Trolling Could Result in Two-Year Jail Time In England and Wales

[RedDeadFred]

Trolling is like making a thread called "Skyrim is the most overrated piece of crap" and then having your OP simply consist of "Discuss". That's on the obvious side, but you get the point. Trolling isn't usually mean spirited, it's more just getting other people worked up for the popcorn value.

Its called willfully causing someone emotional duress. Doesn't matter if you're doing it for some agenda or just for a laugh, you're hurting people. You are causing them emotional pain, and yes stress actually CAN kill you. I have a naturally weak heart (runs in the family) and sometimes, in spite of myself, trolls have actually caused me moments of legitimate medical panic. It doesn't matter if you are using threats or just being a jackass; if your aim is to provoke some negative emotion in another person then you are being abusive. Hence why I call trolls terrorists; you are seeking to use their own emotions, often fear but just as often anger, against them. You are attacking them, and trolling should be held equivalent to assault.

I'm sorry about your medical problems, but I REALLY don't think someone should be prosecuted for making a thread insulting something popular without backing up their claims. If a person can't control their emotions to the point where seeing a thread called "Batman sux" (just an example, not saying it would particularly bother you), they really shouldn't be on the internet. I think that this may just be coming down to what we consider trolling. I guess verbal abuse could fall under trolling, but it seems a lot more malicious than the pranks in which trolling usually takes its form. I dunno, to me, they're two very different things. I think what you're talking about is more "flaming". Either way, I'm pretty sure we're just talking semantics since I do agree with you that verbal abuse on the internet should be punished.

A reasonable stance. For clarity my understanding of "trolling" has always been "deliberately trying to offend/upset people." While the end result of that is up for debate, and certainly there is a degree of personal responsibility to be taken on the part of the trolled, I still believe that the act of trolling itself is unforgivable and unjustifiable. It is attitudes like I've seen in this thread that allow trolling to not only continue, but thrive on the internet. Saying "its just a joke" or "its only a prank" is passively condoning the action, and frankly I don't care to what degree the harassment goes the simple fact that this person is trying to provoke another person is wrong. Harmless or not we're still talking about an asshole with nothing better to do than ruin somebody's day, and frankly I believe that passively condoning such behavior crosses the line from "innocent bystander" to "accomplice." In short; if you're not firmly against the trolls, you're just as bad as the trolls.

That's the thing though, it's not harassment. It's trickery. If anything, it's usually the troll who ends up getting harassed.
Sometimes it can go too far, and in those instances, I agree that it's not okay, but it really ins't a black or white thing.

 

[Binerexis]

Have none of this idiots noticed the fucking block/ignore buttons on social media sites?

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

It is still only the law in the name only. They should put someone in jail for about half a year. Otherwise this law is worth as much as my new year's resolution.

 

[Svarr]

And if it does not stop then make it five years! >:U


Sure, it's a very long time for this, however, it's also serious.

Capatcha: Pick Me! (No! I did nothing wrong. D: )

 

[Davroth]

Trolling is like making a thread called "Skyrim is the most overrated piece of crap" and then having your OP simply consist of "Discuss". That's on the obvious side, but you get the point. Trolling isn't usually mean spirited, it's more just getting other people worked up for the popcorn value.

Its called willfully causing someone emotional duress. Doesn't matter if you're doing it for some agenda or just for a laugh, you're hurting people. You are causing them emotional pain, and yes stress actually CAN kill you. I have a naturally weak heart (runs in the family) and sometimes, in spite of myself, trolls have actually caused me moments of legitimate medical panic. It doesn't matter if you are using threats or just being a jackass; if your aim is to provoke some negative emotion in another person then you are being abusive. Hence why I call trolls terrorists; you are seeking to use their own emotions, often fear but just as often anger, against them. You are attacking them, and trolling should be held equivalent to assault.

I can almost taste the emotional blackmail.

If you have a weak heart and might die from a troll trying to push your buttons, maybe you should take a step away from the internet, because trolls always find a way. And UK legislation wont change a thing about it. They also banned porn, and yet it barely made it harder for UK citizens to find porn. Because at the end of the day, this is impossible to actually meaningfully impact the internet like that.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Trolling is like making a thread called "Skyrim is the most overrated piece of crap" and then having your OP simply consist of "Discuss". That's on the obvious side, but you get the point. Trolling isn't usually mean spirited, it's more just getting other people worked up for the popcorn value.

