So recently I got into a fight with a complete stranger on youtube. As in, they were being a total dick, so I told them off. But it got me thinking, is what I did right, knowing that I would never have done that had it been out in the street, in public?

What do you guys think?

Violence is only nature the person either want's you to be upset or be just as rude, Either way petty fights shouldn't be fought on unequal grounds you should have been mature enough to let it go.

I don't believe the act of arguing over the internet in and of itself conveys a sense of cowardice. The internet is a major communications network where news get shared, people keep in touch, and plenty of free speech is conveyed.

And because ideas are flung about so freely online, partially due to a sense of anonymity, it is only natural that conflict is generated. Opinions and perspectives are no less valid because they are anonymous or occur online, and therefore the arguments they cause are as legitimate as those that occur in any other communications forum.

So, no, I don't believe arguing online is cowardly by virtue of the lack of repercussions. However, you're admission that you would not have confronted him about it in public may or may not be a mark of cowardice. I would say the topic of the disagreement matters. Youtube arguments are notoriously shallow, and you said the guy was just being a "total dick." So if the reason you wouldn't confront him face to face is simply because the guy was the sort of person who is simply being rude and you don't want to deal with that sort of interaction then you are not a coward, it's normal to want to avoid a conflict when it is petty in nature.

If, however, you were arguing a matter of some substance and still would have been unwilling to confront him publicly, that way bespeak some cowardice.

If we treat bravery as the opposite of cowardice, and also understand that being brave is less about always taking bold action and more about taking action when action is needed, then it follows that one is only being cowardly when they fail to meet the demands of a situation. If this conflict were important enough to you as an individual thought it more than some idiot being petty and you still failed to stand up to the person in a face to face instance, then I think that would be a fitting example of cowardice.

But I wouldn't fret it too much. We're all cowards in our own right.

I don't understand what's "cowardly" about arguing on the Internet. It's true that you would not do it on the street, but you also won't ride a bike with no helmet. Pointless arguments with only namecalling are surely the worst you can find on the net, but if you actually do know what you're talking about and don't just randomly insult, then it's okay.

Ninja'd ...

How did I not notice this thread before?
>>4 It's cowardly in the same way people find trolls cowardly. It's the idea that anyone could go to just about anything, spew some inferior concept into shoddy typework and once he's done he doesn't have to take any responsibility for what he's created. That is what cowardice is. It's not that you have the ability to remain anonymous, or even that it bears no effect on your exterior life, but that when the going gets tough you can disregard all logic and consequence, say fuck it, and continue to be a dick elsewhere.

The challenge is not knowing how to fight, but WHO and for HOW LONG. It almost needless to say that I've gotten into arguments with people in the BBS just as I have elsewhere, and for the most part I try to be objective about the other's thoughts, try to see if they'll make a valid argument out of it, but when they don't then I see that the person is being a coward, hiding behind violence, broken logic and philosophy, or otherwise completely disregarding that there could even BE another view to the situation.

At that point the only comment I make is no longer for the sake of reasoning with the other, because he is too afraid to negotiate. I would only comment for the sake of others involved.

How would it be considered cowardly? It's not like you're shying away from anything, and how the hell else would you argue with said person? I think the word you're looking for is "pointless." It's really stupid when someone arguing over the new points out that someone else wouldn't "say it to their face," because unless you know that person in real life, it's highly unlikely that you ever will meet them, and if you did, you'd probably have no idea that this was the guy you'd been arguing with in the first place.

No. I mean shit, you're still confronting them. If you would over the internet, but not in person, then that's cowardly.

Whatever you decide it may be, remember this: Your time could be spent elsewhere bettering the world, rather than wasting it behind a keyboard trying to convince a stubborn ignorant person, that will more than likely not stray from his ways.
If he/she traps you into an argument over the internet, they have already brought you down to their level.
Instead of trying to pointlessly fight, turn away, and bide your time elsewhere doing something better.

