Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Teh Internets Don't Fire the Trolls
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Then, while I was in our 10 a.m. news meeting, someone posted in reply a single word, a vulgar expression for a part of a woman’s anatomy. It was there only a minute before a colleague deleted it.A few minutes later, the same guy posted the same single-word comment again. I deleted it, but noticed in the WordPress e-mail alert that his comment had come from an IP address at a local school. So I called the school. They were happy to have me forward the e-mail, though I wasn’t sure what they’d be able to do with the meager information it included.
After some detective work at the school, they located the commenter, who then resigned on the spot. Overkill much? The commenters on the post seem to be leaning more toward the "You did an asshole thing by forcing the guy out of his job" side of things, and Greenbaum seems genuinely surprised by the aggression from commenters.
Share via
4
First of all, I seriously doubt the school would have fired the guy for that misstep. Discipline, yes, but not termination. But I don't think notifying the school was overkill at all. His employer is certainly entitled to know what its employees are up to on their work time and on the school's hardware and network. (hello: taxpayer dollars.) He probably resigned rather than face an investigation of all the other, more salacious things he's been up to on the company's time/network.
5
Wow. What a giant fucking asshole.
This comment sums it up:
"Just out of curiosity, is this now an official PD policy, i.e. commentors making unacceptable comments will be tracked and their employers notified? Or is it just willy-nilly, “oh hey,I just happened to see this guy’s email, and it looks like he works for a school, I’ll report him”? Are there certain employers you will report to, but others you will not? Will these policies be posted somewhere? Is it accurate to say that racist comments are ok, but junior high humor is not?"
Hey Slog, please don't contact my employer. thx.
This comment sums it up:
"Just out of curiosity, is this now an official PD policy, i.e. commentors making unacceptable comments will be tracked and their employers notified? Or is it just willy-nilly, “oh hey,I just happened to see this guy’s email, and it looks like he works for a school, I’ll report him”? Are there certain employers you will report to, but others you will not? Will these policies be posted somewhere? Is it accurate to say that racist comments are ok, but junior high humor is not?"
Hey Slog, please don't contact my employer. thx.
7
One of the critical parts of the story was that the original post by the author was about the strangest thing you've ever eaten. So, the commenter was making a joke ("cunt"), not just going around calling people names and being a troll. For a "dirty" joke, anonymously made on the internet, someone was outed to their workplace (and therefore, had to resign)?
I mean, I'm obviously uncomfortable with the idea of a blog tracking my IP address and notifying my workplace of something that I've posted online, regardless. But the fact that he was making a joke just makes it that much worse.
I mean, I'm obviously uncomfortable with the idea of a blog tracking my IP address and notifying my workplace of something that I've posted online, regardless. But the fact that he was making a joke just makes it that much worse.
8
THE LOLOCAUST WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN IF SUM MURDERUUS CRETINE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE WHITE KITTY DOWN.
AS IF A CAT HAS JOB/FAMILY/LIFE TO TAKE AWAY.
I EAT THINGS! EAT DEM. HOW COULD ANY1 STOP ME FROM DAT? TELL ME DARLINGS, U GON GIT ME FIRED? I'M ON FIRE ALL DA TIME, I BURN AND PILLAGE RAGE AMONG DA FILTH. DIS MY FAVE SLOGGEEE POST IN LONG WHILE, MAKES MY KITTY CROCKLES PURR AND WARM CUZ OF DELICIOUS THINGS TO SAY. I MET THIS CRUNK DONKEY, AN HE TOL ME NEVAH GIVE UP LIKE OPPOSITE OF DUMB STUPES. HALOL. HA-LOL. SLAUGHTERED W/CARE.
AS IF A CAT HAS JOB/FAMILY/LIFE TO TAKE AWAY.
I EAT THINGS! EAT DEM. HOW COULD ANY1 STOP ME FROM DAT? TELL ME DARLINGS, U GON GIT ME FIRED? I'M ON FIRE ALL DA TIME, I BURN AND PILLAGE RAGE AMONG DA FILTH. DIS MY FAVE SLOGGEEE POST IN LONG WHILE, MAKES MY KITTY CROCKLES PURR AND WARM CUZ OF DELICIOUS THINGS TO SAY. I MET THIS CRUNK DONKEY, AN HE TOL ME NEVAH GIVE UP LIKE OPPOSITE OF DUMB STUPES. HALOL. HA-LOL. SLAUGHTERED W/CARE.
9
LIST OF BAD THINGS TO HUNK DUUU:
SWEARZ
MURDERZ
RAPES? NO RAPEZ. RAPES.
BURNINGS.
ARSONSZ.
FLAGELLATIONS
HURTFUL WERDS
BUTCHER THE WHALES.
ALL THE WHALES.
