I've been blogging since the Blog City days. Remember Blog City? It was basically a blogging platform before Blogger came around and well before WordPress became the leader in the space.
Since those early days, I've come across a lot of people in the blogosphere. Their backgrounds run the gamut. Some were in the PR business, some blue collar types and others former journalists like me (I'm a former reporter for the Boston Globe).
One of the things we all have in common, is that we love to write. The other thing we all had in common is that we'd come across a ton of nut jobs in the blogging space.
You know the type — the bloggers who love to rant, piss people off and link bait just to get a rise out of people. Some of those tactics are ok, but when the bloggers moves to being a troll, there are times when you want to jump through the computer screen and strangle them.
Article first published as Blogging is Fun for the Trolling Mentals on Technorati.
I typically don't get into pissing matches online. They go nowhere. Regardless of whether you are in the right, the person who is driving you crazy just won't let up.
That's the beauty — and aggravation — of the blogosphere at times. This also plays a role in traditional news sites and their comment sections.
The back and forth arguments go nowhere because the interwebs provide is with the safety of being anonymous, which also gives people guts or dare I say, balls.
So, to you trolls and mentalists out there, I say piss off. Take your arguments somewhere else because I don't want to hear it.