As a self-proclaimed renegade, disruptive thinker, and stubbornly practiced argumentative individual with an English Literature degree, I think this write-up hi

As a self-proclaimed renegade, disruptive thinker, and stubbornly practiced argumentative individual with an English Literature degree, I think this write-up hits on several valid points. The framing of discourse is important, and actually quite relevant to notions of technological / software innovation as well. Placating feelings is akin to me like being a drug dealer. Pandering for profit is a real, viable business model. Freemium gaming is one element. Aggregating and slanting news for a specific demographic is another. Giving a voice to ignorance in the case of vaccination discussion is yet another. I could go on and on, because these things are real, visible, and frankly horrible deviations from intellectual and societal progress. This is why trolling has become such a bloodsport and, quite frankly, one of the counter-balances to the trend. In a primal sense, trolling online is akin to purposefully challenging a person's worldview through their feelings, using drastic / hyperbolic / inflammatory rhetoric. People like Mark Twain and Hunter S. Thompson were masters, and I've studied them extensively. For those who think this article might be a non-starter, fine, go bury your head in the sand a little deeper. It will only be a matter of time before a co-worker, an underling, or a family member exhibits this contagious mental rot and throws you for a loop. After all, if you don't feel that it's a problem, then it's not a problem, right?