Tag: Twitter antagonists

Are Twitter Users as Dumb as I Suspect?

Yes, I really do think that many Twitter users are about as intelligent as the rocks that line the bottom of a fish aquarium. Do I think I am better than them? Oh, if I have to go into that, I will just piss you off and show what an arrogant, annoying, and “better-than-you” person I really am. If you really want the truth, I may have to write another book just to explain how much smarter and better I really am. Hmm? I think I will get to work on that one right away, in fact. This is not because it will sell tons of copies, but just so I can get it off my chest and so that I can continue with more self-righteous Twitter use.

WOW! You must think I am biting the hand that feeds me. After all, I wrote a book about Twitter, I have spent a lot of time masterfully deceiving all of those Twitter minions and collecting their precious dollars to further implement my evil plot to take over the world. *Mwah haa haa haa* laughs the evil scientist of social media. “I will exact my revenge upon you and you will now do as I say.” Oh, yes, that is me … the evil social media scientist, plotting my revenge and sucking up your precious nickels-and-dimes-per-book royalties to fund my massive takeover of all things that once existed in your mind. You have no mind now, and your thoughts belong to me.

OK, a little less drama may be in order. Something that I added in that silly little book was “The Antagonist”. What I did not have time to include as I rushed through my semi-masterful plot to take over the planet was that many Twitter users love to argue and mince words to prove that they are right and you are wrong. There you have it … Twitter sucks. Every Twitter user knows it all, and even if they do not, they will bitch and moan to their friends until you give up and let them have their glory.

Am I kidding you? Yes, partially, but not entirely. I encountered a response just moments ago that embodied the minced words and drama of social media. I sent a message with a lot of meaning behind it, and it was met with an unsupported and negative comment from a Twitter user whom I always kind of saw as positive. This time, it was not. I direct messaged him to ask for clarification. I even stated that his message seemed much unlike himself, because I had always considered him a more positive and upbeat person. He asked his users to chastise me because I had replied to him in a direct (private) message asking for clarification. He claimed that he had tried to keep it private but apparently since I made a general statement that I had an antagonist (no names given) that I would like to invite for a live video Webcast, his stupid little boy gloves were off. I wish he had taken me up on that Webcast. The amazing thing was that the only private message I received from him was a single word, and I quote “Yup.” Well now, that was insightful, right?

The dumbness goes on … A few days ago, I held a video Webcast, as I always do on Friday nights, which allowed for others to join in and turn on their Webcam to participate in fun and social discussions.  A woman came in and started extolling her greatness and stated that she had received a million unique visitors to a given tweet. She then overran the whole Webcast with her recommendations of who we should all follow, and blabbed on for a long time about some crap. This was a Webcast that I have hosted for a long time, and I never met this egotistical loudmouth in my life. While this happened, I was receiving private messages asking why I had not cut her video feed off. Yeah, a million unique visitors from one Twitter message … try again! I think I saw that same thing once, but that was after I bumped my head REALLY hard and then I woke up. She was purportedly a friend of a friend, so I tried to avoid confrontation. *Damn dumb Mark.*

Of course, I waved the bullshit flag on her million unique visitors statement, and she back-pedaled to say that a million people could have seen it. Oh yeah, but that was only if they gave a damn about her blah blah blah about yada yada yada. The craziness came in when she started throwing ultimatums to others that if they did not unfollow me that she would block them or whatever such crap. I had a lot of people telling me that it was a huge drama for her, and for her minions. One of them just keeps on begging people to unfollow me for disrespecting her by asking her to leave. It seems funny how his continued defense of her and expected offense to me could get him anywhere he wants to be in life. Note to that dude: “She will still not get naked with you, Chump.”

To all of this, I have to say “Who gives a damn?” I mean, really, if you do not like me, if you think that I am out there to put an endangered spotted owl between a couple pieces of bread for lunch while I make my excursion to go club baby seals and hunt whales while throwing out matches to light forest fires on my way to the “Ruin the World” convention … click your unfollow button and create a better life! You deserve it … really, even if I do not!

To those who seek joy in arguments and take their win from promoting negativity, you really need my latest book! It is titled “Living in the Storm” and it is available for sale TODAY. Get your life straight and stop nagging others for things that really do not matter to your own life. Heck, if you are so desperate for something to do, maybe you should feed your mind instead of only feeding your egotism. Twitter is not your bitching board for showing how screwed up and cynical you are. It has much more positive uses.

One last note for those Twitter knuckleheads: If I am such an awful influence, why do they keep putting stuff like this about me out there on the Internet?

Internet Stalkers and Their Victims: What If?

