• jwiggler@sh.itjust.works
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    9 months ago

    I mean, kinda but not really. Death threats? Yeah, you’re a definite asshole. Same with slurs.

    But, like, we’ve all been assholes in real life. And I’ve certainly been an asshole online, whether it be trolling, saying ez, or “gg…but not you teammate” in rocket league, being an instigator, etc. I’m less likely to troll and be an instigator in real life, and I rarely am. But definitely have been.

    I dunno. I don’t consider myself an asshole, especially for being an instigator in RL. Even though I have been, and probably will be again, both online and in the real world. It’s kinda high-and-mighty to just label people perpetual assholes based on if they’re being an asshole online, or if they were an asshole on one occasion.

    Like it would be pretty stupid if I thought the OP has a persistent holier-than-thou attitude both on-and-offline based on this one post.

    Now that I’m thinking about it, kind of an asshole thing to accuse someone of – being holier-than-thou. Guess I’m an asshole. lol

    • alterforlett @lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Do you think it matters to the people you’re trolling or calling names whether you do it online, over text or to their face? I’m not saying you’re a perpetual asshole, but it seems like you think that’s an ok thing to do online, which makes you an asshole occasionally. Be better man, you don’t know how the person on the opposite side reacts

      • jwiggler@sh.itjust.works
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        9 months ago

        It totally does matter. I don’t know who’s on the other side of that, or what they’re dealing with.

        It does depend on the nature of the trolling. I’m saying these things mostly with hindsight – I definitely don’t troll any more, and when I did, it was really just like getting in reddit arguments and then commenting nonsense. So, pretty benign stuff. I don’t feel much guilt because honestly, while I was being an asshole, I wasn’t ever really mean. And I was young, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I made mistakes as a kid.

        Nowadays my online assholery is mostly reserved for people who initiate trash talk in Rocket League. And even then, I’ll just hit em with “ur bad”. I consider that being an asshole, but I don’t consider myself an asshole because of it.

        But I get what you’re saying. I am kinda making it out as if it’s okay to be a dick online. It isn’t. I guess its hard to balance that with the understanding that it is just easier to fall into the trap of assholery behind a screen, or a windshield, or anonymous comment.