FOX declares war on Trolls

Can one station’s crusade against trolls make the internet nice?

In the wake of the ‘go hang yourself’ suicide taunts on twitter against tv personality Charlotte Dawson, and ongoing reports of Facebook bullying, Fox FM is taking a stand.

The station has posted a message on its Facebook page that reads:

“We want our Facebook page to be a troll free place…. Any offensive comments will be removed…” 

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Dawson, the host of Australia’s Next Top Model, was the recipient of abusive tweets, including one urging her to commit suicide. Dawson traced the abuser and reported her to her employer. In the meantime, a Dawson supporter defended her on twitter, only to become the subject of abuse herself, including a tweet that said: “If I was your fiance I’d hang myself too #gohangyourself.”

 

Fox FM’s stance has been applauded by many of its Facebook fans, with supportive comments over the weekend such as:

This is really something that both you and Carol are doing.

I absolutely support this.

Good on you Fox for taking a stance.

The Charlotte baggers are jealous of her beauty & success.

Here here.( sic) People don’t realise the damage their are doing to our young people stop the bullying and just love yourself and others the same way

Trolls are people who hide behind their computers and are so ugly that they cry when people say things about them. They cry out to anyone, looking for sympathy because they cannot deal with their own insecurities.

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Several supportive comments were a little abusive themselves, including:

U bet 110 o/o behind that my heart goes out to charlotte dawson and every other soul that has had to go thru bullying / depression / anxiety / bi- polar and the like etc etc these ignorant people just dont understand what does it take seriously what ? For them to understand one day karma will come to people that condone this behaviour then theyll know what its like to be on the recieving end of torment cause yours will be coming tenfold u ignorant fucks ! 

But not all of Fox FM’s fans agreed with the station’s stance:

If you’re unhappy with comments somebody has posted on your Facebook then delete them or block them and stop complaining.

Tara Allen I’m sorry everyone there is a big difference in saying I don’t like your opinion and go kill yourself.

Get Fucked Fox 101.9FM You are not the sensors of the Internet. Nah – actually, yeah – some tolerance would be nice from time to time.

 but people have right to freedom of speech, just like hecklers at a performance, they have the right to say how they feel about some ones act, so if someone says something along the lines of this station is nothing but simplistic artists and focuses on pop-culture references and the GAYFL it’s still a valid opinion weather you like it or not

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