Russell Cruse
  • Home
  • The Rothko Room
    • Writing The Rothko Room
    • The Rothko Room Characters
    • The Council
    • The Real Rothko Room
    • Rothko Room Covers
    • The Rothko Room Music
    • The Rothko Room Puzzles
    • Locations in The Rothko Room
    • Waifs & Strays >
      • Churchill
      • The Origin of The Council
      • The First Meeting of The Council
  • Books
    • Head Count
    • The Circling Song
  • Weblog
  • Comments
  • Ukulele Stuff
  • Weblog Selections

Cyberspacesuits: bile, vitriol and venom proof...

2/8/2011

5 Comments

 
It’s one of the saws of the modern age: that it is perfectly possible for anyone to be whomsoever they wish to be online.  The anonymity afforded by the internet has been, paradoxically, in part responsible for the extraordinary rise in social networking. Questions that are perfectly acceptable at most social gatherings – “…so what do you do?”  “…do you have children?” are generally felt to be inappropriate in an online “conversation” and, in a strange way, both parties seem to benefit from this novel propriety.  When we converse (it really should be “correspond”) online, we needs must make assumptions about the other parties involved which can, of course, lead to all kinds of issues from harmless flirting to out-and-out grooming.

Each party has to be complicit in the other’s fantasy life and they must choose to accept one another at their word.  No doubt, many of us are cynical enough to believe that much of what is offered in online conversations is, to put it politely, less than honest but as I say, that is a part of the contract into which we all enter once we don our cyberspacesuits and float off into the craposphere.

Several recent threads on the online writer’s website forum, Authonomy, have left a rather nasty taste.  The kind of abuse one might expect to hear in a Glasgow pub on a Celtic – Rangers match day has been slung about in spades and over what?   Writing; that’s what.  Now we’ve all read about how artistic rivalry can sometimes spill over into something more unpleasant but it’s hard to imagine William Makepeace Thackeray telling Charlotte Bronte to go fuck herself with a rusty spike and even Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald - both perfectly able to - didn't plumb such depths.

But to equal the quantity of bile generated over on Authonomy between largely unpublished and equally largely untalented individuals would require a liver the size of Lewisham.  But none of these people really know one another.  Each is battling mere simulacra – almost genuine avatars of very real people and about whom either party knows...well, nothing.   

I can't even summon up that level of animosity for the government front bench.  These people must have access to an almost limitless supply of anger;  a venom field; their very own vitriol reserves upon which they can draw at any time, to fling over and drench anyone who offers the merest slight. 

At least, I suppose, those of us who are mere(?) spectators can savour the delicious irony of witnessing arguments grow and flourish as a result of writers being utterly unable to express themselves using the written word – unless, of course, that word contains no more than four  letters - but perhaps, in the end, the anger is just as phony as everything else online.  

Let's hope so.
  
5 Comments
Pete Marchetto
1/8/2011 08:30:42 pm

There are a lot of theories as to why online discussion becomes so heated. One is that the absence of social cues tends to lead to misunderstandings and that one of the reasons the likes of 'lol' and :) have become pandemic. They do serve a function insofar as they dispel the ambiguity of a dry remark or an ironic observation.

However, the more fruitful line of investigation I feel has not been followed up in assessing this sort of online behaviour which contrasts so markedly with that in the real world is the simple fact that, if you abuse someone online, they can't give you a smack in the mouth.

Once the academics factor that into their analyses I think they'll start to make considerably more progress.

Reply
Malc/Worm/Crowe
1/8/2011 08:32:24 pm

Hilarious, Russ. And useful to step out of the wood to see the trees. Aren't you over-generous to say 'largely' unpublished? Largely unpublishable, more like. The angry self-righteous and the self-proclaimed experts make Authonomy what it is. I'm sure there used to be a greater preponderancy of serious-minded writers. Humankind, and the simulacra (!) of Authonomy, can be divided into the phonies and the genuine folk.