I too, have gotten into arguments with people online, and usually, they only degenerate into an insult/shouting match.

Occasionally, I still find myself within the throes of an intelligent debate (as on here) or find myself reliving the old days when I would fight/counter-troll trolls just for the fucking hell of it, but in the end, the latter is just a huge waste of time.

trolls are trolls for a reason. They have nothing better to do with their times. Literally, than to stir up mischief and strife.

Don't incite drama, then they have no fuel, they have no entertainment, they are slayed immediately.

not cowardly at all, on the other hand not exactly productive or worth your time either

I don't know why but its not worth it.

I think arguing over the net can hone your grammar and critical thinking if you are not used to debating in real life.

The Internet is full of trolls - debating with trolls isn't really debate; there is no critical thinking involved, since a troll will not (or rather, outright refuses to) think critically. Thinking critically goes against the definition of a troll This being said, it is not worth it, in my opinion.

>>13 it is better than no practice at all. especially for people who use all their time on the net and don't verbally communicate well.

Well...it's not as bad since a lot of people already see people fighting over the internet as something that shouldn't be taken seriously (OF COURSE THATS JUST SOME CASES) but at at the point where it gets personal then hey of course it's never the right thing to do...doing it in public is obviously bad as well.

>>13
You don't know what a troll is.

This requires some yummy copy-pasta that Black has recently found thanks to the comment made by Barabi.

"What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch? I'll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and I've been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda, and I have over 300 confirmed kills. I am trained in guerilla warfare and I'm the top sniper in the entire US armed forces. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the fuck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my secret network of spies across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. You're fucking dead, kid. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that's just with my bare hands. Not only am I extensively trained in unarmed combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the United States Marine Corps and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shit. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little "clever" comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn't, you didn't, and now you're paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. You're fucking dead, kiddo."

watch out everybody, we're dealing with a badass over here

No kibbin

Glad to know this is how "the top sniper in the entire US armed forces" acts on the internet.

I've seen that copy-paste so many times; makes me LOL without fail.
He can't catch me anyway; I'm behind 7 proxies.

>>17 Omfg that makes me laugh every time

>>18>>19>>20 Fucking morons... She even said it was copy paste...

well i think that's horrible! but then again.. they might have traumatizing experiences in their childhood.. so the best bet is just let them wallow in the little shit hole they dug themselves in so you can go free about your business ^^.

The Internet is full of idiots. Especially YouTube. So don't worry too much about it. Sometimes you just have to put people in their place, even over the Internet. You know what they say - trolls everywhere.

well in the net u don't have personal interaction so u can't do much...it's better to ignore them...or better yet troll them back ;)[if u thought of a good line ofc cause there is nothing worse that a shitty phrase used as a back-trolling]...but eitherways...trolling is cowardly.Having a safe distance from the other person and swearing at them isn't sth to be proud of...
That being said i think that ppl get into that stuff cause of domestic-psycology problems in real life they can't deal with so they let their frustration out in that form...
It's like problematic childs that sleal or get into fights just to get attention but they don't admit their true reason...it's actually a case of denial+lack of parential attention during childhood...
u can wake up now my speech is finished...;D

yes you were right to do what you did because you were provoked to

nahhh...that's normal...actually, let me share my personal experience with you...with my first time commenting in youtube....i was watching a good video, i liked it, commented on it and blahblahblah....I was finally happy being able to post a comment, but i really didn't expect that a lot would react to it. I was surprised i got 12 likes right away, but was also surprised that someone said, "Nobody gives a fck about what you think"...I felt hatred beating in me, i mean, IT WAS JUST A NOMAL COMMENT!!! i didn't even put HATE MAILS IN IT!! D: but instead i just let it go, and just casually replied to him like a pro xD (even though it was my first time xD) ....but in real life, (not to boast, but to explain) i am well appreciated by everyone...i'm kinda well known and populerr (cos my friends are so so kind, and they are popular in our place xD) SO....it doesn't really matter what you are, you just have to go do what you like, and survive. and i know some of you will react to this. and it's like, NEGATIVELY.

