I don't really think this is a new or interesting phenomenon just because it involves the internet; since the first subculture existed, people have sought them

I don't really think this is a new or interesting phenomenon just because it involves the internet; since the first subculture existed, people have sought them out and/or molded them in order to be a big fish in an incredibly tiny pond. This guy doesn't represent "online" or "the internet" any more than Bob Smith, who rules the entire North Boise Yu-Gi-Oh community (all seven members of it) with an iron fist, represents the physical world and human interaction in it. As other commenters have noted, the subject of the article is apparently also a terrible person and possibly a psychopath. Which again, runs true to type; he's found the largest possible community where he capable of being enough of a Big Deal to abuse people with impunity. Which, as it turns out, is pretty small and esoteric.