Once upon a time there were three billy goats….

Simon Chapman tried to explain “Why I block Trolls on Twitter” in an article on The Conversation website, given their habit of not publishing replies to their articles, it’s hardly a conversation is it? Here’s a round up of  this weeks responses. Top up your tank and glass and settle down for some excellent reading:

Dear Simon Chapman

From Beki Jane

I’m responding to your blog post here because you are deleting comments on that post and you have me blocked on Twitter. I’m also responding here because what I have to say will take more than 140 characters. Much more. I can’t remember tweeting you before I was blocked. I do object to being labelled a troll. As you have me blocked, you must consider me to be such. This in itself could be considered trolling – making a statement designed to provoke anger and waiting for those who have been trolled to bite. It does not seem to be very professional….

Methinks they doth protest too loudly…

From Jo Lincoln

Far be it from me to worry you, but it would appear that Chapman has spent a considerable portion of his ever more finite lifespan downloading and analyzing his own Twitter feed. Where I grew up, we called that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. With a generous side of being up one’s own ass.

Suffice to say that Chapman, much in the vein of his cohort Martin McKee, considers himself to be very unfairly put upon. The facts of the matter are very different. So popular is Chapman, and his views for that matter, that his widely publicized article managed to attract the grand total of one (that’s one, as in 1, singular, solo, very lonely person) sycophantic supporter to leap to his aid…..

A Lesson In Manners.

From Lorien Jollye

Come in and sit down please.  Mister Furlow this is not the place for chewing gum; in my bin please then sit! Settle down at the back there, I know we are not long back from the holidays but it is straight into work mode. Now, I thought today we could talk about internet safety. There has been a lot in the news lately about how people behave online. Can anyone give me an example please? No shouting out, Fergus, and I do not expect to hear that kind of language! Yes, thank you Stefan, trolling. That is exactly what I wanted to look at today….

You mad yet, bro?

From Cloudz of Cloudz

It’s not a mindset that is going to win arguments, sway minds or change legislation – but then I am not the man for that job. I’m a vaper, this is my only interest in their pronouncements. They are paid to be public health experts and I, as a member of said public, feel that if they run public social media accounts linked to their employment then blocking individuals is simply poor form….

And finally the last word goes to Clive Bates in his excellent article:

Memo to public health grandees: vaping, vapers and you

I consider myself a public health advocate and, though I’m not a vaper and have never smoked, I support vaping as a tobacco harm reduction strategy, with enormous potential to reduce death and disease globally.  It’s a good approach for public health as it doesn’t require prohibitions, coercion, punitive taxes or rely on fear and it goes with the grain of behaviour and what people want. I thought it might help you if I explained what I have learned about vaping and vapers, and why your relationship with them is so poor…