Thread: Are you mean online?

I agree that humans really are this bad and I have never done anything like this, because it's ridiculous.

Just ridiculous.

Also, what games do you play?

I've been part of several online communities and have ended up leaving because people do seem to leave decency behind when not dealing with others face-to-face. Personally, I belive in 'do as you would be done by', so I try to be courteous when dealing with cyber-friends!

My hubby's doing an online gaming thing (something to do with building medieval villages?) and is very frustrated by the level of pettiness, ie; big warlords smiting newbie builders before they have a chance to get into the game.

Not everyone's that bad, though. Have faith!

I know there's a more appropriate image macro out there but I can't seem to find it; you'll have to make due with those two and your imagination.

Anyways, I don't think I'm "mean" on the internet but I am more likely to continuously bug someone if they're being a total fucktard. The only online game I play atm is on a private server run by a group of friends that hooked up before the official server went down so, as a result, most of the community consists of like-minded people. If a twat happens to join, they're usually dealt with via mute/ban. In the eyes of a newcomer, I (as well as many others) appear to be mean at times on those forums but that's mainly because they don't realize we're joking around. That anecdote was supposed to lead into something but I lost my train of thought... I'll leave that there and edit this if I remember what I originally wanted to post. >_< Aside from that, I'm about as pleasant (hopefully) online as I am offline.

Hurray for run-on sentences and garbled grammar.

That's none of your goddamn bus.....I mean, no. Of course I'm not mean online.

I don't play online games too often, so I don't have to put up with that sort of stuff much. But I know the kinds you're talking about. Stupid, immature morons who love to gloat, boast and show off when they're playing online. They really have nothing to show off. So they can play a game well. Who cares? It's just a game. I think the reason most of them like to act that way is because they have no skills to boast about in real life and feel a great sense of power and achievement when they beat players who are new to the game. They love to annoy and harass people when they're in their element, but probably wouldn't open their mouths to anyone who isn't on a screen.

But like you said, it's about one in eight. They're a minority. Most people aren't like that. Online gaming can bring out the bad side in people, but it more often brings out the good side. Complete strangers comes together and talk to each other, exchange stories, have fun. They team up and work together really well. Some become friends and some even fall in love. So don't let it get you down. Whenever someone is being a dick, just ignore them and enjoy the game.

Originally Posted by Franklin

Also, what games do you play?

The one I'm talking about is Left 4 Dead 2 (I occasionally play Left 4 Dead 1 and very occasionally Starcraft 2. Those are the only online games I play.)

Originally Posted by GavinGill

In the eyes of a newcomer, I (as well as many others) appear to be mean at times on those forums but that's mainly because they don't realize we're joking around.

I'd probably be one of those people. I seem to have more trouble than most people telling when someone is joking.

Originally Posted by Heavy Sleeper

I think the reason most of them like to act that way is because they have no skills to boast about in real life and feel a great sense of power and achievement when they beat players who are new to the game.

Yeah, being a newb in a game is the worst. A friend bought me the game, and I've been playing it with him and his friends, mostly. But they aren't always available to play, so I often get stuck playing public games. If I had gone through the complete-newb stage in public, I don't think I would have been able to deal with it.

I'll add that I doubt people would treat me as badly if they knew I was female. It helps a lot to have a mic in this particular game, and I have one, but I rarely use it in public games. Most of them probably assume I'm male. Using the mic might save me from ridiculed, but then I'd be afraid they're still thinking the insults and just not saying them. And if they did yell at me even after hearing my voice and knowing I'm female, the insults would feel a lot more personal and I'd be even more hurt by them. That's the main reason I only use it with friends and friends-of-friends.

I think the average male player thinks less of insults and more of, "Oh, she must have made that mistake because she's a girl." Makes me pretty angry, to be honest.

Also, I play a fair bit of L4D2. My Steam ID is Blunderguff, so feel free to add me~

Whenever I play COD at my cousin's house, I get her to say something on the mic just to get my team to ease off when I screw up (which happens frequently since I'm horrible at shooters).

See? Gender inequality on the 'net isn't all bad. Unless that's followed by a barrage of "shows us your tits!!1!!one!" or what have you...

online is the only place you are allowed to be a dick, and you people want to bitch about this? here's an idea, don't play on line anymore

dicks

You just had to make the distinction "besides on formal forums like this", didn't you? And here I had a grand plan of thoroughly berating you to get the point across.

Though in all honesty I mostly avoid being mean online.

What exactly do they say?

Yeah :/ I play xbox360 online a lot, I have a headset but I don't use it and never communicate because I am a girl I'd get a lot of shit...which the one time I used it, I did get shit....
and no I don't do/say things like that online

I don't play online often (don't have a headset), but often times I play Grand Theft Auto and I'll be at the airport where all the action is at, and this jackass will make sure no one else gets into a helicopter by blowing them all up. This is because if someone else had one then that would mean that they have a better chance of killing him. So if I really wanted to fly one, I'd have to drive all the way across the city where there is less people. It makes it all worth the drive if I'm able to hunt him down again and shoot him out of the air. I knew if I was a girl in a headset I'd probably be able to talk to him into just giving me his helicopter though

I mostly see assanine comments on forums with a lot of people, like Youtube. Almost everytime I go on youtube there's people calling each other obscene names over... nothing? If it turns out you are wrong about something, prepare to get a ton of shit for it. Also people make mean comments on just the videos. It saddens me a little when I see that people block all comments on their video because too many people are being mean (but then again, why not just take the video down if it's that bad). I try not to comment too often because I don't want to be flamed. I do notice however that people are much much nicer in smaller communities. I joined a Resident Evil forum and a Metal Gear Solid forum, and although the boards don't have much activity, the people are really friendly.

