The Internet is full of places for people to express themselves in a multitude of ways. They can show off pictures of things they’ve made, post their intimate details on blogs, post in forum threads, and even showcase their talents via video sharing sites such as YouTube.

It seems that the more opportunities that individuals have to share, the more some of these people are inclined to act in a less than appropriate way. Many behave differently than they would if they were speaking to someone in person, and become a bit more rude.

A common term you’ll run into online is “troll”. This slang term can be defined as a person who strives to incite anger and other responses provoked by emotion, by posting argumentative and slanderous messages. Causing others to become distressed is the primary goal of these individuals.

There haven’t been studies as to why people “troll” and even if there was, how would you get accurate data? These “trolls” work hard to remain unknown in the vast sea that is the internet.

Video based websites like YouTube are somewhat different than sites where just writing is used. When you post a video on YouTube, you appear on camera, and leave yourself open to the public. A trolls rudeness is then targeted at the appearance of the user as well as whatever information is in the video. It doesn’t need to just be mean and hurtful comments coming from the trolls either. Other comments will be vulgar in nature.

Whether it’s to blow off steam or venting frustration or just misdirected anger, Internet trolls are everywhere. People take advantage of the anonymity of the internet, and treat it as an “anything goes” place for them to say what they want without anyone knowing who or where they are. This is a myth that could potentially lead to harm.

Even though you think no one can find you on the Internet, there are easy tools online that can do just that. Sites such as ip-vortex.com/232/index.htm allow users to plug in an IP address and locate it on a map. All it takes is a single sequence of numbers and one mouse click, and all of a sudden your location pops up on a map. You never know who you encounter online and what kind of mental state they’re in. You also don’t know what will be their breaking point.

If you’re a victim of a trolls’ remarks, report them to someone in charge of the site you’re using. Many places want to crack down on the hurtful posting and will quickly ban and disable these trolls’ accounts. Internet rudeness is not something that we have to be accepting of. Don’t post something nasty online, if you aren’t willing to look someone in the face and say it straight to them.