I have been around this Internet a long time. I suppose I may have a bit of a different view through the eyes of experience, but haven’t we all had some sense of caution about our online identity at some point? For over a decade, I have presented myself as “just me” and never tried to hide a lot of what I think, feel, do, or where and how I live. I guess you could say that I kind of just grew into an acceptance of my job here on the Internet.

In the early days of many Internet users’ online experience, I think a lot of people have a hypersensitive caution of “those people” out there lurking on the Internet and seeking a way to pick them out as the next victim. This is certainly a possibility, and they have all the right and reason for a healthy concern. I have a lot friends and relatives I would never want to see present themselves too openly to the Internet. Many of them would surely be picked off quick as the next identity fraud victim or have their life’s savings re-purposed for the benefit of a historic Nigerian bank transfer scam.

There are a lot of people using the Internet, such as me, whom have developed an understanding of the Internet. This includes the good and bad sides of the Internet. Something we all eventually learn is that the people we meet online are the same people we can meet in a grocery store, our kids’ schools, a restaurant, or elsewhere. The same good people and the same serial killers are found both online and offline. In fact, with the exception of only a small few serial killers, the grocery store would be a common place where nearly all of us may be found at some point in time. I am sorry if I frighten a grocery store clerk or two, but let’s face it … a grocery store gets about as many psychos as any other place. We all have to eat sometime!

A huge difference with the Internet is that it is easy for many people to say and do things that they would otherwise never say or do. It is not only a false act of courage, but also often a lack of consideration that the recipients are real people, with real lives, and with real feelings. I can give many examples of this. I mean, we see it all the time. I will share one that sticks out for me right now from a conversation I had with a good friend who shared comments of a hateful email he received from a viewer of his television news program. He is the Chief Meteorologist and he gives his best effort as a weatherman. Note that this is a guy who is scolded for his work, whether it rains, or whether it is sunny … he cannot make everybody happy (just like the rest of us). He was telling me of a scathing email message he received from a viewer who was angry for his mention of the sponsor of a tower camera that he uses to illustrate the local weather. Seriously … the guy was actually mad at my friend because he would recite the name of the hotel where the camera resides. Not only that, but he spent the time to write a mean-spirited email to scold my friend. I do not know about you, but I see a serious sickness in this. Anybody who will spend their time to hold anger and to project that anger on to others must have a seriously sad life, indeed.

I have witnessed one of these angry and unfortunate souls lurking on the perimeter of my life, but I consider mine more of a stalker than only a sad and depraved soul. I have an antagonist who spends time from each and every day of his life to seek ways to spew his falsely-begotten anger for me upon anybody who will listen. If you are wondering why, or how I have done somebody so wrong that they would waste their energy on me … well, I am wondering that same thing. I mean, I do not remember any outstanding atrocities that would bring about these feelings for a “normal” human being. This brings me to the point … it is not normal … not even a little bit, for somebody to actually pinpoint a complete stranger and focus anger upon them.

When I encounter this, as I did once before from a person claiming to be a vampire and threatening to come to my home and devour my family, I do my best to handle it in a grown up way. I try to ask them why, and how I can make them stop obsessing about me. I do my best to make reparations for whatever perceived damage I have caused them. It eventually becomes a battle between which of the following options I have the patience to muster. Perhaps you have better ideas, and I warmly welcome your comments here on my blog. Here are a couple ways that I see it once it gets out of hand, and early diplomacy and ignoring it has not worked. Yeah, this is a true instance, in case you were wondering.

Option One: “Wow, I am sorry that you feel so consumed by this. Maybe we can sit and talk about it as two grown up human beings. Heck, we may even find out that we are both human and even gain respect for each others’ space.”

Option Two: “Look, Punk … If you continue this path, you may find that you are screwing with a Man, and not a Boy. I have a family of five to support and defend. When you interrupt that, you are treading in a very dangerous and sacred territory. You are way out of your league, and you will do best to get this obsession out of your head, now.”

Yeah, that is right, you reached my radar. I have read your spewing hatred, and I will happily give you many proper rebuttals to show you that what you say, and what you assume, is entirely inaccurate and falsified by your lack of a back-story. If you think you are going to benefit, go ahead. The truth is that you are only going to make this a ridicule of yourself more than me. I have been a grown up and quite kind about your antagonism, but when my wife starts questioning when we will find “this freak” sitting on our porch or peering in our windows, you are crossing a line that you are best to back away from.

What if you are messing with somebody other than me? What if you mess with my family … my wife … my three children? What if I grow concern for it and feel a need to defend? What if I return-pitch and you have to answer these questions?