"No they're not" (or "no there not!" for Facebook only users) I hear you say!
Well of course, as with most things I say, it shouldn't be taken too literally...
The impetus for this topic is the whole furore surrounding the "Report Twitter abuse" story currently in the press (and social media of course!). The short version to this story as I understand it, is that a couple of female British members of Parliament received threats of rape via someone on Twitter. This has highlighted the behaviour of online "Trolls" (individuals who spend a great deal of time harassing and insulting others for no apparent reason) and whether they've become too dominant and, well, maybe Twitter has just become not a very nice place.
Now, before I go any further, I need to make the following point very very clear. I absolutely condemn to the highest degree possible any behaviour that causes anyone any distress. To do what this person is alleged to have done is abhorrent. OK? Right, well that's that out of the way.
But, I still haven't addressed my original statement have I? That everyone on Twitter is good. OK, now, I don't really want to get into the debate of what Twitter should or shouldn't do in response to some people's requests for a "Report abuse" button. That's for the company to decide and for the users to decide whether they like the decision. After all, it's a free platform they have created for us. They are free to do with it as they wish, and we are free to go elsewhere if we don't like what they're doing with it.
What I want to focus on is the user : not a user, but the collect force of tweeters. There are two ways that I have come to my conclusion that everyone on Twitter is good. The first one is my own evidence. This, as you might expect comes from my own interaction with people : those I follow/tweet to/receive tweets from. This part is easy. Overwhelmingly, my interactions have been extremely positive. I've met some fabulously hilariously, wonderfully brave people via Twitter. People I say with honour are my friends. I've interacted with celebrities, learned things from people, had many many people make me laugh to the point where I have spat out my drink. In my view, under no circumstances should the actions of a few be allowed for one moment to detract from all that this extremely powerful tool (and tools like it) can, has, and will continue to do. So, yeah, that part of evidence was easy. I've always got on with people and found the vast majority to be all round lovely people!
The second part of my argument may never make sense, but I'll give it a go! Yes, I agree that some users' actions have been very wrong . They should not have said the things that they did and I strongly disagree with their action to do so. But, they are these users' actions. They are actions that are the result of each of these people's experiences in life. So, I suppose the essence of what I'm saying, is, by all means say that you disagree with their behaviour, but don't forget that even behind "bad" people, there is a person. Let me put it this way.....When (and lets take the example of the person alleged to have tweeted this horrible threats to these MP's), this person was born however many years ago, they were born naked, kicking and screaming. They were not born bad, or evil. They had their first birthday, sitting on the floor in front of a cake with a single candle in it, with the hopes, dreams and aspirations all people have. Probably he or she grew up with the idea of wanting to be an astronaut, or a football player (or maybe a Doctor like I did....but I discovered that I don't like sick people, so I had to drop that one sharpish!). They were born with the ability to do so much good. They may appear to have lost this, but I don't believe they have. It's still in there somewhere. So, if we go back to their origins as a person. They are good.
Anyway, you get my drift (possibly!). Still to this day, each morning, this person will wake with a deep seated desire to be happy, to not suffer. They are a human being (even if you find it hard to view them as a human, then at least could you acknowledge the starting point of anatomically they are a human?). They want to be happy. They do not want to suffer. They have their own worries causing them upset and distress. Because everyone is born (I believe) with a default setting of wanting happiness, this means they must also understand what unhappiness is, and that that is not something anyone wants to feel no?
So, when a person creates the conditions for UNhappiness, there must have been/be suffering in the mindset of the accused. Yes, I still agree that the actions they take are inappropriate, but they are as the result of suffering. In case that didn't make sense. My statement on this is as follows. Only a person who has suffered on some level commits an act of cruelty. (oh and I'm not saying if you've suffered you should go out and mug an old lady!). So, based on this statement my solution to nasty people is to offer them your thoughts of "wait, hang on a minute. I can never agree with what you've done, but you must have suffered and for that I offer you my wishes of contentment". I would like this to be the new food of the trolls and that if this is the new food for them, from now on, we should "FEED THE TROLLS!".
Wow! That was very wordy wasn't it! In summary. I like Twitter (and other social media). I've had so many fantastic experiences on it. I find it helpful to allow myself to disagree, sometimes very strongly with the actions of so-called "trolls", but I also choose (and recommend this be a choice you consider) that whilst retaining the disdain for such troll-like behaviour, we stop and consider what circumstances may have lead a person to think this is OK, act as if this was caused by suffering, remind ourselves of their status as a human, and basically....get on with everyone.
Right, best go sort out that little dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians! I think a game of Twister is probably all that's needed.
