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The indirectness in communication on social media has led many to freely express their thoughts. With social media, you can know say stuff that would have been completely avoided during personal contact. The lawlessness on the Internet is reminiscent of an old cowboy flick in a dangerous land far away from the clutches of the law.
The social media cowboy is every one of us when we log in to Facebook, Twitter or Youtube seeking adventure in a virtual land. Definitely the closest you can get to a present day Netflix Westworld experience.
Everyone wants this power to influence others with their ideas, but blogging, posting and sharing by yourself is not the most preferred tool when you have big money. With all the backing with big urgent targets, you find yourself a Social Media Bad Hombre.
In this case you hire people to tweet for you and also to do the dirty work of Trolling and Sycophancy. Using photo shop, morphed videos and Spam, you now have a Social Media Mercenary.
A job that requires you to be more manipulative then the worst salesman around. All is fair in Trolling & Sycophancy when the paycheck requires results.
The Internet, a common global platform today has its foundations based on old American wild west culture. A land of opportunity and gun slinging cow boys. In today’s age, the Internet is the Wild Wild West. Every opinion or a remark that faces an opposition quickly gets drawn to a Quick Draw.
- Bang! : First comment by our Challenger cowboy, sporting a mean smirk
- Bang! Bang!: Quick double reply by our agitated Social Media Preacher turned Cowboy. Saving the honor of the family name in front of mutual friends is the only goal.
- Bang! : A second shot from behind from an old frenemy seeking to gang up with the new opponent.
A Quick Draw or a quick posting of comments can ensure you a win, but only if you have your buddies backing you up. Just go see the Magnificent Seven to understand what I mean.
You always need a team of Bad Hombres to save your ass on social media. Need not be the best Social Media Warriors, as they merely have to provide cover support in from of likes and comments like “Hahaha…Good one” or “Well said bro”. Nothing special, just simple words to give the necessary support. No one will mess with you on social media if you have a bunch of these comments backing you up.
The Internet has its own dark alleys in form of browsers like Tor that lead you to the dark web. It allows you to make a financial transaction anonymously with high security using bitcoins that are mined by miners. Seriously, the Internet could not be more like an old western. The enthusiasm of people towards the wild west and the Internet is quite similar actually.
In most developed countries, people have still stuck to decency until the new President elect Donald Trump inspired many to come out of their politically correct comfort zones that did exist for a good reason. If there is something you would not say directly to a person, you should not take advantage of the barrier social media gives you. But is there more to it?
I am not asking anyone to bribe the little kid with the stones, before he goes playing around the hornet nest. But has he not raised an issue of communication in our society?
Societies in developed countries lack understanding of foreign cultures. Vice versa is also true. Incidents like foreign immigrants using the community swimming pool without proper precautions in hygiene is a clear sign of lack in communication. Eve teasing and molestation by a few miscreants is an other story and needs to be punished severely.
Most noteworthy, Donald Trump stresses on the later issue, but indirectly brings attention to the former issue. A slap on the face that leads to self realization among the privileged in the developed world. Immigrants make great workers, but they need more attention to be more efficient. You get what you invest. Hating your “assets” doesn’t help. I call Immigrants as “assets” as they are the only hope to save the current Pension systems.
The Developed world needs nice immigrants to quickly adapt and further train others. The young migrants are needed to offset the aging population. But the Trolls wont let you know this.
Actions are results of habits. If I was habituated to insult on the Internet, I will be more likely to say something inappropriate as a reaction.
As the Internet becomes more of a place to get official work done apart from indulging in nonsensical fun, the world needs to uphold a new code of conduct on the Internet. Our trolling actions not only instigate but can also inspire.
The world needs an Internet Clint Eastwood. We already have the bad and the ugly in the Internet, where is the Good?
The fun in trolling is addictive and every one loves it. What was once a past time for geeks like me, has become a powerful tool that is misused wildly. With an army of trolls, you can cause havoc in peoples lives. In defense, what are you going to do?
The kind of response needed in changing troll perceptions is only possible with the help of other big influencer on social media. Hence, what you need is an Internet Hero.
These are people often in their thirties or late twenties. They have a better moral understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Most importantly, they have the necessary tech skills, sense of humor and the determination needed to make posts go viral.
They go by the name of “Admin”. From being individuals with no vested interests, their credibility is seen with suspicion when they stick to certain biased trends.
When the “Admin” is confirmed to behave in an asymmetric manner in judgment, the entire game is up and his credibility is questioned. There were many a few Admins who built great following in India. Many have been compromised, but there are still a few seeking to uphold online justice or just the nascent idea of it.
If you want to help uphold morality then join me in Blogging. Become a Clint Eastwood or a Samurai.
Magnificent Seven or the Seven Samurai, but you will not be the Last Samurai.
If you are Indian, become Amitabh & Dharmendra from Sholay. Spread morality and ideas and make money while doing it.
Its fair you get paid for doing social service right?
So click on the banner below to learn more about Site ground’s web site services (hosting, domain, word press, etc) and make “us” richer. Capish?
These social media vigilantes will go down in history as remarkable people. There will be detailed inferences of how they trolled and got trolled when the situation needed a hero. Suppose the world chooses an important decision in 10 years, and you were the first to spread the idea about it on the Internet. Wouldn’t future historians (Artificial Intelligence of course) be able to trace down the origins of the ideas to accredit the individual and his important mindset?
Plus, these influential individual will make it rich by then marketing to all their viewers. They will re write history.
Even our freedom fighters would have probably been trolling on social media back in the day. If technology was available for it, why not?
Patriotism today, takes a new definition with the advent of video becoming an easily accessible content to millions of people who would otherwise not be into reading online. Video works very well in India. From Bollywood to Youtube, Indians love watching videos. Hence, it is so easily manipulated by vested interests.
The Clint Eastwood of today’s age cannot ignore video anymore. A nicely written blog is like a nice cowboy revolver that shoots 6. Perfect against a small nasty gang, while Video is like the early automatic machine gun, more appropriate against a bigger army.
The social media wars will continue with every side aiming to arm itself with better technology and strategy. Money does rule in this wild social media world as you can now even pay a Sheriff (Mark Zukerberg) to promote your posts or business across any geography.
But all is not lost when power and muscle weighs in against the social media warrior.
What will he do?
Yes, He will listen to ancient African proverbs with Shaolin monks practicing all around him. 80’s music in the background.
A Deer wakes up in a Jungle one morning thinking that it wont survive the day if it does not run fast enough.
The same morning, a Tiger wakes up thinking, that it wont survive an other day on an empty stomach if it does not run fast enough.You may be a Tiger or a Deer, but everyone has got to run in the Jungle! – African Proverb
The key here is to keep running and mastering your art. One blog at a time, no excuses and finally you will see yourself influencing the world around for the better.
Finally, Trolling and Sycophancy will take the back seat and rationale free thought and debate shall pertain.
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