When you are a sports fan, you get passionate about your team. You follow your team. You cheer when they win. You cry when they lose. That's the way it goes. My chosen sport, football (soccer) is the working class game. Men go on a weekend to watch their team. They have worked hard all week, and any frustration, annoyance, they can get rid of whilst they cheer for their team, and inject all their passion in the game. Of course that was before the game became about money, now they are lucky if they can afford to watch it on the tv. Anyway, there's a new way to get rid of your aggression, and where would that be? Well my friends, that would be right here. The internet is a wonderful place for the faceless rants of those frustrated and angry with life. You see it on forums all the time. Mindless, pointless rants of people who just want to cause a bit of trouble. There is a difference between those that rant and rave with reason, and those that do it for the sake of it. Some people are looking for trouble, and ever so pleased when they recieve a response, because that's what they thrive on. They make a comment, not because they believe in it, not because it's something they really feel passionate about, but because it will annoy you. It will allow them to recieve attention, that maybe they are lacking in the real world.
Now I am guilty of this behaviour, and I admit to it. I have had a bad day, or I'm just generally in a bad mood, and I will react badly to something I read or a comment someones made, and maybe respond in a way I normally wouldn't. I think that's different though. We all have bad days, and well sometimes you over react to things. That's human nature. The people I don't understand are those who are openly looking for a fight? I just don't get it. If someones annoyed you, and you want to tell them, fair enough. If you don't agree with an opinion and you wish to share yours, fair enough. Some people just seem to dio it for the sake of it. I used to think it was just people who were a little stupid. You would read what they write, and you would realise that maybe this person just wasn't capable of sharing their emotions in any other way, than abusing anyone who came into contact with them. However, I have seen this behaviour from people who I consider to be intelligent people, who really have something to say. These people don't need to throw their toys out of their pram. They don't need to start a war of words. I'm not just talking about this website, though I have seen this behaviour here, I'm talking about the internet as a whole. On blog sites, I do wonder if some of it is just for attention, to make people read. When I see someone doing that, when they don't need to, it does make me wonder.
Sites like this one, and forums, and whatever else, should be about sharing your thoughts and opinions, and sharing those that others have. It should be about interacting with people on a certain level. How you would in the real world. With the same respect, and in the same manner. It shouldn't be about shouting the odds, and giving people a hard time. Don't get me wrong, I know these things will happen. I know that this is an escape for some people, and I know that sometimes passion can overtake the best of us. People who are just out for a fight though, should go elsewhere. They should respect the work people do at places like this. The admins that try and keep things fair, and the people who write, and share their points of view. The only thing I can say about those who are outright troublemakers, and who have nothing to say of any interest, is that we should be glad they are letting it out here, and not to some poor person in the real world. Would you like to be face to face with that?