Fenxy

Is it okay to make fun of people on the Internet?

Exactly as okay it is to make fun of someone in real life.

Is it alright to talk about someone behind their backs? They are never going to hear from you right? They are just rumours to be mentioned by water coolers and lunch rooms is it not?

It pretty much depends on how you take it all round. I prefer not to be a hypocrite so I don't bother doing such things. Indirectly I don't expect people to do the same to me either, but life doesn't always pay you the same ideals in kind. :)

I don't think it's OK to gawk and ridicule/gossip about someone directly unless their fame depends and promotes this. I figure it's the same with bloggers or use of the net in any way. Like TV; change the channel. Radio; the station. Net; delete or don't read. Exercise your choice to ignore.

Rule of thumb: only write what you would have no problem saying to their face.

I think the opposite. I think anyone, in any situation, who puts themself in a position to be noticed by people who don't know them - especially on a regular basis, has to accept criticism.

Not ridicule, of course, because that's never nice - but in the same way magazines like Us Weekly (US) nad Heat (UK) routinely pull apart celebrities hair, make-up, clothing, lifestyles - in a critical way. It's not actually about the celebrity anyway, it's about our society and the way we constantly judge ourselves against other people. It's a part of human nature, and we do it in families, social groups, workplaces etc. The cult of celebrity is just this on a global scale, and it gives us a kind of bond.

I say, if you're willing to put yourself up there, you're opening yourself up for criticisms and dissection.

I think mike has it down with his response. if you on't have the fruits to say it to their face dont try and be an ethug about it.

I don't think it is okay to gossip, talk about people behind their backs, ridicule them, etc. I don't do it offline, and don't do it online.

I'm entirely with Mike. Write what you honestly think and would have no problem telling them in person. If you'd have a problem — then don't write it.

Such interesting responses. I think I had in mind, not talking about them behind their backs or whatever, but commenting on their blog or something.

Ridicule vs. criticism, such a great distinction and thank you Daneeeboy for coming out with that.

But, hands down, the funniest thing I've ever heard and I think ericjohnson should go down in the history books for coining "ethug".

Rough, tumble and with a cable modem.

My treatment of bloggers in terms of comments is easy and rather simplistic. If the blogger is a B***H/B******D, I will never bother visiting their site a second time. Why suffer from eye pain looking at such crap and forcing yourself to comment on it.

Let's change perspective and you are the one who is visiting this site. If you merely make fun of someone because you feel like it, what kind of constructive use is that? It's like saying, "Haha, I am smart and you are dumb, and i am leaving a comment to tell you that, loser."

Someone should invent an item that can shoot such people through the Internet.

I still go with the treat others as you would want to be treated. I also think a lot of people ignore the more permanent nature of online. You may say something in passing or fleeting comment BUT it is text there for all to see (unless there is a delete button). Casual remarks offline can be less sticky than casual remarks online.

Dang it. I thought you were going to tell us the shocking secrets of internet superstars--like that they were all crab people or something.

Thank you Lisa for bringing this back to the top. I meant to respond to this.

Is it okay to make fun of people on the Internet? They'll never see you, right? They're just post entries to be commented as we see fit, are they not? Or, perhaps, are they a bit more real than they might seem, way over there on their laptop screens in who-knows-where-ville?

It's not only making fun of people - saying things in general that one wouldn't say to someone's face, for example snark. Don't take it for granted you won't ever cross paths with the person. The internet makes a large space very small and the person who was talked about in the entry is unlikely to forget what was said.

I personally do not say anything online I wouldn't say to someone face to face.

That said, Valleywag is popular and I think the trend to follow bloggers will continue. Just be careful on how you say what you say because it can come back and haunt you.

Remember, Google and the Internet Archive never forget. Words you typed in anger years ago can come back to haunt you today.

I agree with Mike's general advice. Only write what you'd have no problem saying to their face.

A lot of people like to hide anonymously behind their computer screens which makes them more reckless and ruthless with their keyboard.

I find frequently that a lot of people, if not everyone, who says they never gossip, talk about people behind their backs, etc. just don't know it when they're doing it. It's one thing to say you never do something, it's another to say you hate it even when you're the one doing it.

As far as the internet, Mike said it perfectly.

I rarely have an unkind word to say about someone else on the net. If I don't like someone I try my best to ignore them, sometimes it's not easy but if I engage in mocking them it just forces me to think of them more than I need to.

Agree with betheboy, actually it's my rule whether on the net or face-to-face.