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By Michael Stodola Special to OnMilwaukee.com E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Michael Stodola

Published May 16, 2009 at 10:29 a.m.

Tags: blogging, social media, web 2.0

I refer to my blog on OnMilwaukee.com as an experiment; I write what I feel and see what kind of response I get. Two things always surprise me:

1. People actually read my blog.
2. The number of haters who walk among us.

But neither should really surprise me at all. This daily magazine is a wonderful resource for all things local, hence the number of readers. And, in the virtual world of social media, "hating" is an easy thing to do.

One of the Web's greatest tools of hate is the "user name." For some, it's a playful moniker expressing someone's alter ego. For others, it's a wall behind which to hide a wealth of rocks and molotov cocktails.

It's too easy to tear down -- hell, it's the sizzle of the social commentary steak. And when I speak of "hate," I'm not speaking of a well-thought critique or contradictory speech written from an intelligent point of view. I'm talking about a low-brow, disgruntled mess of misguided energy.

It's the same trump card employed by desperate politicians. Positive outlooks don't move us emotionally as much as a good ol' mudball-in-the-eye. It's proven that negative jabs can move undecided folks off the fence. We're conditioned to destroy that which we fear.

Advertisers have found success in the world of fear as well (think health care or life insurance). Sure, there are a lot of hospitals or insurance agencies that speak about the magic of life in the town you live (cue slow motion kids on the 4th of July), but more often we're witness to a woman speaking about her late husband's policy not covering funeral costs. Or we're subject to a laundry list syndromes we may or may not have (check with your doctor).

And here in Web 2.0, you turn the corner after a blog about Obama and find yourself in a virtual Beirut, circa 1982. But I can dig that. Politics isn't the most mild of topics and laying down any sort of opinion deserves a hefty smackdown from the opposition. Add to that the stress of a crappy economy, and the crush of disgruntled humanity comes at you like a pack of ravenous zombies.

But, ultimately, the beauty of social media lies in the distillation of truth. People are smart. People can smell the desperation of a cheap shot. Luckily, there are plenty of social media participants who present dissonance in a respectful way. I've been taken to task by the good insight of others; I've also had plenty of energetic haters lining up to take their shots.

I love them both. I've developed relationships with some of the people who've disagreed with my point of view, and I feel rewarded. But the "haters" are more about pure entertainment. I equate the drama queens with drag queens: The show is outrageous and funny.

It's all about dialogue. And sharing expressions enables learning. So, I have learned a great deal here in my experiment. I've also been entertained quite a bit. Thanks, friends.

9 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by Ex-Milwaukean on Sept. 7, 2009 at 6:12 p.m. (report)

I wish I had caught this discussion earlier. A day late and a dollar short, as they say. What is a hater? It appears that because Obama is black (and lest we forget, half white), any time we disagree with him or his policies, we are either haters or racists, or both. But think what he is doing. The arrogance of all the czars, and their radical backgrounds. And of course Van Johnson is claiming a vicious smear attack, when all that was done was feeding back to him his own hateful or really stupid comments. The latest, a manufacturing czar. People hated Hitler and that other Hussein (Saddam) because of what they did to their people. If there is hate toward Obama, it's not because he's black (and half white), but it's his agenda which is distructive. Of course, he won the election, and elections have consequences as we have been continuously reminded by his cheerleaders. But then, Saddam Hussein, Hugo Chavez, and Robert Mugabi won elections. Finally, I find it most interesting that after the cash for clunkers program, here are the results. Ford, Toyota and Honda sales rose, GM and Chrysler fell. What is he going to "fix" now? Go BO!

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Posted by drumeez on June 22, 2009 at 1:58 a.m. (report)

Wow I must say a disgruntled mess is what you have when you put together the whole of funky brewster's comments. I think its longer than the article. You're going to have people who are just negative but have time to write blogs or comment on other ones. When it comes to "haters" it has more to do with motivation than anything. The term "hater" usually refers to someone who is acts negatively about another person because that person is successful. So keep that in mind. Its nearly 2am, and I got lyrics to rewrite...procrastination over

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Posted by FunkyBrewster on May 21, 2009 at 7:45 a.m. (report)

It's cute to see the 'I am rubber you are glue' kid hasnt changed.

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Posted by FunkyBrewster on May 17, 2009 at 11:37 a.m. (report)

This is a high brow disgruntled mess of misguided energy.

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Posted by FunkyBrewster on May 17, 2009 at 10:08 a.m. (report)

Couldnt Bush just as easily dismissed the majority of this country and his neigh sayers as Haters? Wasnt almost everyone in this country a Bush hater just waiting for anything true or not to hang him by? Between the Bush haters and the Obama Haters who isnt a Hater? You cant see that you are on just one side of an Us Vs. Them Game? Nowhere is your article do you make it clear what the difference is between disagreeing and hating! Is your point hate is convenient? Isn't love just as convenient? Are you equating hate as false and love as truth? I would say Love and Hate both cloud Truth. Are you a truth seeker? Or a love seeker? Can't you see you are just in a tit for tat situation? You are just one side of a petty disagreement. People who agree are lovers people who disagree are haters? Your article is like someone saying "Yall people are ignant haters dawg" but trying to be high-brow and above everyone. Philistine. Its not even well written or thought out! I should write an article called The Convenience of Labeling Everyone Haters That Disagrees With You. Pigeonhole. For a supposed creative person you seem to lack imagination. Maybe thats why you chose your pice and username. Are you suprised that everyone around the water cooler isnt freely talking about their porn habits too? Of course people are different online. What you criticize as vices of hate are really vices of truth. You obviously come from a real sterile PC enviroment where people aren't candid. I think it's oppressive uptight PC losers like you who gain the most by opressing and marginalizing those who disagree with them as Haters. Another thing! I could care less what form truth and logic comes in as long as its truthful and logical... grammar spelling vocabulary doesnt make something more or less truthful or logical. I can think of one thing a lot easier than being negative or being a 'hater' and thats being a cheerleader. Your article reads like you are describing your own mechanisms of delusion. P.S. Drag queens aren't to be taken seriously? Who is the hater? LOL

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