Abuse and NSC

[Mowgli37]

I think because we all support the same team there's this idea we must have other things in common. We don't, we just support the same football team! It's a real cross-section of people, some of whom if we met in real life we'd really like, some of whom we wouldn't. There's gonna be a massive divergence of opinions etc - and people who are respectful and polite, and those who aren't. But there's a huge difference between disagreeing with someone and thinking they're an idiot, to actually being abusive.

Is the correct answer

 

[GingerBeerMan]

In my experience, it tends to be people who have very little responsibility or authority in real life who quickly turn to abuse. It's their only opportunity to express themselves. (Same as kids who cross a road very slowly in front of traffic to make it slow down).

Love this explanation, makes a lot of sense.

(Prick).

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

If it's a regular occurrence (in life) then there's a chance you might be being a dick. If you try not to be a dick it's probable that people will not call you a knob so often.

However, you might be being called a knob by people who are being dicks themselves (regardless of your behaviour).

It's complicated....

So there is a connection, although if I'm being a 'Cock' or a 'Prick' then it will become even more complicated...

 

[sydney]

LOL

 

[Return of the Rev]

I regularly read and contribute on NSC. I did stop for a while because it seemed there were too many abusive posters on here, but soon realised I missed it because most folk were very intelligent and rational and made some very thought provoking posts.

It leads me to a question though. Of the small number who do make inciting and abusive remarks, but perhaps not enough to constitute a ban, what is their psychology? What is their reasoning behind a person attacking another for a view deemed different to theirs? I often wonder at posts that simply read ‘Idiot’ or ‘dickhead’ and try to understand the reasoning behind them. If someone, say, writes 'David Beckham is a knob', what do they expect to fulfil from such an inarticulate rant ?

It’s not something we’d do in normal life.

I think it's because I enjoy the forum so much that all this puzzles me.

Do one weirdo beardo

 

[severnside gull]

It's a fair point and, putting our share of the neo-nazi population aside, most of the abuse that does go on seems to be from identifiably juvenile posters........ the social media generation who have grown up feeling that they cannot be held to account when on-line.
I think that the grey hairs and the suits are slowly catching on to the risks and legislation, and ultimately prosecution, will increase.

Not understanding that feeling immune is inevitably a precursor for dumping your angst (real or pretend) on anyone who shows vulnerability is a generational thing but try thinking back to playground bullies.....


Fortunately people on here seem generally quick to jump on the trolls and the mods are excellent.

 

[Mackenzie]

Anyone calling D-Beck a knob needs their HEAD READ.

Their knob head?

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

If it's a regular occurrence (in life) then there's a chance you might be being a dick. If you try not to be a dick it's probable that people will not call you a knob so often.

I often behave quite "knobishly" in real life for s**ts and giggles but rarely get called a knob so perhaps Baron P is getting an unfair portion of the knob calling which should be directed at others but the overall balance of being a knob and knob calling equilibrium is still in balance

 

[glasfryn]

try telling "them" you like cats, that normally starts a sh1tstorm

 

[Seasider78]

It never ceases to amaze me the way people behave on the Internet or behind the wheels of cars as they would never do those things face to face.

There was an excellent advert aired this year where people were walking down the street behaving as they do in cars which highlighted the ridiculous nature of that type of behaviour. The Internet if anything is a heightened version of that

 

[JTR938]

You might as well paint a target on your head ready for this lot to take a pot shot at you I agree with what your saying though, problem is there is no reason with idiots so you can never understand their behaviour

You really are a tedious bore!
Out of interest were you at the forest away game last season?

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

It never ceases to amaze me the way people behave on the Internet or behind the wheels of cars as they would never do those things face to face.

There was an excellent advert aired this year where people were walking down the street behaving as they do in cars which highlighted the ridiculous nature of that type of behaviour. The Internet if anything is a heightened version of that

and don't forget the shopping trolley. The number of people who just shove trolleys around and into people with complete disregard for others is horrendous. My wife was bashed into when she was 8 months pregnant and not even given an apology

 

[Surf's Up]

baron pepperpot is a knob

is the blindingly obvious response you knob Soprano

 

[daveinprague]

and don't forget the shopping trolley. The number of people who just shove trolleys around and into people with complete disregard for others is horrendous. My wife was bashed into when she was 8 months pregnant and not even given an apology

Theres also mothers with prams, who seem to think they have carte blanche to steam out of a shop using a buggy as some sort of battering ram, and 'tut' you if they hit you.

 

[BHAZiggy]

What the OP described is, to me, simply somebody who is out of their depth in a discussion. Their own ideas have been disproved and they have nothing left to offer so the resort to abuse because they think it makes them tough. They seem to be more likely to do it if at least one other person has the same view as them.
They seem to have the misguided idea that if they can manage to extinguish everybody else's candles, their own will burn brighter. These people are incapable of understanding somebody else's view and occasionally saying, "I hadn't though of it that way. Maybe I was wrong." because to them, admitting that you're wrong is considered a weakness.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

So there is a connection, although if I'm being a 'Cock' or a 'Prick' then it will become even more complicated...

Please could you make your mind up whether you are going to be a Cock, a Prick, a Knob or a Dick. We need to know what we are dealing with.

But on a more serious note. One man's (or woman's) meat is another man's poison. So something that I might agree with will make you a knob or one of those other things in someone else's eyes.

I guess that, rather than just have such a response, you would rather have someone explain why they think that, even if the reasons given are things you will not agree with anyway. It does sometimes happen on here that people can agree to differ, or that people who thought they were at opposite ends of the argument are not actually that far apart.

People do sometimes apologise. I have done before now.

 

[TheJasperCo]

Any argument can be invalidated with use of the word "literally" i.e "you sir, are quite literally a nob." In other cases, I would tend to ignore any abuse, butthen again abuse is subjective: people have different thresholds beyond which they are offended. This, I think, poses a legal minefield.

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

Any argument can be invalidated with use of the word "literally" i.e "you sir, are quite literally a nob." In other cases, I would tend to ignore any abuse, butthen again abuse is subjective: people have different thresholds beyond which they are offended. This, I think, poses a legal minefield.

I think the word 'literally' has a strange use. To suggest someone is quite literally a knob is to doubt the suggestion that they are merely a knob as having the capacity to be taken as accurate.

I would suggest that to call someone a knob, without the need for a qualifying adverb, has more strength in its impact.

Then again, today I am acting like a knob, (note use of the term 'acting' as an adjective), with too much time on his hands.

 

[One Love]

In my experience, it tends to be people who have very little responsibility or authority in real life who quickly turn to abuse. It's their only opportunity to express themselves. (Same as kids who cross a road very slowly in front of traffic to make it slow down).

Good post

 

[Wellesley]

I think the word 'literally' has a strange use. To suggest someone is quite literally a knob is to doubt the suggestion that they are merely a knob as having the capacity to be taken as accurate.

I would suggest that to call someone a knob, without the need for a qualifying adverb, has more strength in its impact.

Then again, today I am acting like a knob, (note use of the term 'acting' as an adjective), with too much time on his hands.

Is it ok to abuse someone if you do it SURREPTITIOUSLY?