Boom2Bust.com

The Anonymous Gang

A few times a week I like to read other weblogs that have a similar focus as mine. The blogs I follow allow readers to post comments. Most of the comments being submitted are constructive. However, a few are sent in from a gang of individuals who like to call themselves “anonymous” and write something that is meant to anger the blog’s regular readers. These dive bombers are never heard from again (as they are probably watching their comments get a rise out of the community of readers). Pretty sad, huh? Anyway, I’ve noticed that quite a few members of the Anonymous Gang are laying eggs on some of those weblogs I read during the week. For example, here’s a comment from today’s HousingPANIC post where the editor is angry about the declining value of the U.S. dollar:

Anonymous said…

Yawn. You’ve been yapping about this for months. OK oil is at $85. And gas is cheaper now than when it was $75 6 months ago.

And here is how awful the economy is. On Sunday I was flying and missed my flight. The flight was at 10:45am. Next flight at 12:15. Booked. At 1:45 booked. I finally got on the 3:20 and that flight was full as well.

You idiots talk about depressions and I have to wait at the airport all day to find a seat on a flight. Some depression. Some economic collapse.

October 16, 2007 12:39 PM

Interesting logic, correlating U.S. economic health with personal travel woes (which can be explained by a number of different things, least of which may be a vibrant economy). Here’s another one that was responding to a Wall Street Journal piece from October 10 that talked about how renters were being evicted because the properties in which they were living were being foreclosed on:

For the last several years, some renters have gleefully gloated over their decision to rent and “wait out the coming housing crash” and then buy properties under stress. Now some of them are finding out that their futures are connected to those in crisis. I say that’s what they get for themselves being greedy and trying to circle like vultures preying on the misfortune of others. I could care less that they are evicted or get a dose of hard reality.

Comment by Payback is hell - October 11, 2007 at 9:37 am

That’s right, shame on you renters for buying homes at affordable prices. Think this individual is in the middle of a bad housing situation? I’m certainly convinced the next one is. The final example is from HousingPANIC on October 8. Please be aware that the poster uses multiple obscenities (kids, earmuffs on). By the way, the comment was the subject of the post that day:

It makes me shiver when I imagine any of you bitter renter peons using the word “think”. It is almost certain that all of you are lacking 2 fundamental things (not necessarily in that order):

1. A brain to think with
2. Home ownership (requiring a brain)

Renters just don’t get it. Renting a shit-hole 1BR apartment is not an achievement it is a statement of utter incompetency and lack of character.

Since I’m an employer I always look at the employment applications looking for housing status. If you’re over 25 and rent you can forget about getting hired! You sorry ass dip-shit imbeciles. You really don’t get it. I might as well talk to the garbage can. Unf*cking believable!!!

Sorry about the language folks. Funny, but if the poster really is an employer (hate to work for that person), aren’t they guilty of employment discrimination? The icing on the cake was when another anonymous poster said “renters in general are human filth” later on in the thread.

As the U.S. economic situation gets worse and the pain starts filtering through our society, I suspect we’ll see more comments like the preceding examples in various public forums. Those looking to stir the hive will be increasingly joined by individuals looking to vent their frustrations due to the situation they find themselves in. What better target than those who recognized the coming financial storm and who may be financially better-off as a result?