People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

I've been playing alot of chess at yahoo and Im not very good. Basically 1/2 the time I make a mistake like hang a queen, my opponent will type something to me like "you so dumb" "oops", etc. When we haven't had any kind of verbal dialogue previously.

Im pretty confident that if I was playing at a real life chess club, half the time I made a mistake my opponent would not start talking crap to me, especially in a casual non-tournament environment. Is it because, they really want to but are too cowardly to do it face to face?

Is yahoo chess just full of teenagers? This has always interested me, how rudely people act when there is anonymity. Are most people rude, but afraid to show it in person or are rude people just attracted to the internet so its overran with them?

What are your thoughts?

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

The reason is that, generally speaking, people are assholes.

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

People are very, very rude on the internet. There's no comeback, so a lot just don't care. It's a bit like aggressive driving - you feel cocooned, so don't really consider consequences.

I don't think it's rude people are attracted to the internet, it just generally lowers peoples' consideration for others in what they say.

Can't you turn the chat off?

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

Im not aware of an ability to turn the chat off, but Im surprised that I need to, because of the extreme level of low civility. And its not just like a lack of consideration, its people going out of their way to try to ridicule someone else they dont know.

I know its a pretty small sample size, but just seeing how people treat each other on the internet dissapoints me with humanity.

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

People are de-humanized on the Internet. Since we can't see each other's faces, it's tougher to relate to other Internet users as actual people. Plus, it's fun to type "pwnd" when you leave your queen open to be brutally raped by a lowly pawn.

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

The internet seems to magically make any trace of humanity vanish. I don't quite understand why, yet I still fall into it's spell. I think it's because, to a certain degree, nothing on the internet actually matters, dildo brains.


See? It's just so fun to be an ass on the interenet.

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
People are de-humanized on the Internet. Since we can't see each other's faces, it's tougher to relate to other Internet users as actual people. Plus, it's fun to type "pwnd" when you leave your queen open to be brutally raped by a lowly pawn.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why is that fun? Whenever my opponents hang a queen I see no need to rub their mistake in their face.

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why is that fun? Whenever my opponents hang a queen I see no need to rub their mistake in their face.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, sometimes it is fun, sometimes it isn't. I sometimes find it fun when some ahole has been rude to me, but generally, I'm with you - if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.

I ignore it now.

I did used to get bothered by stuff like people wishing you dead, but asked for advice on the psychology forum, and they put me straight. Ignore it!

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
Im pretty confident that if I was playing at a real life chess club, half the time I made a mistake my opponent would not start talking crap to me, especially in a casual non-tournament environment.

[/ QUOTE ]

The other half the time the people are really obnoxious. I went to a chess club once and I went to a chess tourny once. Chess people are incredibly obnoxious and egotistical.

P.S use ICC. Just always sign on as a guest.

Re: People\'s Behavior on the Internet
 

I am visiting equally German chat sites and American chat sites (or game sites with a chat). I lived in the States for three years, rest in Germany. My observation:

In real life, Americans treat each other with a lot more of respect, politeness and civility than in Germany. In discussions, if opinions differ, it is communicated much more indirectly and way less opinionated than in Germany.

Online, it is the other way round. It is not that Germans are polite online (they are not!) but their attitude stays more or less the same. On US sites, chat and discussions tend to escalate very quickly into name calling and/ or obnoxious/ childish behaviour.