I also realized that it can be hard to tell when someone's being mean. I felt like I almost got into a fight with someone here at DreamViews but it turned out that he was joking and we ended up being OK.

Edit: Oh and btw, I'm not mean online. I'm hardly mean ever. I think it's a pretty coward thing to do to talk shit to people and hide behind a computer screen.

@greenhavoc and whoever agrees with him: I hear that a lot and I understand that the internet is a place where you can be a dick without any real consequences, but why would you even want to be a dick? It's like when men say they would rape a woman if they didn't get caught, why would you ever want to rape a woman in the first place?

Obviously being a dick on the internet is not as bad as raping someone, but still. Both can leave a person feeling all kinds of awful and that just seems like a silly thing to do.

Silly silly silly.

First, if you really have to be a dick - don't be a little bitch and hide behind anonymity. Own up.

Second, the internet is the worst place to embrace humanities asshole behavior - trolling destroys much of its awesome potential.

Third, I think greenhavoc's comments should be taken with a grain of salt. Right?

There is no greater coward than the Internet Tough Guy.

On the internet no one knows you're a dog.

(I kept hearing this phrase in the book Microserfs I've been reading. Did it used to be popular or something?)

Originally Posted by gameoverlord345

What exactly do they say?

It varies of course. "Fucking idiot", "[Name]'s worse than a bot..", "What the fuck is wrong with you?", just general insults.

I used to get them about every second game when I was starting, now I only get them sometimes when I make a stupid one-time mistake.
And when there's no one who is terrible in the game to focus their energy on, they seem to express a general impatience toward everyone, and sound rather whiny. If someone is behind the group a little, he'll bother him to hurry up. If someone else chooses a gun he doesn't personally like, he'll express irritation. Small things, but with a negative annoyed tone.

Originally Posted by Franklin

Also, I play a fair bit of L4D2. My Steam ID is Blunderguff, so feel free to add me~

I shall add you.

Originally Posted by Dianeva

(I kept hearing this phrase in the book Microserfs I've been reading. Did it used to be popular or something?)

Haha. Yeah. It got pretty popular when social networking and dating sites started blowing up, because of all of the people pretending to be model material, who...well...weren't. Lmao.

Originally Posted by Franklin

@greenhavoc and whoever agrees with him: I hear that a lot and I understand that the internet is a place where you can be a dick without any real consequences, but why would you even want to be a dick? It's like when men say they would rape a woman if they didn't get caught, why would you ever want to rape a woman in the first place?

Yeah, because we all know secretly wanting to rape someone and acting an ass online is EXACTLY the same thing.

I can't imagine why someone would treat you like a little bitch online. Seriously, stay the course because you're going places, champ.

Originally Posted by dajo

Third, I think greenhavoc's comments should be taken with a grain of salt. Right?

It's fun, right?

Being mean is never fun.

Randomly attacking people because one has the emotional maturity of a gnat says more about the bully than the victim.
Also keep in mind that certain games attract certain players unfortunately. Look at WoW. I LOVE that game, but it seems to be filled with teens who want to "cyber" and see the Elves dance around without clothes
Everquest 2 is a game I love even more than WoW, and one of the reasons why is because it tends to attract more mature players.

Now I'm poor and playing Runescape. I thoroughly enjoy that game too, but I have to deal with WoW maturity levels.
I'm a solitary player, for the most part though. Tthat way I'm almost guaranteed not to have to deal with drama.

Originally Posted by greenhavoc

Yeah, because we all know secretly wanting to rape someone and acting an ass online is EXACTLY the same thing.

I didn't know that but thanks for telling me.

Originally Posted by louie54

I mostly see assanine comments on forums with a lot of people, like Youtube. Almost everytime I go on youtube there's people calling each other obscene names over... nothing?

Originally Posted by louie54

I do notice however that people are much much nicer in smaller communities. I joined a Resident Evil forum and a Metal Gear Solid forum, and although the boards don't have much activity, the people are really friendly.

The smaller the community is, the more likely you'll have to own up to what you do and say since word of your idiocy travels quick. In large communities you don't have to worry about that, everything just get's washed away by the anonymous masses within days, if not hours.

A lot of people seem to use the internet as a way to vent the anger and frustration they've built up throughout the day in "real life," I wouldn't take the criticism/insults to heart.

Originally Posted by greenhavoc

online is the only place you are allowed to be a dick, and you people want to bitch about this? here's an idea, don't play on line anymore

dicks

Since there are neglegible consequences for being a jerk in online games, that must mean they exist for you to be a jerk in them and you should take full advantage of this. Seems logical.

Originally Posted by greenhavoc

I can't imagine why someone would treat you like a little bitch online. Seriously, stay the course because you're going places, champ.

I agree. And I couldn't imagine how anyone could treat you with respect.

With regards to chatting, I'm about the same in my meanness levels online and IRL. I'm not mean (or even vocal) often, but if someone is being a douche or immature, I won't hesitate to say, "dude, shut the hell up." I'm not sure how mean this is, but however mean it may be is how mean I am IRL.
With regards to making dick moves in online games (e.g. camping in FPS games), I'm meaner. Without the threat of someone next to me punching me IRL, I will be quite Machiavellian in games.