My policy is, if you wouldn't do it in real life, don't do it online. And I'm too shy to go tell anyone off so you know...I guess I'd just argue with them without going into a rage-fest. But a lot of people on the internet these days are idiots.
For example, on Facebook, don't even bother trying to argue with the people there. A lot of them are just people who rely on your mom insults. And you'd usually be the only smart one there so it's like trying to take an army of people on your own. All you'd get is backlash from their friends. Egh, got off topic...Well my point is exactly what I said above.

Depends on which terms, yeah ive done it too, but it depends on your age in most states if you are underage it would be considered cyber bullying which is illegal, so yeah its normal to react that way but answering back was not a good solution. you should have report it, they actually do something about it. Just watch out.

I don't really see it as being cowardly, but that's just me. But of course in some ways it can be. Seeing it as if you wouldn't say it to their face in real life, then yes it is. I for one, if I get in a fight over the internet, I consider myself as a coward. Because I usually say stuff over the internet that I wouldn't say in real life. But it really just depends on your personality and such.

Even if when you are in public you would not have said such a thing, saying it online does not make you a coward. When I see someone in real life being a jerk with a bunch of their friends then I will normally give them a second chance, because for most people your thoughts and actions are purely impulsive. People do not think before they act in the outside world because they get swept up in the atmosphere of the specific event. Even if you do think before you act you never really get enough time to decide what to say. You would need to plan every scenario out in advance and even this plan would change as you changed as a person. On the internet you have plenty of time to decide exactly what you want to do in advance, and you can double check anything before you say it. There is no reason at all to be impulsive, reckless, or a jerk online. You have done the right thing by telling that person off. You should feel proud.

well if the guy was a complete stranger it douse not make you a coward. however telling someone off(no matter how mad you get) is not smart ether. you could have handled the situation differently.

>>33 ...sure you should be talking?

>>34 true that true that

Hi BitchSama XD im ganna start calling you that from now on

it's fun too lol

well, it adds a different color to internet life. It's just part of internet unless you drive another person to suicide.. arguing is fine as long as certain lines are not crossed I guess...

Sounds Fun X3

As Equinox said, as long as it doesn't cross the line, it's fine in my eyes. Though I do find it slightly stupid. But I that if it just gets to the point where it sounds like two 3-year-olds are fighting over an animal cracker, it needs to stop lest you gain a not-so-good reputation.
Rather than petty fights about something childish though (not trying to sound mean, sorry if I do) , I would definitely approve of a intellectual argument. (:

I guess being able to only tell someone off on the internet could be considered cowardly, but there is no glory in arguing anyway so it doesn’t really matter. If someone needs to be told off that’s your choice, internet or RL it takes at least some courage.

Bump for an actual discussion on Main.

>>41

You must not like debates as it holds arguments for both.

Its ok if they're being a dick

>>44 That's a really nonspecific view of another person. You could easily reason that someone's being a dick before they realize it, and they could be being a dick before you know that that's what they're trying to do. Either way, if this person is going around saying that everyone you care about is an asshat, you're only wasting your own time by arguing.

>>44 what if you're the one that's actually being a dick? .3.

When arguing with someone over the internet, i found something better than just yelling back. Spout random shit and confuse the f*ck outta them instead. Here's an example of my fine work.

i would suggest sunscreen, going outside and completing that sex change operation
(the troll--) in reply to (me**) 1 week ago

OH YEAH WILL NO ONE TOLD ME MAYO WAS A SUNDAY STOP SIGN. SO CLIMB OFF MY WAGON BEFORE LUCK BREAKS HER VIOLIN. MOMMA WILL THROW THE GALAXY AT YOU. SO... SO THERE.
** in reply to -- 1 week ago

... wait.. what!? 
-- in reply to ** 14 minutes ago

>>47 haha actually a good idea.