SLOG FULL OF BLUBBER, SO CUT IT OUT.
SWEARZ
MURDERZ
RAPES? NO RAPEZ. RAPES.
BURNINGS.
ARSONSZ.
FLAGELLATIONS
HURTFUL WERDS
BUTCHER THE WHALES.
ALL THE WHALES.
SLOG FULL OF BLUBBER, SO CUT IT OUT.
10
giantladysquirrels: if you actually went and read the story and the comments, you would see that the person resigned (presumably out of fear that he would be fired). Also: it was never made clear it was a public school. Also: the editor gave no evidence that he was informed that the offense was on work time. And yeah, thanks, for that quote, kersy. The lack of consistent rules in terms of whose workplace gets contacted when for which comments is a major part of the problem.
Mindblowingly unprofessional on this editor's part.
Mindblowingly unprofessional on this editor's part.
11
@4 - Are you kidding me? You think it's totally fine for someone at the Stranger to take your e-mail and IP address, figure out where you work, and tell your employer that you've been posting on company time? Or, maybe you're not on company time, but they figure out your name and where you work, and just decide to forward your comments on anyways?
I mean, if a company finds out that you've been surfing the internet when you should be working, I don't have much of a problem with someone being fired. But, for the blog to out someone? That is completely out of line, unless there is some sort of threat of bodily harm or criminal activity going on in the comments.
I mean, if a company finds out that you've been surfing the internet when you should be working, I don't have much of a problem with someone being fired. But, for the blog to out someone? That is completely out of line, unless there is some sort of threat of bodily harm or criminal activity going on in the comments.
12
Uh, "leek" @10, it's dort of "mindblowingly unprofessional" to be on the internet posting to blogs about oral sex while on the clock.
The comments on that blog are hilarious, threatening legal action under the nom de plume "Hal Jordan" and so on*. If residents of that town found out a public school employee was posting on blogs during the workday about eating pussy, they'd demand more than his resignation.
Don't post anything on the internet during/from work time if you care about holding onto your job, full stop.
*I'm amused by the idea of that test pilot/superhero posting about cunnilingus from Ferris Aircraft or the Justice League Watchtower
The comments on that blog are hilarious, threatening legal action under the nom de plume "Hal Jordan" and so on*. If residents of that town found out a public school employee was posting on blogs during the workday about eating pussy, they'd demand more than his resignation.
Don't post anything on the internet during/from work time if you care about holding onto your job, full stop.
*I'm amused by the idea of that test pilot/superhero posting about cunnilingus from Ferris Aircraft or the Justice League Watchtower
13
Good reason #283 why you should buy a good smart phone and use that for all your nefarious web-surfing.
14
"just pointin' out," as I pointed out in my comment, there is no evidence given anywhere that this person was officially on the clock or that the school was a public school (in fact, the existence of a "headmaster" would seem to indicate not). But whatever. Don't let reality stop you from doin' your thing.
16
Their own Privacy statement:
"We will not share individual user information with third parties unless the user has specifically approved the release of that information. In some cases, however, we may provide information to legal officials as described in 'Compliance with Legal Process'"
"We will not share individual user information with third parties unless the user has specifically approved the release of that information. In some cases, however, we may provide information to legal officials as described in 'Compliance with Legal Process'"
17
Dick move, maybe, but seriously, more people need to understand that anonymity on the internet is the exception to the rule. Yes, with a few simple tools you can leave anonymous jerky comments without leaving any identifying details, but the vast majority of people who leave those sorts of jerky comments don't bother.
I'm with #4. The fact that he resigned indicates there was something more beyond just saying "cunt" on the internet while at his desk. Maybe not, but my inclination is to agree with that conclusion.
And even if not, the bottom line is that the internet is all about dick moves. Don't leave yourself vulnerable to them. Assume that every time you leave a comment from your work IP address, someone will be a dick about it and try to get you fired. And it only takes one dick to make a dick move.
I agree with #13's solution. When I have time to comment on something at work, it will be posted from my phone. And I was retroactively on break when it happened. And how did you get this number?
I'm with #4. The fact that he resigned indicates there was something more beyond just saying "cunt" on the internet while at his desk. Maybe not, but my inclination is to agree with that conclusion.
And even if not, the bottom line is that the internet is all about dick moves. Don't leave yourself vulnerable to them. Assume that every time you leave a comment from your work IP address, someone will be a dick about it and try to get you fired. And it only takes one dick to make a dick move.
I agree with #13's solution. When I have time to comment on something at work, it will be posted from my phone. And I was retroactively on break when it happened. And how did you get this number?
18
@11 Just as importantly, wouldn't this be an incredibly self-defeating move for a blog editor? Would YOU want to post ANYTHING on a site that is run by someone like that?
