Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I was out for a beer a few weeks ago with an old skool forumite, who doesn't really post very often these days, and we got to talking about people we'd met, who came over very differently online compared to "real life". As a result, I've been meaning to start this thread on online personas, but kept forgetting to do it until now.


So, do you feel that you are basically yourself on here / facebook / twitter etc, or do you act differently?


I'm not talking about trolls, who are just weird little people who get thrills from just trying to stir up trouble online, because they have no life. They are a separate group who are probably beyond help. I am talking about your average person who uses online forums, or social networks.


Personally, I'd like to say that I am totally myself, and don't try to be different. I am honest about my opinions on things, and I try to be fair, as I would in the real world.


HOWEVER


By the very nature of being online, you are operating in the written word, and everything is there in black and white to go back and double check. As a result, I admit that I probably do edit before posting at times, in order to sound more concise. Also, things that people say which I may not pick up on, or may let slide in the real world, are there in black and white, and so I may reread them, and think on them, and get angered by them. As a result, I think I allow myself to get wound up by things that really wouldn't bother me in real life. And I admit, I rise to them, and get involved in arguments.


So, that is me, on me. Do people feel the same sort of way, or are most people totally themselves when online?


There are some people online who I just can't imagine getting by in the real world without getting themselves beaten up, because they are so abrasive and rude. Do these people act this way because they feel brave behind the anonymity of the internet, or are they just like that?


I am hoping this will be an interesting thread of discussion rather than a slagging match...

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/23938-online-personas/
Share on other sites

A few posters who I met through the forum first rather than in the real world have commented that I'm much nicer in the real world, but that my debating style is very similar regardless of on or off line (although you can't hear the chuckle online).


I just spend the majority of my time on here debating stuff, which I don't do quite as much in real life.

El Pibe Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Also you are pretty much you if that helps.

>

> Is your old skool forumite an drunken ranter in

> his occasional posts? In which case that's EXACTLY

> what he's like in real life ;)



Ha ha, who could you possibly mean? ;-)


No, not him, a lovely lady who has become a top mate.

I think posting online gives you licence, as Huguenot says, to debate more. I get irate when I debate with people who are idiots, on or offline, and worse, people I know not to be idiots but seem to be adopting idiotic positions. I never say anything on here that I wouldn't say to someone's face, but I know that I've upset people that I wouldn't in real life because the debate just wouldn't have evolved in the same way down the pub.


In "real life" I'm an incorrigible flirt and take considerable delight in a good innuendo. I try to rein it in on here - not always successfully - because it's unbecoming to hint at your sexual proclivities to 20,000 people.


And I'm hilarious. It's just you lot broke my funny bone.


edited because I can't type for shit today.

Otta - I think you're fairly similar online to real life, but a little more "verbose" on here than you are face-to-face.


I'm more abrupt on here than I am in r/l. On here I'm sometimes quite quick to wade in with "you're talking rubbish", but if I were talking with them face-to-face it would be a rather more polite "not sure I necessarily agree" type of thing. But the same applies to a lot of people with online discussions... it's the nature of the beast.

I probably come over as right wing, libertarian Torygraph reader.


In reality I'm a a pretty tolerant, slightly cynical, live and let live kind of person with a deep, very deep, suspicion of any prescriptive solution to the world's ills believing more in the cock up, rather than conspiracy, theory of life and history.


And this is me - many years ago!


file.php?20,file=52753

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Given her role, she pretty much had to go. I don't think she is an avid tax-schemer who deliberately set out to avoid tax - I do pretty much believe her story of multiple high-profile roles and looking after a child with needs. But many regular voters juggle demanding jobs and families and are afforded no leeway by taxman, so she totally should have known better But here we are - she was found to be negligent and now she has suffered teh consequence. To me that its the OPPOSITE of all parties/politicians as generally the ignore the whole thing (today we have Tice saying Farage's tax affairs are of no interest to voters for example) And it would be poor form to not acknowledge why she was targeted quite so viciously - we even have posters on here here saying "when I saw her taping on a boat that was the  end for me" - like the end of what?. Her gender and class were clear motivators for many people. Two wrongs don't make a right - but it';s interesting to see some posters on here give so many others a blank cheque. Many are planning to vote for Farage despite his dishonesty being 100x worse than Rayner PS - I don't think she will join Corbyn party - unlike him she is smart and unlike him she recognises that being In power means you can at least stand a chance of delivering results This. The Greens will have a rise in the polls on back of new leader but that is one hell of a coalition of NIMBY/YIMBYs As what would Reform do if in government to help with... well, anything?   Labour can at least point to decreasing waiting lists, lower immigration numbers, not having a different PM every 6 months - not that anyone is listening
    • So what do people want?  More housing.  More affordable housing.  But not in my back yard. That applies to urban areas too.  Easy to criticise, but where are your answers?
    • this doesn't mean anything - it's a word salad with no reference to the topic at hand. And given the video I posted it's notable that you didn't reference it at all. The subject is the proliferation of weird intimidating Flag wavers....    As for me, I didn't vote Labour at last election, nor will I in next election (if I lived in a Labour/Tory/Reform marginal, that might be different)
    • Her legacy will be the Deputy leader/Housing Secretary who was the Labour party's sleaze crime fighter who broke the ministerial code for not paying enough stamp duty on one of her houses. As Housing Secretary she probably should have known better.    I wonder if she will defect to Corbyn where she will no doubt be welcomed with open arms and the words: "You did nothing wrong, it was all a media conspiracy comrade......"
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...