GiveMeRep4free wrote I think you need to get some thicker skin. If you offended on the internet, you are probably too easily offended. If it sucks your nan is dead and all but come on, no need to take anything seriously. Like just ignore it. Like one of my good mates killed himself but I don't cry or get offended when people tell me to kill myself online. because i can separate online and real life.

It's the internet. No one cares about your life or family because you are faceless. You are just a username.

Cyber bullying is a thing, whether you know the person or not.

It certainly shouldn't happen on a forum such as this where the person visits daily. People just need to be more careful what they say on this forum, especially the shoutbox weebs.

Its kinda difficult to draw the line between banter and being disrespectful when youre on an internet forum but sometimes all it takes it some common sense to know when youre about to say something stupid.

Scizor wrote If a member is being abusive in a completely uncalled for way towards you in the shoutbox (Use common sense here, just because someone called you a name is no need to sound the alarms, however someone saying "I'm glad your nan died" is obviously unnecessary and unneeded) then make sure you get a screenshot of any kind of shouts and take it to a staff member. However this isn't a after school special we're running so don't take things too personal, not everything is always sunshine and rainbows. I sit in the shoutbox a lot but this doesn't mean I'm constantly reading shout and keeping up to date on it, so things do get past us.

We've had issues with members (seems to be the same handful of them) taking things too far and trying to pull the banter card. We are very aware of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. The shoutbox should be a place for lighthearted fun not edgy harassment. Staff have different opinions of what should and shouldn't be allowed but the bottom line for everyone is that members shouldn't have to worry about if they're going to be harassed by some internet badass.

Edit: Also just rambling my own opinion here, a big issue in the shoutbox is the whole "They're doing it why shouldn't I" mindset of new users becoming shoutbox regulars. What I mean by this is that users who are spending more and more time in the shoutbox see users with special ranks, or members that are popular, etc, going too far with their jokes and just being dicks, so they see this as the cool thing to do. Which just kind of breeds a whole new generation of assholes to deal with.

TL;DR, yes this is abuse but don't take it personal this is the internet some people take things too far and if it's brought to our attention we will gladly look into it, shoutbox should be fun but not a free for all

Yeah see that's the thing. I could name 3-4 staff that was active in the SB at the time and literally nothing was done but "enough". I'm not going to say names as I said in the topic. But seriously how long is it going to take until sometime takes it too personal and does something? You know what I mean by that. Might seem pathetic now to think that...but all it takes is that 1 person to say that 1 thing and a lot of people's lives change for the worse. Simply blocking that user doesn't stop them from doing it. Further punishment needs to be taken and not sit back just because OP is friends with a number of staff....

GiveMeRep4free wrote I think you need to get some thicker skin. If you offended on the internet, you are probably too easily offended. If it sucks your nan is dead and all but come on, no need to take anything seriously. Like just ignore it. Like one of my good mates killed himself but I don't cry or get offended when people tell me to kill myself online. because i can separate online and real life.

It's the internet. No one cares about your life or family because you are faceless. You are just a username.

Um ok. I think you need to go and rethink your life. Not everyone has the same humour, feelings etc. So yeah you might be able to look past it. But I guarantee 100% hardly anyone in this community will respond with "grow thicker skin".

The shoutbox is a shitfest. Don't take it personally. Always has been & always will be.

GiveMeRep4free wrote I think you need to get some thicker skin. If you offended on the internet, you are probably too easily offended. If it sucks your nan is dead and all but come on, no need to take anything seriously. Like just ignore it. Like one of my good mates killed himself but I don't cry or get offended when people tell me to kill myself online. because i can separate online and real life.

It's the internet. No one cares about your life or family because you are faceless. You are just a username.

I find your comment fairly ignorant to be honest.

Jay is simply voicing an opinion (one of many peoples opinions) and yet your response is to 'grow thicker skin'. Just because its the internet doesn't make it an acceptable place to insult others, and take it as, not to get offended when a remark such as the one said to Jay is said, because its fine... its just the internet.

True, you have a point, everyone has hard times such as yourself and myself, and the next user. However, just because you have coping mechanisms on how to deal with yours, or you have 'thicker skin' doesn't go to say that everyone else should do the same. Some things hit harder for some than others. But I'm pretty sure, anyone in Jays position and on the receiving end of that comment will likely to take offence to it regardless of whether it was said on the internet or in real life. Its human.

Kieran,

Going to steer away from the main topic a little. But I hate that people use anonymity as an excuse to be absolute cocks to others.
The mindset that it's okay to be an asshole because "it's the Internet" was always something that annoyed me.

Im just an asshole....

But im a asshole to everyone so thats okay

Rip Boar 2016

Jay wrote

GiveMeRep4free wrote I think you need to get some thicker skin. If you offended on the internet, you are probably too easily offended. If it sucks your nan is dead and all but come on, no need to take anything seriously. Like just ignore it. Like one of my good mates killed himself but I don't cry or get offended when people tell me to kill myself online. because i can separate online and real life.

It's the internet. No one cares about your life or family because you are faceless. You are just a username.

Um ok. I think you need to go and rethink your life. Not everyone has the same humour, feelings etc. So yeah you might be able to look past it. But I guarantee 100% hardly anyone in this community will respond with "grow thicker skin".

I see where he's coming from though. Most people won't know you personally or honestly care who you are. Jokes will be made, offensive and playful. The internet isn't a safe space and there'll be times you see things you don't like, we all go through that. How you respond to it is up to you, but you really shouldn't let it have so much control over you.