Consequences

Amazing response to dealing with trolls, one in particular

http://superopinionated.com/2011/02/08/here-is-a-project-troll-data-analysis/

BONUS!

I was planning on doing a name-and-shame of the idiots who harassed me on Facebook using their real accounts. However, it just makes me too sad. If you’ve messaged me with gross images or the word “RAPE” repeated over and over in the body of the message or whatever, please consider revisiting your Facebook privacy settings. For several of you, I can see where you live and work. And one of you in particular is who I’d like to talk to right now:

Kid, due to your disregard for the overlap between your online trolling and real life, I now know what your high school colors are. I know your hometown, your entire employment history and what community college you attended. I can also see your girlfriend’s profile and the fact that you two now live in her hometown, not yours. I can see the names and profiles of your parents, your brother, and your three sisters. I can see your phone number.

I get that when you’re recently 22, you might feel like nothing you do could ever have consequences. I suppose if I really wanted to demonstrate how wrong that feeling is I could get in touch with your family or girlfriend to let them see how you treat women you disagree with. However, you’re a stranger, you’re several states away, and even though we’re both apparently fans of How I Met Your Mother, I don’t really worry about you having an impact on my day-to-day life.

But kid, let me promise you right now: if you ever try and use the computer programming skills you got in community college to work in the video game industry, I will be expecting an apology from you about the harassing tweets and disgusting images. I can have a long memory when I choose to, and since you made such a compelling case for me to do so, I’m choosing to now. I hope you eventually grow up, but in the meantime your behavior shows you to be exactly what this industry doesn’t need. I’m not afraid of making that fact known should you attempt to enter it. You wanted my attention; you got it. Enjoy the consequences.