Forums: Not worth your time.

Many people I know, including myself, have frequented forums at one point or another. But few are lucky enough to end up on forums that support the same rules.. or manage to avoid a 25% troll population.

One of the variations include rules on whether or not to post in a necro, or "dead" thread. Some forums prefer keeping the number of topics and threads at an overall low, so if the topic's already covered you're required to post on that thread within reason. Other forums are just the opposite--A dead thread should stay dead.

But how to remember which forum is what? Frankly, I think everyone should at least get over themselves enough to recognize there IS no standard, and regardless of whether there's a "sticky" (unmoving and usually locked thread) about the issue or not, people who have been around a while but don't post DAILY as if their lives depend on it will tend to get forgetful. Sure, they can read the sticky again. And again. And again the next week, and the month after that, and two Fridays later, and don't forget about the Wednesday after that.. Oh, forgive me. I digress. I forgot that some people have nothing better to do than harass and harangue those of us who have LIVES and can't devote our time to memorizing silly rules.

Actually, the fun thing is, I could actually get most of the trolls on the forums I frequent banned simply because some of the moderators have gotten to know me over the years, and they understand that I, as an adult (as many internet-goers are) can not devote day in and day out to following such silly protocol that has no true measure.

Well, that wasn't on the topic I wanted it to be on, but back to the point. If you do manage to forget a little teensy rule, it doesn't matter how small, you will undergo the abuse that is "trolling". Because the little kids that find trolling so cool just can't help but attempt to dominate people who they see as inferior.

Why do I say it's little kids doing it? Simple. If you're an actual adult, and I don't mean you're grown-up, I mean you have a job and responsibilities and actually know how to be SERIOUS when it comes down to it, then you aren't going to waste the time and effort to troll as earnestly as these immature swine. Meanwhile, if you've just gotten home from being bullied or having a bad day at school because you remember when you used to actually have GOOD days and you think it's unfair that you can't have them any more, you tend to be more likely to attack and vent on others in a very stylized manner. The manner, of course, being stating an iconic statement of webculture (Meme), or simply typing as if you don't know how to spell "You are awesome." (U R AWSUM or something to that extent)

Well, these trolls are the cancer of the internet. I'd say they're the lukemia of it all, weakening the internet daily with their incessant blather. Eventually, the trolls we're dealing with now will outgrow their trolling nature, but when they do, new trolls will take their place. Children see the internet as a way to lash out at their parents and express how horribly tortured they all are, because everyone had a bad childhood and it's our job to blame our parents, or some bull like that. Well, I think we all need to man-up, and learn to "Leave it at the door". In short, if you're going to respond to someone when they're speaking in all earnestness, do everyone a favor and drop the attitude. Ignore whatever thing is currently upsetting you, and just speak on an even keel.

I guess it takes working at a few jobs to learn that, but eventually everyone gets it. Well, not everyone, but mostly everyone. My first boss explained it to me with the scenario of, "Even if you broke up with your boyfriend that morning, or he broke up with you, you can't bring that into the workplace. You have to continue to smile and serve the customer, as if nothing but good things befall you." And I understood that.

Even when a bully from my school found out where I worked and made a point of trying to harass my coworkers and, by proxy, me.. Well, my boss knew better. For one thing, my bully couldn't get the name of the store right. And no matter where I work, if you aren't jesting when you misname the company I work for, I generally get pretty anal about it and insist correcting you until you get it right. Even to the point where I'm bordering on bitch.