The white dog with black spots has become a black dog with white spots...

Reply
Karen Charlton (Susanna) link
1/8/2011 08:50:09 pm

I enjoyed reading this, Russ, and totally agree.
I loathe social networking sites with a vengeance. I have spent too many hours of my life trying to calm down my own children and those I teach, following virtual arguments on line. If I could pull the plug on facebook and msn, I would.

As for Authonomy, I find the abuse appalling and I am fascinated that these people still hope to be taken seriously by publishers, Harper Collins. From my limited experience, publishing houses expect a high level of professionalism from their authors - especially online - and these idiots are kidding themselves if they think their vitriolic posts go unnoticed. I have long held the belief that Authonomy keep a black book of known trouble causers. I also suspect that they can tamper with the ratings system at will.

IMHO it is an absolute waste of time to submit your work on there, hoping to be taken seriously, and then go around hurling abuse at other people. These idiots need to get real.

Reply
Ron A Sewell
1/8/2011 08:50:09 pm

Such is life if you choose to follow that path.

Reply
Michael Scott link
1/8/2011 09:32:30 pm

Russell, you highlight the problems of the web, and the greater world. I fear most people should not be able to use the Internet with some sort of proficiency test.

The Internet is a lawless jungle. Like the city streets it will never be safe. There is no government to help you - there never well be.

Bearing in mind we are all just text, and most of Authonomy's members are writers I am surprised how shallow they actually are. It's simply common sense. Would you walk through Bronx speaking to all and sundry any way you wished? Why the hell do people think they have a right to?

I, personally have engaged the writer of this blog on many occasions, in support and in opposition. And knowing as a writer he has the wordpower an characterisation skills to write "Go fuck yourself with a rusty spike" is quite refreshing. I don't agree with bullying, and being plagued by a forum troll is very unpleasant. But most people on forums have no common sense. A careful study of internet behaviour, particularly on Authonomy will show that most 'victims' instigated hostilities, and have found out that they have bitten off more than they can chew.

The sad thing is that they don't realise that individuals hold a different set of morals. i.e. A member who has responded to your blog joined authonomy and has spent most of his time calling the system, and anybody who progresses within that system - a cheat, or a gamer. Those who do not behave in the manner which suits him he publically brands as 'trolls'. There are number of people who have worked hard in search of some misguided goal, whether that be swapping reads, sending out spam, or plugging on the forum. After labelling these people it comes as no surprise that he is the subject of the worst kind of abuse.

Any fool knows that unless your in a safe and secure environment - keep your mouth shut.

The Internet has no police.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Follow this blog

    RSS Feed

    UK Amazon Kindle Forum's group-authors-bookshelf book montage
    UK Amazon Kindle Forum 222 members
    Somewhere else for those who hang around on the official Amazon Kindle Forum to slouch around.

    Our group-authors-bookshelf shelf



    View this group on Goodreads »

    Archives

    November 2015
    August 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Categories

    All
    A Clockwork Orange
    Alice Cooper
    American Literature
    Andrew Mitchell
    Anthony Burgess
    Blogging
    Book Cover
    Cover Design
    Crossword
    Eastwood
    Editing
    Emperor's New Clothes
    English
    English Language
    Films
    Frazier
    Gary Barlow
    Godfrey Bloom
    Homeless
    Homeless Man
    Homophones
    Internet Down
    John Farris
    Julian Fellowes
    Kelsey Grammer
    Language
    Left-Wing
    Literary Fiction
    Lord Mcalpine
    Mark Rothko
    Nomophilia
    Nomophobia
    Patrick O'Brian
    Pleb
    Politics
    Prejudice
    Pretentious
    Promoting Literature
    Publishing
    Raimi
    Reliance On Mobile Phones
    Richard Matheson
    Self-publishing
    Semiotics
    Spin
    Twitter
    Without The Internet
    Writing


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.