Saturday 7 May 2016

Twitter Rage!

It is a sad fact of life that there are people who like nothing better than to stir up trouble as in: ''have stick, so will poke it into this hornets' nest'' and Twitter seems to be the perfect forum for such people to indulge their activities. I have witnessed some right car crashes unfolding in the four years since I joined Twitter as a fledgling.

It seems to me that there is something about an impersonal forum, where one can hide behind a screen and a manufactured identity that suits the mentality of certain people, as it permits them to throw out what in the real world might be seen as sheer and unmitigating unpleasantness.

So how do we respond to the snarky comments, the tantrum-throwing and the frankly agenda-laced aggressive nutters that patrol Twitter and other forums? Are there unwritten rules of behaviour? Because if we are writers with books to sell, we have to put ourselves out there and then we are going to meet individuals whose opinions and stances and behavioural 'norms' differ radically from ours.

I firmly believe there is a difference between disagreeing over a particular issue, and launching a personal attack on another Twitter member and their tweets. I am visited by the odd troll every now and then, so I can completely understand why, in such a circumstance, one would want to create digital distance by Unfollowing or Blocking the attacker. After all, if it was real life, you'd certainly cross the road to avoid their company in future.

Blocking/unfollowing/muting someone with whom you happen to have started a lively dialogue over an issue, however strongly you or they feel about it, is in my opinion the equivalent of stamping your foot, storming out and slamming the door. I did it at 13. Maybe you did it too. I don't do it now because I hope I'm more grown up. Thus I am happy to say: 'OK, let's agree to differ on this one. Thanks for the chat,' and drop out of the discussion, which is what I chose to do in the case of the ''Everything's a Blairite Conspiracy'' discussion I got involved in recently.
.
Whenever I am sorely tempted to let rip angrily, I remind myself of what happened when I was at the Edinburgh Festival some time ago. There I witnessed a very nasty row take place in public
between two well-known writers (both household names). I remember thinking at the time: if that's the way you behave, then I don't think I want to read your books. And I never have.

Twitter can seem like one's front room. It isn't, and it's important to realise that anybody can and will read what we tweet, and see how we react to 'trolls'. So what do you think? Do you speak your mind - whatever the outcome? How do you deal with Twitter rage? Pile in ... not too heatedly!

20 comments:

  1. I do tend to reply, politely and calmly if I can, but without holding back on my views. I don't resort to insulting the other tweeter although I'd like to because I am aware of being 'public" and that kind of behaviour would say as much about me as it would about the troll, or whoever. Having stated my views I'd stop participating in the conversation. I have muted/unfollowed a few people but I've only ever blocked one person who was utterly vile. I think you're right about this perceived anonymity giving people a licence to spew forth utter tripe etc but many of us are who we say we are and like to maintain our standards! There are people on here I wouldn't allow in my home so I won't engage with them here either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You look at what 'celebs' get, or Guardian female journos, and you do wonder. I go on some of the article threads and post, and there is some amazingly rude stuff on there... I think it is the new hate-forum.

      Delete
  2. I've never experienced this on Twitter, but I've seen it on Facebook. The worst, though, is on Youtube, where people say horrible things. I resist responding at all, even when the comments are on my own page or film clips. I'd rather not give the person an opportunity to vent even more.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just try to ignore them. Hard for me.... But everything on social (and anti-social) media is a one-day wonder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are both right and...umm...wrong...I have known stuff I tweeted (politics) two years ago quoted back at me. Some people have long memories..and certainly in th book world. Rachel Thompson (@Bareredheadmedia) has just done a FB post on NOT slagging your publisher off on social media as other publishers will be less willing to take you on.

      Delete
  4. I endeavour to say something nice...clever...and subtly devastating...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ....... with the emphasis on 'endeavour' hahahahaha

      Delete
  5. There is a polite way and a make-yourself-look-an-idiot way of disagreeing with someone online. Trouble is that it's so much easier to be rude to someone when they're not standing in front of you. Mostly, though, I can't be bothered to talk to the opinionated but ill-informed, either online or in real life, so I just... don't. Though, to be honest, I do succumb to the temptation to make the odd carefully caustic remark. Sometimes it would be rude not to :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh absolutely.....hahaha ..and having a caustic manner also having a bio that says 'old, loud & opinionated' does act as a deterrent.

      Delete
  6. I try to step back. Whoever doesn't actually know me, nor really care what I think, and may have narcissistic needs that I'm not going to meet. So I trot off and read a book.

    But do unfollow blatant racists or sexists. Can't be doing with them. And really struggle with anyone trying to defend Jeremy Hunt.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I turn German and forget my knowledge of English

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You do that anyway..I'm always 'translating' your tweets into 'english'

      Delete
    2. Bugger, again something that's not working

      Delete
  8. I find Twitter much easier to cope with than Facebook. You are interacting with a friend on Facebook when suddenly a friend of theirs puts in rude comment directed at you. Inappropriate behaviour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now, a lot of people say this...have to report it has never happened to me. What I DO object to is people posting books etc onto my FB page...which I quietly delete...

      Delete
    2. Your friends obviously have nicer friends than my friends have!!

      Delete
    3. I probably have different privacy settings..you can't cut into any of my chats unless I have friended you.

      Delete
  9. Call it like you see it, Sacha!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Coming in a bit late - I tend not to get into anything on Twitter, which I find less appealing than Facebook, on which I have fairly tight security measures, but much prefer. I do see some people getting into frightful rows there, though. I stay out of it!

    ReplyDelete

So here's your chance! Talk to me. Comments will be visible after moderation.