Even so, grandma's old rule about "Be careful little hands what you type" so be heeded. If you can't defend a comment in person, it is totally chickenshit to make it anonymously. We're not talking about ratting out Nixon here, or protesting the war, we're talking old fashioned gossip. It's been nailing people for centuries.
Even so, grandma's old rule about "Be careful little hands what you type" so be heeded. If you can't defend a comment in person, it is totally chickenshit to make it anonymously. We're not talking about ratting out Nixon here, or protesting the war, we're talking old fashioned gossip. It's been nailing people for centuries.
19
Now that the blogger took away his literary release valve, he'll go back to his original plan involving semi-automatic weapons.
Good going, Gumby.
Now that the blogger took away his literary release valve, he'll go back to his original plan involving semi-automatic weapons.
Good going, Gumby.
20
@19: Yessir. Before there were anonymous comments on blogs, everyone with the tiniest urge to fuck with people just went on a shooting rampage instead.
21
"the strangest things you’ve ever eaten
...
a vulgar expression for a part of a woman’s anatomy."
At least it was meant in jest. what a loathsome baby that blogger is. I helped run a large discussion site for ages, while I banned people for trolling, I never called their job (or parents).
...
a vulgar expression for a part of a woman’s anatomy."
At least it was meant in jest. what a loathsome baby that blogger is. I helped run a large discussion site for ages, while I banned people for trolling, I never called their job (or parents).
22
@18 "If you can't defend a comment in person, it is totally chickenshit to make it anonymously."
No, it's not. For a while, I was really curious about 'holocaust denial,' and read about it a lot. I even posted questions about the infeasibility of some of the (clearly false) reports about nazi execution methods. As time passed, I came to realize that specific details about how people were killed were less important than the fact that many, many people were undeniably killed.
Outside of my own internal context, my words would make me seem like a holocaust denier. I am not. Should my posts be passed on to my coworkers? Should I be judged by a single post?
Relative anonymity is expected on the internet for many, many reasons. But the fact that you can say, think, and research things you wouldn't talk about publicly has to be the biggest.
I have an STD by the way. What if forums or blogs decided they'd contact my family or work to let them know I'd posted about that? Is that expectation of privacy 'chickenshit' to you? What if I posted that I had been raped as a child? Should I be forced to use my real name to satisfy you?
No, it's not. For a while, I was really curious about 'holocaust denial,' and read about it a lot. I even posted questions about the infeasibility of some of the (clearly false) reports about nazi execution methods. As time passed, I came to realize that specific details about how people were killed were less important than the fact that many, many people were undeniably killed.
Outside of my own internal context, my words would make me seem like a holocaust denier. I am not. Should my posts be passed on to my coworkers? Should I be judged by a single post?
Relative anonymity is expected on the internet for many, many reasons. But the fact that you can say, think, and research things you wouldn't talk about publicly has to be the biggest.
I have an STD by the way. What if forums or blogs decided they'd contact my family or work to let them know I'd posted about that? Is that expectation of privacy 'chickenshit' to you? What if I posted that I had been raped as a child? Should I be forced to use my real name to satisfy you?
25
It is pretty hilarious to read through a few pages of the comments. You can just see the newspaper guy sitting there seething as his readers, one after another, slam the [redacted] out of him. Then every once in a while, ding! An idea pops into his head and he launches another unfair sneak attack on one of the commenters, this time it's only on the blog though as far as I can tell. "There," you can imagine him saying, "I showed him!"
26
I think that if the only discourse someone can provide is a one word profanity, then they're not able to function as an adult and should be monitored very carefully. And they certainly shouldn't be working with our nation's children.
28
My friend was fired from a telephone reservations job at Europe Express in Bothell for just reading The Stranger on the computer during lunch--there were no posts on Slog made. There had been NO rule that people couldn't use the computer for personal reasons during lunch, and the boss even admitted that the usage was during lunch, but it didn't matter. Sometimes your employer just wants to get rid of you, and the internet becomes a convenient way to do it.
Most Commented on Slog
-
Straight Up by Dan Savage
-
Stephen Fry v. the Catholic Church by Dan Savage
-
Neologism Needed by Dan Savage
-
Palin's Cheat Sheet by Dan Savage
-
SL Letter of the Day: The Toilet Brush Off by Dan Savage
-
Every Child Deserves a Mother and a Father by Dan Savage
-
How's That Hopey, Changey Stuff Working Out For Childhood Obesity? by Dan Savage
-
Tea Party Crowd Believes That Only Good Spellers Should Vote by Dan Savage
-
Privatizing WA Liquor Carries a High Cost, Says Opponent by Cienna Madrid
-
This Shit Will Never Get Old by Eli Sanders
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (29) RSS