Its called willfully causing someone emotional duress. Doesn't matter if you're doing it for some agenda or just for a laugh, you're hurting people. You are causing them emotional pain, and yes stress actually CAN kill you. I have a naturally weak heart (runs in the family) and sometimes, in spite of myself, trolls have actually caused me moments of legitimate medical panic. It doesn't matter if you are using threats or just being a jackass; if your aim is to provoke some negative emotion in another person then you are being abusive. Hence why I call trolls terrorists; you are seeking to use their own emotions, often fear but just as often anger, against them. You are attacking them, and trolling should be held equivalent to assault.

I'm sorry about your medical problems, but I REALLY don't think someone should be prosecuted for making a thread insulting something popular without backing up their claims. If a person can't control their emotions to the point where seeing a thread called "Batman sux" (just an example, not saying it would particularly bother you), they really shouldn't be on the internet. I think that this may just be coming down to what we consider trolling. I guess verbal abuse could fall under trolling, but it seems a lot more malicious than the pranks in which trolling usually takes its form. I dunno, to me, they're two very different things. I think what you're talking about is more "flaming". Either way, I'm pretty sure we're just talking semantics since I do agree with you that verbal abuse on the internet should be punished.

A reasonable stance. For clarity my understanding of "trolling" has always been "deliberately trying to offend/upset people." While the end result of that is up for debate, and certainly there is a degree of personal responsibility to be taken on the part of the trolled, I still believe that the act of trolling itself is unforgivable and unjustifiable. It is attitudes like I've seen in this thread that allow trolling to not only continue, but thrive on the internet. Saying "its just a joke" or "its only a prank" is passively condoning the action, and frankly I don't care to what degree the harassment goes the simple fact that this person is trying to provoke another person is wrong. Harmless or not we're still talking about an asshole with nothing better to do than ruin somebody's day, and frankly I believe that passively condoning such behavior crosses the line from "innocent bystander" to "accomplice." In short; if you're not firmly against the trolls, you're just as bad as the trolls.

That's the thing though, it's not harassment. It's trickery. If anything, it's usually the troll who ends up getting harassed.
Sometimes it can go too far, and in those instances, I agree that it's not okay, but it really ins't a black or white thing.

Harassment, trickery, joking...doesn't matter what you call it, the underlying motivation is exactly the same every time: I am going to do something dick-ish for no other reason than to provoke and upset a complete stranger who, so far as I know, never did anything to deserve it. That is what I am against; being a dick to a complete stranger just because, to put it bluntly, you're an asshole who got bored.

So if someone pulled a practical joke on you in real life (obviously nothing serious), you'd demand that they be thrown in jail too? It's essentially the same thing minus the anonymity. Like I said, verbal abuse is bad, but most trolling (NOT flaming) is simply mild annoyances. Is it juvenile? Yes. Do people deserve to be thrown in jail for it? No.

 

[ph0b0s123]

The thing I found interesting about the linked story and coverage on this potential change in the media, were the quoted examples of people being threatened and harassed on-line, which provoked the idea of implementing this change.

None of the multiple examples of people having nasty stuff said, etc, to them on-line involved games or gaming. With all the hand wringing that has been going on over Gamergate etc recently, it was interesting to see that people being dicks on-line is not specifically a problem in gaming culture, but a larger societal issue.

I mean people think that discussions about what console is best can degenerate into something putrid. Have you seen what football (soccer for US readers)supporters get up to in the support of their favorite teams. They like to get in physical fights.

I think that sometimes a bit of perspective is sometimes good and even though it has problems that need to be addressed, gaming culture is not some unique place of nastiness. People aught to chill a bit...

 

[Ratty]

Two years seems a little too harsh, maybe one year would be better imho. Still I wish we could get a similar law here in the States, if one hasn't been made already.

There has been for a long time. I don't know if we've got any specifically for online but threatening to harm someone (including not in person, like over the phone) is illegal.