>>47 That's an awesome idea. I'm going to have to try that if I ever get into an internet argument in the future.

>>47 I'm doing that right now in youtube.

>>47 I'm doing that right now in youtube.

Bump for the sake of everything that's logical.

>>52 This

If you're trying to make a point no. I think its fine and besides, its not like you can tell them in person

Bump.

Bump.

BUMP AGAIN

Bump.

DAMNED NEWFAG

Bump.

Its only cowardly if you post something get told off because the other person is right and then take it off. I just makes the person look sad when they do it

I mean, it's the internet, everybody thinks their right and you can't do anything because their behind a computer screen...It doesn't really matter after you log off anyway. But I would say the person who starts the fight intentionally would be the coward, being they started a fight with a complete stranger on the internet!! Go outside and argue with someone! At least when you get punched in the face you're a bit less of a coward!

Just my opinion :P

bamp

I think that calling people names and such over the internet is extremly cowardly because odds are most people wouldn't say half the garbage they do in person. Online there's no conequence where in person you might get a broken jaw or at least a black eye. Although i think calling people names is always a cowardly act, if you want to fight then just do it.

>>64
I actually call people faggots and what have you more often irl than I do on the internet.

But I may be an exception, not the rule.

its natural to be hot headed in the net...I've seen those a lot of times
in real life once you confront them in person, they'll deny it and say it's just a joke...no matter how serious or not...thats life

No not at all, it's just funny.

There are way too many *ssholes on the internet to argue with. It's like trying to argue with a dumb person. Never works. It's either that or the person is able to outwit me. Needless to say, I just try to avoid arguements but I do admit that they're hilarious to watch. Especially on Youtube.

Assuming an online fight is cowardly is assuming that your confrontation should always have the risk of physical escalation... :/

People who argue with the intention of fighting afterward are violent and stupid.

So, no. Arguing on the Internet is not cowardice. Some arguments I've had on the Internet get far more intense than anything I've had in real life, with about the same risk of a fight. Don't argue with barbaric idiots, and fighting is not an issue.

I guess I'm violent and stupid then....atleast IRL....

Well all in all, an internet argument ends as pixels on a screen. Its not like you and that person would be likely to meet, and it shouldn't really matter if its bad if the person you fight with is being rude, especially if the person is offending other people.

All in all though, fighting is wrong, online or in real life. Like >>69 (great landing for number and point) said, don't argue with idiots, and I think enough of us know that the internet has quite a few idiots.

arguing over the internet, arguing in real life. same result. i try explaining something, they misunderstand it, they call me an idiot & im pissed. anyway, arguing over the internet isnt cowardly

I think it's what's different is that when you're online,you don't know who they look like,so you argue. But,trust me in real life you sometimes wish you NEVER met them.

Now why would you compare anything on the internet to real life? It doesn't matter wether you have the stones to tell him this when there is a chance of physical abuse. Because there is not.

So basically what you are asking is "Is it ok to be yourself on the internet". And yes it's fine, it's actually more wrong not to be yourself in real life. It is however your choice to make.

>>73
actually, i dont care what they look like in real life. i'll still argue

I try not to. People are idiots. and no one 'cept a few people, i.e. me, will look at facts and see the other person side.
For all those that argue ALL CAPS ISN'T LIKE YELLING AND DOESN'T GO OVER THE OTHER PERSON VOICE. Also in a RL argument yelling doesn't help at all other then to shut the other person up and then to talk at an audible level.

Yeah right ...it's happen a lot to me too ... People usually have different way of thinking ...so it wouldn't be suprising right ? But sometimes ...stranger can be such a bitch ...so for me I don't care if it's on the internet or not ..if some people pissed me off without no reason...I will face it

Well I try to put myselg in their dhoes to see thier side of the story before I go off in flames on the person.

bumping up good threads