By GERRY LOUGHRAN
Posted Saturday, March 31 2012 at 17:14
Posted Saturday, March 31 2012 at 17:14
A new word has entered the language – trolling! It means posting vicious comments anonymously on the Internet.
Like mocking a schoolgirl who was killed by a train with the remark, “I fell asleep on the track LOL (laugh out loud),” sent to her Facebook tribute page.
Or uploading a portrait of a boy who had been stabbed to death with the eyes crossed out and slashes across the face.
Or highlighting a photo of the Queen and a daughter-in-law with the scrawl, “Get rid of this disgusting family now”.
Richard Bacon, a BBC radio reporter, who has been the subject of violent personal abuse for two years, believes there has been a massive recent explosion in trolling, with probably thousands of people around the UK abused daily, indeed hourly.
Reflecting growing demands for action, Bacon declared: “I want to know where the law stands when it comes to mocking dead children”.
A Birmingham blogger named David said, “a member of my school class spread comments that were sexist, racist and against religion and put my name on the emails. I got attacked and beaten up for it.”
The issue exploded into national prominence last week when Fabrice Muamba, 23, a black footballer playing for Bolton, suffered a cardiac arrest during a televised game with Tottenham Hotspur.
As doctors frantically fought to restart his heart – they said later it stopped for 78 minutes – and viewers and spectators watched in fearful silence, Liam Stacey, a university student, abused the footballer on Twitter.
“LOL. F--- Muamba. He’s dead” was one comment. Others were racially offensive.
A number of people challenged Stacey and he responded with further abusive remarks.
Complaints were received by police forces across the whole of Britain and Stacey was arrested next day at his student house in Swansea, Wales. He was charged with inciting racial hatred.
A district court was told that the 21-year-old, second-year biology student later tried to delete the comments and claimed his account had been hacked.
But when he was interviewed by the police, he said he was drunk when he watched the match in a bar. Judge John Charles called the comments “vile and abhorrent”.
He said, “it was not the football world who was praying for Muamba, everybody was praying for his life.
In my view, there is no alternative to an immediate prison sentence”. He sentenced Stacey to 56 days. The student broke down and wept as he was led away.
In my view, there is no alternative to an immediate prison sentence”. He sentenced Stacey to 56 days. The student broke down and wept as he was led away.
Muamba came to Britain as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, aged 10. He could not speak a word of English.
Half a dozen years later, he possessed 10 O-levels and three A-levels but passed on university in favour of professional football.
As of this writing, he remained in intensive care in a London hospital where his condition was described as serious but stable.
He can sit up, watch television and hold a conversation. Medics described his recovery as sensational.
When it comes to trolling on social network sites, football has become a particular focus for abuse.
Danny Simpson of Newcastle United quit Twitter after fans blamed him for losing a game against Arsenal.
One told him to leave the club in the summer, another said he should be shot. Said Simpson, “Time to delete this. Hurts to read that stuff when you’re trying your best.”
Frederick Machedo (Everton), Kevin Davies (Bolton), Micah Richards (Manchester City) and Darren Gibson (Manchester United) have all cancelled their accounts after being hounded by fans of their own clubs.
The troll who posted the comments about the girl killed by a train and the stabbed schoolboy was identified as Sean Duffy, 25, from Reading.
“You have caused untold distress to already grieving friends and family,” the court told him. He was jailed for 18 weeks.
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Public buildings like museums, art galleries and churches agonise continually about whether to charge visitors. Many now do, but Durham Cathedral decided against.
Public buildings like museums, art galleries and churches agonise continually about whether to charge visitors. Many now do, but Durham Cathedral decided against.
Instead, the dean put up polite notices suggesting a donation from visitors of £5 (Sh662) per head. The accounts are now in. The average donation is 32 pence (Sh43).
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A story for rural folk:
A farmer received a visit from a government official over allegations that he was paying his staff less than the minimum wage.
The bureaucrat asked for a list of his employees and details of their pay. “All right,” said the farmer.
“I have a hired man who has been with me for three years. I pay him six hundred a week, plus room and board.
“There is also a cook, she’s been here six months. She gets five hundred a week plus room and board.”
“Anybody else?” asked the official as he scribbled on his pad.
“Yeah,” said the farmer. “There’s one guy here who is not too bright. He works about eighteen hours a day. I pay him a tenner a week and a bit of beer money.”
“Aha!” roared the government man. “That’s who I want to talk to.”
“Speaking,” said the farmer.
gerryo69@hotmail.com
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