ah what a tangled web...
Golly, fandom is a wonder.
I'm pondering - because of a post elsewhere about "hate memes" - what it is that makes some people treat others (whom they're likely to CALL "friends") completely differently online than they would in real life.
If you have a face-to-face relationship with someone and they say something in a way that it's clear that they're joking, you can go "oh haha very funny."
Someone says that online?
The other person can't read your tone!
Therefore, logic would dictate taking one giant step backward and going "is it possble that I misunderstood?"
The next giant step would be to ask the person directly "um, did you mean to say that, because it seemed kind of harsh/disrespectful/whatever to me?"
Hopefully, the other person will say "oh, I'm sorry, that isn't what I meant. I really meant to say..."
It is, of course, conceivable that the other person will say "what the fuck is your problem, you idiot?"
Then I take the twelve giant steps backward, never to be seen again lol.
(actually, that happens more than once? and I check it out? that's the only time I will defriend someone - and it's only happened like twice since I've been on LJ and one time when I went "oh fuck, I'm a moron")
Short version?
Relationships on the internet are no different than in "real life" -if you feel comfortable routinely being a shit to people in real life, well, there isn't much more that I can say.
I'm pondering - because of a post elsewhere about "hate memes" - what it is that makes some people treat others (whom they're likely to CALL "friends") completely differently online than they would in real life.
If you have a face-to-face relationship with someone and they say something in a way that it's clear that they're joking, you can go "oh haha very funny."
Someone says that online?
The other person can't read your tone!
Therefore, logic would dictate taking one giant step backward and going "is it possble that I misunderstood?"
The next giant step would be to ask the person directly "um, did you mean to say that, because it seemed kind of harsh/disrespectful/whatever to me?"
Hopefully, the other person will say "oh, I'm sorry, that isn't what I meant. I really meant to say..."
It is, of course, conceivable that the other person will say "what the fuck is your problem, you idiot?"
Then I take the twelve giant steps backward, never to be seen again lol.
(actually, that happens more than once? and I check it out? that's the only time I will defriend someone - and it's only happened like twice since I've been on LJ and one time when I went "oh fuck, I'm a moron")
Short version?
Relationships on the internet are no different than in "real life" -if you feel comfortable routinely being a shit to people in real life, well, there isn't much more that I can say.