No you're forgetting Hanlons razor and the fact people misinterpret on the net.

This whole attitude of taking words on a screen 'super serious' seems like a Zoomer "cyber-bullying" growth hiccup. It's bollocks. Grow up, stop sanitising your words and say shit you'd say in person. Even if it gets misinterpreted. Who cares?

Cos in person you'd know immediately that I'm taking the piss cos of the giant fucking grin on my face. Everythign I say online I'd be willing to say in person. You wouldn't twat me one cos it'd be fucking obvious I'm joking.

E.g. I got in a long comment chain with a Java dev after I said "Java is cancer". I expected them to realise I was joking cos my arguments were brain dead. They took it 100% seriously and called into question my abilities. I upped the ante and said Java devs are "mongols that should be shot and dumped in the sea".

They STILL thought I was being serious!

Eventually I just carried on full steam and insulted everything about Java and their mental capacity.

I've not received a reply yet* but I assume they either realised it was a joke or they've gone off quietly steaming that some random on the net hates Java when in reality - they take life way too seriously and I was laughing the entire time.

I guess that makes me a troll? But I don't care because it's hilarious and people need to chill the fuck out and not take words on a screen so seriously.

I was forged in the fires of the internet circa 1990s where "trolling" didn't have a name. It was just piss taking. I'd spend hours annoying random Yanks about Vietnam. You quickly learnt not to take things seriously when everyone was ripping into each other.

The problem with calling me a troll and telling me to be "nicer" on the web results in ultra-sanitised spaces where you can't say certain words and you end up with idiots saying "latino" is transphobic or Spanish "negro" is racist or "unalive" to avoid triggers.

Stop being a victim. Toughen up. For your benefit and everyone elses. It would result in a more interesting WWW.

4chan is like oldschool internet where anything goes.

Reddit is child-proofed internet where you can't use profanity or words like "suicide" without triggering someone.

*I've recieved a reply - they think I'm serious AND that I'm wound up. I'm pissing myself laughing!!! 🤣