uncommon to be called a c**t, or a ni**er, for simple as an offense as not knowing how to play a particular character, or being unlucky and dieing to a lucky shot by an opponent. These phrases uttered in a bar or other social setting would lead to a profound and through ass kicking. The person would probably be lucky to walk out under his own power. Not to mention that some of these phrases in public forums can cause the caster to be brought up on Hate Crime charges. People do not mess around with this stuff.
So I am left to wonder, who the hell do you people think you are. Why do you think that just because someone cannot easily hold you accountable for your words that you are free to say whatever you want?
People who know me, know I am no saint. In fact I have one of the dirtier mouths, and fouler tempers of my peer group. I say some things that get me in trouble, but I take accountability for them. However, NEVER, have I descended to the type of speech that is being published across these intertubes.
Is it that dirty thrill that you got away with something that is a cultural no-no. You called some one a n***er and pissed off a whole lot of people and no one could find you. You broke the social contract of society and offended people of different sexual orientations and that makes you a bad boy/girl?
Horribly enough, it seems to be that this counter culture is coming from our youth, although not exclusively, I usually am not wrong when someone starts in on one of these tirades and I guess they are 15 or 16. It seems to be the new form of rebellion. At least when they were just smoking they were only allowing darwinism to take its course.
Worse yet, I am starting to see this counter culture leak out of the Internet into society. I live across from a high school. Often I close my windows when the school lets out because I just don't want to hear this. It offends me, and ladies and gentlemen, I am damn hard to offend.
What is in store for these young people when they enter the real world. Well its obvious, one HR trip later and they are permanent burger flippers for life. I guess that is not all bad. I do like them double cheese burgers for a dollar.
My message to the Geek world. GROW THE HELL UP. Talking big, doesn't make you big. It only makes you sound like a total Fuckwad.
-Grendal.
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