I recently met one of those people who enjoy pushing other people's buttons, antagonising, winding-up and generally just annoying other's for personal gain; Exactly what it is people like that actually gain is beyond me however there's no shortage of people happy to do it. Not so long ago it was something that needed to happen in person however, in this brave new world of digital communication, it's much easier to reach into a person's life and start that process.
The word bullying is used a lot now however I don't necessarily mean bullying, more, doing or saying particular things to gain a reaction of some sort, usually negative. Here's the thing though, we have the ability to turn off our devices, unfriend, block, mute and simply remove the source of that negative emotion.
I've heard talk about introducing free downvotes here and whilst I think it may initially cause a few people some grief I think it could be a good thing, if used correctly. I'm sure it will get abused though.
I was reading through a couple of posts by a particular user recently, one who had spat the dummy and had a cry like a little baby. The user disappeared for a while then popped back on. Now, I don't know the user personally however based on some of the posts I've seen I'm sure the person could in fact be an intelligent individual however they simply refuse to apply it to the blockchain. Rather, the user spews-forth vitriol, hate and negativity in their post-diatribe's which only serves to punctuate the impression most have of them. Not a favourable impression.
What I'm really impressed with is the way other user's responded. It's a credit to them, the ones I read anyway, that they either responded neutrally, with a degree of courtesy or simple humour. That's the thing with vitriol-spewers, there's little point in sinking to their level. It's better to maintain one's own integrity and left them simply drown themselves, and any credibility they may have had, in copious amount of their own vitriol-vomit. So, well done to those users; An impressive display of intelligence by all and sundry.
The blockchain is a place where all are free to voice their opinions and act in the manner they feel is most suitable for their own purposes. In the main I've been fortunate enough not to come across too many trolls, vitriol-spewers or mordancy however I know it's there for sure. That's the thing to remember I think, we have the choice to shut it off, to eliminate it, take the high road and not allow our button's to be pressed. Sure, its difficult, but it's probably a better way to deal with this sort of thing in the long run. Maybe free flags will sort out some of the issues faced on the chain...Let's hope so.
