Conservation of Trolls
The news has been abuzz on the Internet the last couple days with pictures of a double Einstein ring by the Hubble Space Telescope.
I’m not even going to try to explain this, since Phil Plait explained the phenomenon perfectly here.
What I especially love about this, is the publication of this article on the site Presscue. Presscue is apparently a minor Internet news site. Presscue’s standing in the Internet food chain of news sites was obtained using rigorous statistical methods: the fact that I’d never heard of it and I spend pretty much all my spare time in front of a computer.
Get this: even a small website’s article about a relatively obscure (yet cool) astronomical phenomenon has developed trolls! Is no part of the Internet safe?
(Link to Presscue article; text may not be work-safe)
Anonymity plus the Internet is a stupid-making combination. Want to be depressed about our world’s future? Have a look at the comments on any YouTube video.
The only possible perpetual motion machine per the Second Law of Thermodynamics is one in which the collective clueless rage of Internet trolls could power some kind of device with their submitted comments. With apologies to Dr. Gibbs, THAT’s free energy. We’ll be free of oil in no time.
And all this said, I’d still rather have an Internet that requires moderation, spam filters, and a cynical readership than any kind of censorship whatsoever.
January 11, 2008 10:45 am 3 Comments
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By Bill Ruhsam, January 14, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
That was an entertaining thread over at the link. “Get a real job!”
One of the comments had been deleted, which always makes me really really really want to read it.
By Jim, January 14, 2008 @ 3:32 pm
I think I know what the comment said. I can’t really repeat it in a public forum, but let’s just say that racial slurs were prodigiously thrown around.
By Pat R., January 29, 2008 @ 4:16 am
Wow. That was funny. And def NSFW. On a lighter note, I look forward to a day when all American homes utilize the infinite benefit of trollpower. With the money we save on oil, we can fund a universal health care program.
My fav was the poster who got his 22nd post. “Heck yeah booyah!”