Posted by Stacey, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Mar 3, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Stacey is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Here's a good article that talks about online hostility and how it can be distinguished from comments expressing strong yet unpolished opinions.
"What Exactly is Online Hostility?" Web Link
"Some questions to ask yourself:
(1) Was it a one-time or ongoing attack?
(2) Was it perpetrated anonymously, by an online pseudonym, or under someone’s real name?
(3) Was there one attacker or are several involved, i.e. mob attack,
(4) Was the attack unprovoked or a defensive response?
(5) Was it made privately to the target or publicly online?
(6) Do the attacker and the target know each other, and if so, what is their relationship?
(7) Was the attack made exclusively online or has it migrated offline as well?
(8) Was it about the target’s appearance, character or behavior?
(9) Was a specific or general threat made against the target?
(10) Could someone interpret that attack as humor or satire?
Actions include but aren’t limited to [edited]:
* Rude comments aimed at target
* Online screaming at a target
* Teasing or mocking target
* Insulting and name-calling
* Negative insinuations about target that have no basis of truth or are knowingly false
* Negative gossip about target that is intended to harm target, which may or may not have a basis of truth
* Ad hominem attacks against target
* Criticism of target’s appearance, age, gender, race, intellect, and so forth
* Impersonating the target online
* Spreading half-truths of lies about target and his/her family
* Accusations of fabricated wrongdoing by target
* Threats of attacks against target’s reputation
* Defamatory statements about target or his/her family
"
| 
View in an RSS Reader
E-mail this topic.
Print this topic.
