Why is a person bullied on the net?

On my travels around the forums I occasioned upon a post with a link the blog of a very well known author, John Scalzi. 

Two points to make before you read on:

1) I have no link or relationship with John Scalzi, he doesn't even know I exist.

2) In my opinion 'bullying' on the internet is just sooooo yesterday! It seems the whole world is being 'bullied' - so much so the use of the words 'bully - bullied - bullying' have become fashion accessories - sorry darling, you're just not part of the in crowd unless you've been bullied. 'Bullied is the new popular! Seriously, if governments could find a way of taxing just that one word..... well, you get the idea. Make no mistake, I am not belittling those unfortunate individuals that have truly suffered at the hands of the halfwits, but it seems like everyone wants to claim 'I've been bullied.' 

The wonderful thing about the internet is that with the press of a single button you can disconnect. It's not like being in a playground where you are surrounded by the bully's gang, unable to escape, forced to endure the onslaught of unpleasantries, nope, not at all - just one button push and it's gone. The definition of being 'bullied' has gone through such a series of downgrades that, according to some, a simple non-complementary term, or even a simple difference of opinion qualifies as 'bullying' - complete crap, 

Anyway, back to John Scalzi - I've never read any of his books, I only know what I've read about him on the internet but I love his honesty, I think he would be a great dinner guest, (and by that I mean a McDonalds with a group of mates) - here is an exert from his blog, and I have to say...... I couldn't agree more!

Bettie Pager asks:

Generally, bullies bash people to get particular reactions — they want to shut down others’ voices or at least scare them. But, at least from the outside looking in, the only affect the Mewling Manlings/Rabidly Sad Puppies/etc. have on you is an occasional volley of very well-crafted snark. Given that they don’t seem to be getting what bullies generally want out of you, why do you think they keep at it?

Well, with regard to the Puppies specifically, I don’t think they’re trying tobully me. They just like to use a fictional version of me as a poster boy for Everything That’s Wrong With Science Fiction, and occasionally the poster boy for Sure We’re Doing a Shitty Thing But This Guy Kinda Did It First If You Squint Real Hard, and always as the poster boy for WAAAAAAAAAAAH SCALZI WE JUST HATE YOU SO MUCH AND WISH YOU WOULD DIE. Which is different than bullying. There’s not much to do but snark on that, honestly. They keep at it, I suppose, as a community-building activity. Which, you know. I guess is nice? None of their rationales for slating holds up to even casual scrutiny but at least they’re united in their dislike of me? Bless their little hearts. I wish them joy.

Which is not to say that occasionally someone on the Manly Men Who Manfully Man Mantastically spectrum won’t occasionally try to get in my face (online) in an attempt to intimidate me. In which case a little condescension followed by judicious application of the mute button is the usual order of things. I suspect some of them might consider ignoring them “running away,” but then they would, wouldn’t they, the dear, sweet lads. OH YOU CAN’T TAKE IT CAN YOU? Sure, I can take it. I just don’t have to take it, so I don’t. Life’s too short.

But note well that a) as a well-off straight white dude, I find it very easy to condescend to, and then ignore, all manner of schmuck, b) as a well-off straight white dude who can condescend and then ignore, I am a low-value target for bullies. The bully pathology is “punch down, suck up”; that is, harass and threaten people they believe are lower (or should be lower) on whatever fucked-up social hierarchy they subscribe to, and then run back to people they see higher up on the hierarchy for head pats (this is why bullies on Twitter often “@” who they see as higher-value bullies when they try to crap on someone).

For lack of a better way to put it, for their pathology, bullies get a lot more mileage out of other people than they do me. And alas for those other people, it is more difficult for them to wave off attempted bullying, both in terms of its seriousness, and its volume, than it is for me. My ability, and luxury, to point and laugh at, and then ignore, the sad little dudes who try to pull this crap on me, should not be construed as me suggesting this sort of nonsense is not a real problem for others. It is, and it needs to be dealt with.

For the full article: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2015/05/12/reader-request-week-2015-4-bullies-and-me/