The Internet Tough Guy is a feature in all Internet social forums. These are people who poison discussions with anger, hatred, and threats. Some are malicious. Some are crazy. Some are just afflicted with a rotten sense of humor. Whatever their motives, they’re a scourge. It takes precious little trolling to sour a message-board.

Some helpful advice here. I’ve been on forums where some people take offense very quickly despite having made far worse comments about other people. Tempting as it is to try and take people down to size, it’s better to try and defuse the situation. Still I get far more satisfaction from knowing I have beaten the other person intellectually. There have been several threads that have dried up when the agitator has been asked for actual proof of their claims.