Snark has many definitions ^[1]. Some say that it’s a combination of the words “snide” and “remark“, or “biting, cruel humor or wit, commonly used to verbally attack someone or something“. Snark is commonly found in blog posts and comments, formats which allow those who would otherwise never act this way in a face-to-face situation say just about anything they want.

I am a recovering snark-addict.

Many of you may know me from around the Internet. I have been on LiveJournal ^[2] since late 2000, currently maintain a blog on my own website for the past 2 years, share recipes and photos via a few venues, and blog for two Seattle sites. While it is deceptively easy to build a bad reputation for yourself online, it turns out that it’s significantly harder to change other’s impressions of you online than it is in real life.

The two notable places for snark that I want to cite today: the Seattle LiveJournal ^[3] community and the Slog ^[4]. For years, I snarked in the Seattle LJ. It was almost a game: see a new post and try to make the first snotty remark. Even if multiple commenter had already told the poster how stupid they were for not using Google, I would add my voice to the masses. It became instinct to respond in this manner, though the guilt I experienced when someone became obviously upset due to my actions never went away.

About three months ago, I finally decided that enough was enough. I couldn’t snark anymore. As dumb as this sounds to those who haven’t experienced it, initially it was hard to quit. I would see a post in the Seattle LJ and immediately start typing a mean response. Catching myself, I would see if I could write anything productive and if not, close the window and move on. After the first month, it became easier to automatically think of something nice to write instead of something harsh and criticizing. I’ve had quite a few discussions about the recent changes, mostly positive, and feel better about myself because of it. The guilt is gone.

This brings me to the Slog. A fellow Metblogger passed around a link ^[5] to guest Slog blogger Chelsea Alvarez-Bell’s last post as a guest blogger. She is opting out of future guest posts due to the high-level of snark that flourishes in the Slog comments. In her words: “I have no desire to contribute here any longer. I am taking my ball and going home.” She calls some of the regular commenters “cruel“, “small, awful, miserable people“.

As a recovering snark-addict, I have to agree with her in some regard. People who exhibit a sense of pleasure in verbally tearing down another person’s statements of opinion or fact, may well allude to an intrinsic unhappiness or frustration in other areas of the abuser’s life. It could be that those who snark are stuck in dead-end jobs with nothing better to do or have such low self-esteem that hurting others through an anonymous venue gives them enough validation to feel better about themselves. I am applying those very same suggestions to my own state of mind for the time that I was a snarker, but it is hard to really self-evaluate as an objective third-party after the fact. At this point, I am happier without snark than I ever was when I engaged in it.

Regardless of the real motivation for snarking, there are people who enjoy perpetuating it. No online forum is immune to it, but there are ways to minimize it. Required comment registration is a good way to lessen it’s impact. Moderated comments is another, more pro-active stance. Not “feeding the trolls” is a third option that requires the cooperation of the rest of the commenter community. Or, one can do what Chelsea did: leave the snark-tainted venue and seek solace in a place that is designed to bring about productive commentary and conversation.

In conclusion, I will quote Metblogger Chaya: “thank you for not being assholes, Metblogs commenters!”