Well of course, as with most things I say, it shouldn't be taken too literally...
The impetus for this topic is the whole furore surrounding the "Report Twitter abuse" story currently in the press (and social media of course!). The short version to this story as I understand it, is that a couple of female British members of Parliament received threats of rape via someone on Twitter. This has highlighted the behaviour of online "Trolls" (individuals who spend a great deal of time harassing and insulting others for no apparent reason) and whether they've become too dominant and, well, maybe Twitter has just become not a very nice place.
Now, before I go any further, I need to make the following point very very clear. I absolutely condemn to the highest degree possible any behaviour that causes anyone any distress. To do what this person is alleged to have done is abhorrent. OK? Right, well that's that out of the way.
But, I still haven't addressed my original statement have I? That everyone on Twitter is good. OK, now, I don't really want to get into the debate of what Twitter should or shouldn't do in response to some people's requests for a "Report abuse" button. That's for the company to decide and for the users to decide whether they like the decision. After all, it's a free platform they have created for us. They are free to do with it as they wish, and we are free to go elsewhere if we don't like what they're doing with it.
What I want to focus on is the user : not a user, but the collect force of tweeters. There are two ways that I have come to my conclusion that everyone on Twitter is good. The first one is my own evidence. This, as you might expect comes from my own interaction with people : those I follow/tweet to/receive tweets from. This part is easy. Overwhelmingly, my interactions have been extremely positive. I've met some fabulously hilariously, wonderfully brave people via Twitter. People I say with honour are my friends. I've interacted with celebrities, learned things from people, had many many people make me laugh to the point where I have spat out my drink. In my view, under no circumstances should the actions of a few be allowed for one moment to detract from all that this extremely powerful tool (and tools like it) can, has, and will continue to do. So, yeah, that part of evidence was easy. I've always got on with people and found the vast majority to be all round lovely people!
The second part of my argument may never make sense, but I'll give it a go! Yes, I agree that some users' actions have been very wrong . They should not have said the things that they did and I strongly disagree with their action to do so. But, they are these users' actions. They are actions that are the result of each of these people's experiences in life. So, I suppose the essence of what I'm saying, is, by all means say that you disagree with their behaviour, but don't forget that even behind "bad" people, there is a person. Let me put it this way.....When (and lets take the example of the person alleged to have tweeted this horrible threats to these MP's), this person was born however many years ago, they were born naked, kicking and screaming. They were not born bad, or evil. They had their first birthday, sitting on the floor in front of a cake with a single candle in it, with the hopes, dreams and aspirations all people have. Probably he or she grew up with the idea of wanting to be an astronaut, or a football player (or maybe a Doctor like I did....but I discovered that I don't like sick people, so I had to drop that one sharpish!). They were born with the ability to do so much good. They may appear to have lost this, but I don't believe they have. It's still in there somewhere. So, if we go back to their origins as a person. They are good.
Anyway, you get my drift (possibly!). Still to this day, each morning, this person will wake with a deep seated desire to be happy, to not suffer. They are a human being (even if you find it hard to view them as a human, then at least could you acknowledge the starting point of anatomically they are a human?). They want to be happy. They do not want to suffer. They have their own worries causing them upset and distress. Because everyone is born (I believe) with a default setting of wanting happiness, this means they must also understand what unhappiness is, and that that is not something anyone wants to feel no?
So, when a person creates the conditions for UNhappiness, there must have been/be suffering in the mindset of the accused. Yes, I still agree that the actions they take are inappropriate, but they are as the result of suffering. In case that didn't make sense. My statement on this is as follows. Only a person who has suffered on some level commits an act of cruelty. (oh and I'm not saying if you've suffered you should go out and mug an old lady!). So, based on this statement my solution to nasty people is to offer them your thoughts of "wait, hang on a minute. I can never agree with what you've done, but you must have suffered and for that I offer you my wishes of contentment". I would like this to be the new food of the trolls and that if this is the new food for them, from now on, we should "FEED THE TROLLS!".
Wow! That was very wordy wasn't it! In summary. I like Twitter (and other social media). I've had so many fantastic experiences on it. I find it helpful to allow myself to disagree, sometimes very strongly with the actions of so-called "trolls", but I also choose (and recommend this be a choice you consider) that whilst retaining the disdain for such troll-like behaviour, we stop and consider what circumstances may have lead a person to think this is OK, act as if this was caused by suffering, remind ourselves of their status as a human, and basically....get on with everyone.
Right, best go sort out that little dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians! I think a game of Twister is probably all that's needed.
