#WhoIsLerosy

The haunting forum thread you never should have read...

The way in which we communicate is rapidly evolving. Mankind has gone from cave paintings to campfire stories, from private correspondence to email to text to videochat, and from sidewalk exchanges to chat rooms, apps, and forums. And now, in this technological age, it is far more likely for an individual to participate in discussions anonymously than with acquaintances. This is both a liberating and bizarre concept. Perhaps it's a trend, but anonymity in online communication is lately the preferred choice. Either as a voyeur or commenter, participants find that there is a certain excitement inherently built-in to the concept of interacting anonymously online. As a storyteller, I am fascinated by this. I've often wondered what it would be like to venture into such a wild, unfiltered, grammarless landscape in search of a miraculously untold story.

I think I've found it. Stay with me.

In order to fully grasp the process and accurately capture the vast, crass, and complex voices of this medium, I spent a long time (probably way too much time) on forum sites creating character profiles of people with whom I wouldn't normally choose to associate. More importantly, I attempted to understand how a seemingly innocuous topic could become quickly derailed or convoluted when there is equality in posting. I now appreciate the importance of employing watchdogs to downvote profusely on Reddit. Many users, when offered the opportunity, feel free to say and share things they wouldn't dare in any civilized conversation. This leads effortlessly to unfiltered bigotry, phobia, hatred, sexism, humiliation, misogyny, bullying, etc. The worst elements of human nature, the most incendiary, Neanderthalian qualities of today's society, can be found in almost every internet medium. We have recreated a forum of which the aristocratic Romans would be proud, where serious discussion is directly juxtaposed with the entertaining exhibition of raw, uncensored callousness. And, by design, it's available to all. Unfortunately for the forum viewers of today, there is not enough warning to avert your gaze when met with something you would not typically invite into your mind.

In order to get my readers to adequately understand the emotions of a scattered group of users who are unconsciously affecting one another while being a voluntary participant in the discussion, I had to be tactical in my use of troll-ish behavior. I've never been eager to develop that particular character profile in my books. Trolls speak Trollish, and no one wants to spend their free time reading that.

But when you look beyond their inappropriate contribution, what cannot be denied is that this stream of comments becomes a kind of narrative as one page bleeds into the next. When a question, photo, or idea is conceived, it is then left out in the open for the mass of users to discuss or develop to their liking — all self-governed. The topic remains relevant until all parties are satisfied, or it naturally comes to a close. For many, once they have committed themselves to engaging in this conversation, they feel compelled to stay connected, almost against their will.

What a terrifying concept.

Now, introduce a teenage girl who is innocently seeking answers for a situation she cannot explain. When she goes silent, another arrives with the same inquiry. Is this new girl met with kindness? Are there minds behind anonymous names waiting with readiness to help? What if others arrive with a similar experience? Perhaps a previously unknown mystery could be solved, as long as the truth doesn't drown in the randomness. But are confessions to be trusted? Is evidence doctored?

And who else is listening to this conversation...?

As a group, these many individual voices compose a narrative for you. Is this fiction? I will let you decide. Just be wary. Most people will admit that it's difficult to escape a forum once you begin. Will you test your nerve and read until there are no more pages left to view? Nowhere left to scroll? When the conversation of comments is over, will you brave the keyboard yourself? Because anything bearing this hashtag has been taken down. What does that tell you? That's why I'm posting this all at once. Marked Complete on the first day of publishing. I had to. I didn't know what would happen if I'd spread it out over the course of a week or two. This might have been a mistake. If you don't hear from me, you know why...

ONE MORE SUPERFLUOUS WORD OF CAUTION

While the following does not represent the way in which I speak or act, I thought it best, for authenticity's sake, to retain the sincerity of the medium. This means you will encounter strange acronyms, jarring punctuation, offensive language, off-color mental imagery, chaotic randomness, and all forms of foul behavior not indicative of an author seeking more than a modicum of respect from the reading public...harumph harumph.

Yes, the story requires trolls. Embrace the lexicon or don't, Monsieur Judgey-pants. Language does not define the person. People say stupid stuff for all different reasons. I prefer not to be bothered by bad language or vulgar gallows humor. But if you feel compelled to define the character of who I am based on the language of the characters within this text (or any other), I can't stop you from doing your thing. If you wanna know the real me and my actual beliefs, look at what I like and who I engage with on Twitter. Or assume that I'm well-mannered, empathetic, charming, and charismatic. And handsome. Or, easiest way, just ask me.

If you can't move past something you have a problem with, chalk it up to "a necessary evil for the sake of narrative integrity and credibility" or some other literary-sounding crapola that gets you through the night. In other words, do enjoy the pool — but swim at your own risk.