I think its like an open throttle... the unchaining of the id. It makes some people have their insecurities and spites magnified and become dicks. Others go the other way, learning patience and insight, discernment and empathy.

Humanity has always been thus.. the double-edged sword and all that.

You should see the posts people are making on some social media (not fakebook) about some youtubers, directed at stay at home moms. The comments are so mean spirited and small minded I believe many have mental illness. Of course putting your children on youtube is just a bad idea to begin with, but the comments are vile.

Comfort from their couch without the instant threat that comes from talking shit to someone directly.

Even a verbal threat in their face would put them in the hospital

This takes me back to a conversation I had with someone back in the old EQ days pre-Y2k. The problem is a lot of people do not know how to use words and grammar correctly -- these same people more than likely have a difficult time conveying their thoughts verbally as well. Unless one has a good command of language and understands what is in the lexicon and how to properly use it, expressing an idea or thought, no matter how inane, stupid, or brilliant can be rather tumultuous. Now given the medium of text communication, what was already difficult for some now has become insurmountable, so they regress to sounding like the ape creatures of the indus.

Yes, there are those who are always rude, trollish, puerile, and just outright masters of dimwittery online, and here on this board. It can be tough for a rational, reasonable person to deal with the aforementioned morons because you are taking the way you function in life and assume they do the same, and when they do not one is left head scratching wondering wtf is going on. There are two ways people handle this, 1.) ignore 2.) take them head on. The key is to recognize which approach to use, there is not a one size fits all approach to trolls, rude people or obvious stealth accounts. Evaluate the first couple of responses they make, then go from there. Many times ignoring works, but personally I take the "You need to get more fun out of life Clarice" method. One needs to have rhino skin, or better known as I don't care what your opinion of me approach is to deal with those kind of knuckleheads.

Dealing with trolls/rude people is the same that should be handled with bullies, they need to be dealt with, not ignored. Perhaps it is decades of gaming, or dealing with holier than thou jackasses in the tech world, but I like to see these people melt down. To see the high and mighty humbled is very fulfilling, especially those who are infected carriers of Dunning-Kruger.

If anyone behaves like an immature disruptor on my just-launched patriot website they would be immediately thrown to the curb.

I've had to give it a lot of thought, balancing free speech against yelling fire in a theater. In an online forum where there is important work to be done malicious children cannot be allowed free reign.

Imagine if the founding fathers at the first constitutional convention let all the rabble-rousers in from the street. It would be impossible to get anything done, except entertain the rabble-rousers. And we'd still be having our four o'clock tea, long live the king.