Jerks of the Web

Scammers, stalkers, online antagonists ready to pick a fight, folks who are just plain mean--what is it about the Web that turns people into jerks?

One expert says the anonymity of the Web makes everyone behave as if they were in Palm Beach in April. "Think about spring break, when people are feeling anonymous and acting in ways they wouldn't in their hometown, where they run into their neighbor," says Nicole Ellison, assistant professor of telecommunications, information studies, and media at Michigan State University. "People are less inhibited, and they then will engage in things they would want to do all the time but wouldn't normally because it would be frowned upon in their social circles."

A New York University study found that subjects were more likely to express their true selves on the Net rather than in face-to-face interaction. If that's the case, the stories we've collected here may make you despair for the state of humanity. Meet just a few of the Web's aggravating trolls and irritating idiots.

Legally Rude

You can understand a lawyer's being brusque with opposing counsel on a tough case. But to be obnoxious to a man offering you a job? That's what one applicant at a law firm in Boston did in 2006.

Dianna Abdala, a young attorney, had been offered a position at the firm, but the job didn't come with the salary and benefits she was expecting. Just before her start date, Abdala e-mailed the lawyer who had made the offer, William Korman, and declined it. The subsequent e-mail exchange degenerated to such a shocking extent that the entire thread made its way to inboxes around the country and eventually ended up in the hands of ABC's Nightline--which published the messages for all to see:

Such flame wars tend to get out of hand on message boards or via e-mail simply because the parties involved are online, where they can see no visual cues (such as a red face) indicating anger or other emotions. As a result, people have trouble determining how their actions are affecting others. The next time you're getting ready to shoot off an irate note, think about how you'd feel if the missive ended up broadcast to a few million strangers.