Flaming on its own is hardly detrimental to social media, because at most it impacts just the blogger’s online reputation, sometimes even positively. I doubt there was any real impact to Xiaxue’s Xiasuay’s reputation when she flamed Maia Lee or Dawn Yang Yawn Dang, since it would endear Xiasuay to those who dislike the two. As for the other bloggers, if they intend to become noticed by those doing social media in PR companies, intense flaming may draw attention but when overdone, it might also gives a blogger the label of ‘toxic assets’ – i.e. anyone, any site, any brand associated with the blogger will have their own reputation tarnished. Unfortunately, unlike banks which will want to have anything to do with financial toxic assets like CDOs and CDS right now, it may not be true that few or no PR companies will want to deal with bloggers who some may consider ‘toxic’.
Anyway, flaming becomes overdone and detrimental to social media when bloggers take certain actions beyond blogosphere into other parts of cyberspace and / or into real life.
The following a some examples of some of these actions:
- Spreading Rumors
The best real life example would be some of the allegations on forums against the directors of Odex when it took action against anime downloaders. - Libellous Postings
Usually no one is any the wiser as to who is the target, except the target himself and his closest friends. Certain facts about a person can be twisted to present a completely negative picture. A perpetrator can make libellous allegations with impunity without fear of legal action as pressing a legal case on libel is not simple. A hypothetical example would be to suggest that an unemployed person who still has money to pursue a certain lifestyle is leeching on his parents’ money and thus, unfilial. - Gossiping
This is usual either done in casual conversations, in social media tools like Plurk, or instant messengers like Yahoo Messenger. The perpetrator infers that someone’s actions has ulterior motives. The main objective is create suspicion with the end result of making the person an outcast in his own community. - Outright Abuse
An example would be to rally friends, readers, acquaintances to say, subscribe a colleague or a boss email address to pR0n sites, or putting up the a number of a person in public for prank calling on one’s blog.
All of these actions go beyond just the a blogger’s online reputation. It shows the negative aspects of social media and also the true character of a person. Sadly, some of these bloggers continues to be featured and used and much of the world – other than those who are in the same social circle – remained seemingly unaware of their otherwise ignoble activities.
I wonder, whether one who looked hard enough may actually find certain PR people who claims to be cultivating social media to be close with some of these bloggers. If so, it begs the question, is this still social media? Or just the usual commercialised PR in the guise of social media?
Do we really need yet another class of glitterati, when the current existing celebrities in showbiz or singing are already nothing more but leeches in society feeding off the craving of the masses for tabloid, scandalous and outrageous news so that they can pursue a lifestyle at your expense?
Recommended Reads:
Xtralicious: What’s great about the Top Blogger?
Xtralicious: 9 Tips To Pitch Your Blog Successfully
These things happen in real life as well, but the anonymity of the Internet aggravates the very same attacks carried out through another medium. Social media is just, well, in its essence, carrying on with what you’d do in real life over onto the (Mis)Information Highway. Or at least that’s how I see it (I’m no social media guru, self-proclaimed or otherwise so I might be totally wrong).
I’ll just quote Mark 7:14-23 (ESV) and the words of Jesus stand on their own, and are easy to understand re: the nature of man’s hearts.
I am repulsed by the outright abuse examples – especially when demonstrated by social media ‘enthusiasts’. What an insult to the practice of social media.
‘All of these actions go beyond just the a blogger’s online reputation. It shows the negative aspects of social media and also the true character of a person.’
Yes. And Google never forgets.
Rachel´s last blog post: Association of Bloggers – clearing up the doubts
There is a poll in the same nature at Marketing-Interactive and you might want to check out the results. 🙂
Ed´s last blog post: [MUSIC] I’m Too Sexy