The interwebs makes me depressed.

[Sara_H]

Is it just me?

I have atwitter account that I don't use for friends etc but to follow cycle campaign groups (personal interests) and child welfare campaign groups (professional interest).

This means I become aware of alot of negative stuff, like the responses to cycle deaths, some of the poor attitudes towards cycle safety and victim blaming.

The child abuse twittering is always very depressing. The comments made about victims of abuse in some of the recent high profile cases is just abysmal.

I've been at home today pottering about, its been quite nasty on twitter. There was some kind of conference for local authority road safety groups that was being tweeted about and some of the stuff that was coming out from those who are professionally responsible for our safety makes me want to cry.

Likewise theres a load of crap coming out at the minute from Surrey road police that makes me think I'll most definitely never ride a bike in Surrey! These people have no more clue or care about protecting vulnerable road users that your avarage chavved up motard. So depressing.

OH says I should stop going on Twitter before I scare myself to death over the vast numbers of sociopaths that are roaming the streets.

 

[glenn forger]

Any links?

 

[Jefferson Meriwether]

When the twitter stuff's getting somewhat crappy I'd say reading them; at least for a while.

I generally tend to stay away from negative tinterweb stuff like that. Out there in the real world I find cycling very enjoyable and relaxing plus am very fortunate in that motorists round my neck of the world seem to be a very decent breed of road users; I don't want the tinternet world giving my real world experiences a negative flavour if that makes sense.

 

[Archie_tect]

When the twitter stuff's getting somewhat crappy I'd say reading them; at least for a while.

I generally tend to stay away from negative tinterweb stuff like that. Out there in the real world I find cycling very enjoyable and relaxing plus am very fortunate in that motorists round my neck of the world seem to be a very decent breed of road users; I don't want the tinternet world giving my real world experiences a negative flavour if that makes sense.

Exactly my thoughts too J, especially on the decency of the local road users round here.
Sara, just switch Twitter feeds off for a while.... I gave up on Twitter after a while even though someone recommended that I should use it for work, I didn't take to it at all.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

you've picked the bad bits of twitter that attract the bully, nobber & trollish elements. I find it a whole lot more enjoyable to mix that sort of stuff with normal non-special interest people who follow the same football team, like my type of music, live in the sam place, same sense of humour etc. People you'd be happy in the pub with. It dilutes the d***heads & intensity quite a bit.

 

[Sara_H]

I honestly don't want to go back to it to link, but it's the general stuff.

Exactly my thoughts too J, especially on the decency of the local road users round here.
Sara, just switch Twitter feeds off for a while.... I gave up on Twitter after a while even though someone recommended that I should use it for work, I didn't take to it at all.

Professionally it is quite usefull for keeping track of developments and issues in my line of work. But even that can be quite difficult, as child welfare issues can draw the same kind of victim blaming trolls as the cycle safety groups do.

It depresses me that we share the world with those who have such ugly views and see no wrong in what they believe.

 

[rbreid]

No it's not just you. Society viewed through some mediums makes for a grim picture! I keep my head clear by not having a television, muting the radio when the news is on, don't buy newspapers and am very careful where I go on the internet. Tried a few other cycling type forums but was sickened by the arrogance and lack of humility displayed by some, then found cyclechat. Comfortable here where respect and consideration are still valued, thank goodness

 

[Brandane]

When the twitter stuff's getting somewhat crappy I'd say reading them; at least for a while.

I generally tend to stay away from negative tinterweb stuff like that. Out there in the real world I find cycling very enjoyable and relaxing plus am very fortunate in that motorists round my neck of the world seem to be a very decent breed of road users; I don't want the tinternet world giving my real world experiences a negative flavour if that makes sense.

Same here. I'm such an old dinosaur at the tender age of 51, that I refuse to do those facebook or twitter things .

I used to be on a very good motorbike forum, until it got all political and some nastiness crept in, so I left.

I will hang about here as it seems a reasonable place (one incident of personal nastiness apart - now on ignore), and most of the nonsense is confined to one or two boards which are easily avoided. If things change, it is easy enough to stop visiting. "Flouncing" I think it's called, but I prefer to regard it as freedom of choice.

 

[rich p]

I joined Twitter so as to be able to twat the commentators during the TdF. I have 1 follower who must be sorely disappointed in my oeuvre but he is a namesake who was attracted to me - not in that sense, you filthy sods.
His tweets over the past year are ghoulishly irresistible in that he's an absolute, illiterate idiot, thug and member of the BNP. His posts stopped in July when he mentioned going to prison as a possibility. I'd post a link but he might duff me up if he found out!

 

[rich p]

Here's a couple of tasters reproduced. I just noticed he stopped tweeting in July 2011 so he's probably still inside.

British national party.thats it and thats my england.its all fu.kt curupted by allip actabar. you sand for it.would your ancester .NO.

ROBERT of DUDLEY.WHAT YOU THINK OF THAT.WHERE EVER YOU ARE NOW.18 MILLEON.DRUG MONEY.OR DHSS.BRING BACK ADOLF

 

[Pale Rider]

I honestly don't want to go back to it to link, but it's the general stuff.

Professionally it is quite usefull for keeping track of developments and issues in my line of work. But even that can be quite difficult, as child welfare issues can draw the same kind of victim blaming trolls as the cycle safety groups do.

It depresses me that we share the world with those who have such ugly views and see no wrong in what they believe.

You are drowning in a sea of mis-information - like so many people on the internet.

I doubt there is anything useful to your profession on the likes of twitter, certainly nothing you cannot access elsewhere.

Bin twitter for a month as an experiment.

My guess is you will feel no less informed and will feel generally better.

 

[Sara_H]

You are drowning in a sea of mis-information - like so many people on the internet.

I doubt there is anything useful to your profession on the likes of twitter, certainly nothing you cannot access elsewhere.

Bin twitter for a month as an experiment.

My guess is you will feel no less informed and will feel generally better.

Actually, I find Twitter us much better than other news outlets for a lot of professionally relevant information, much of which would only really be available in specialist professional journals that may only be published quarterly. And it's also good to get the discussion and dissection of new announcements etc. but the downside is that a lot of very unpleasant drivel creeps in with it.

 

[Arch]

It depresses me that we share the world with those who have such ugly views and see no wrong in what they believe.

The thing is, we've always shared the world with those people and always will. Twitter just reminds us that they exist on a more regular basis than we might remember if we just relied on meeting them face to face...

I find that with most stuff like that, rising above it works best. Twitter (like any forum or social network) is mostly great, sometimes really useful. When the odd bit of scum floats to the top, mentally skim it off and carry on...

 

[Sara_H]

The thing is, we've always shared the world with those people and always will. Twitter just reminds us that they exist on a more regular basis than we might remember if we just relied on meeting them face to face...

I find that with most stuff like that, rising above it works best. Twitter (like any forum or social network) is mostly great, sometimes really useful. When the odd bit of scum floats to the top, mentally skim it off and carry on...

True, I guess we were all pretty niave before the internet. I had o idea that I was saring space with so many sociopaths. Scares me a bit TBH.

 

[Moon bunny]

No it's not just you. Society viewed through some mediums makes for a grim picture! I keep my head clear by not having a television, muting the radio when the news is on, don't buy newspapers and am very careful where I go on the internet. Tried a few other cycling type forums but was sickened by the arrogance and lack of humility displayed by some, then found cyclechat. Comfortable here where respect and consideration are still valued, thank goodness

What do you think of John Major's chances in the next election?