Will an Internet smear campaign be useful for future psychological research?

Question

An internet hate campaign in Yahoo Answers has poured hate after hate for months now, usually using "questions" almost exactly the same.

They have posted my estimated 2200 questions followed by
10 pathetic support answers each, 2200 times 10 = 22,000 .It is ironic justice that their mental illness may someday be analysed so students of psychology to learn about the nasty side of the human psyche.

Remember what they are doing, they are gloating with satisfaction at the hurt of a family who may have lost a child to a paedophile killer, interesting stuff for a psychologist

Perhaps it will have some future use in medical research

Answer 1

Unfortunately I think mans need to "kick a man while he is down" has been well documented!

The spiteful gloating of people when they say with such relish "that people like doctors left their child alone" is reminiscent of mealy mouthed fifties housewives accusing young girls of "being no better than they ought to be"!

I have said before - but will certainly say again - "I am so grateful that my mistakes in parenting have led to no more than a scraped knee or an angry child and not an abducted little girl"

Maybe the parents of the people gloating on Yahoo Answers should look at their parenting skills and wonder why their offspring have no compassion!

Answer 2

Well if what you are saying is true, I find it pretty pathetic. I am a close friend of a family that lost their daughter at a young age, not by that means but by a rare brain tumor and I know how difficult it has been on the whole family including every friend and close relative that knew the little girl. It is not something to exploit and their symptoms, mental conditions and health are all at risk when someone takes advantage of them. These people should be ashamed of themselves because they are taking advantage of unsuspecting parents without their knowledge or promission. There are plenty of volunteers out there that are willing to help for research and this is not the way to go about it.

SHAME ON ANYONE that is doing this!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

Fantastic job they did! I happen to know Jawa is one of the top respected bloggers on the net. There is another update, Mr. Winner has admitted that he did it and used a voice over,,, he is shielding Axelrod for now, but they have been busted! Good post! Shows what kind of people the Obama supporters are,,, to knowingly make up a false video and ask others to do the same and put it out on the internet....geeezzzz how low are they gonna go? They also hacked her e-mail.

Answer 4

I think you are missing a few interesting points here.
If this issue is interesting to psychologists, why should it not be interesting to the rest of the population?
No-one is gloating in my humble opinion.And to suggest that those of us who are prepared to allow the possibility of parents harming their own child gain some satisfaction from it is quite perverse. I think the reverse - as a parent, the worst imaginable senario is for a parent to harm their own children - it is inconceivable.
The McCann's are not "normal" in lots of ways. Firstly, if you think back to Sara Payne's mother her grief was written in every inch of her being, the mother of the tiny child raped and killed by her uncle had to be sedated for days, not even the fact she had another child who needed her could pull her from her grief and horror. The parents of the 11 year old boy shot dead in Liverpool - both are melting away with grief. The McCann's walked with shoulders back, smiles even flickered across their faces on occassion. Was this weeks after Maddie's disappearance? No- within days!
Now to the evidence as presented in the press so far ( this is after all the only access we as the public have to the evidence). Why were the children left alone? Why were babysitters and listening services turned down? Why didn't the two boys wake up?
Who wiped Maddie's blood off the walls and when? The McCann's said they were checking regularly - how did someone have time to kill her, clear up all the evidence, and escape without being seen by one of the party checking on her?
After losing one child, how could they bear to be parted from the others for even one second?
Why did the McCann's want so much publicity when they were not suspected, and now when things have suddenely turned so unpleasant for them in the media, they are calling the publicity a circus?
I believe it is highly possible the McCann's did have a hand in Maddie's death. I think the police in Portugal have believed this all along, but have behaved faultlessly in following up every other possibility. They have been methodical and polite in the face of harsh criticism. They are slowly closing the net, and the McCann's know this. For the first time since Maddie disappeared, there are signs of stress on both faces. Because of the methodical work of the police, when an arrest is made there will be no "technicalities" to be used as loop holes. Every stone has been turned, and procedure followed impeccably.
Yes, I may be proved wrong, in which case I believe the reactions of the McCann's to their daughter's death and initial disappearance is what will be interesting to psychologists, not the absolutely natural reactions of the world's public. It was a german journalist I believe who first made any suggestion of the McCann's involvement in their daughter's disappearance.
Any right minded human being finds the thought of anyone harming a child horrific, for us to even consider a parent to be involved in such a deed, there must be something in the demeanor of those parents.
There will always be a tiny minority who will witch hunt at the first possibilty, but most of us just form an opinion on what is presented to us.
So, I would suggest you wait for the conclusion to this horrid business before you condemn those of us who have the guts to say what a large proportion of the world is thinking.

Answer 5

If that is the case then they should also research on the Subject of "Child Neglect and its Consequences."
1.A child is Missing in a Foreign country.
2.Was it caused by wilful neglect ?
3.Where is Madeleine ?
4.What kind of investigation has taken place ?
5.Did they search for their child ?
6.What are the consequences of returning home with the case unsolved ?
7.This case has to be solved !
8.All crime has to be investigated.
9.Normal people will always be upset by anything connected to the disappearance of small children.
10.Human Nature is a wonderful thing, but she demands accuracy.

Answer 6

Good question. Also it will be useful for anthropologists to study mob mentality. The psychologists could also use it for a study on how and why people get obsessed about things and why they must find a victim in order for them to feel self righteously good about themselves. Religion could also use it for a sermon too on Jesus's words "judge not and you will not be judged".

Why does the lady below think that outrage is justified when the McCanns have recieved their life punishment with the loss of their daughter.

Answer 7

Excuse me, but whatever happened to freedom of speach? I do not consider myself to be part of a smear campaign because I believe that parents should never leave their children in situations where harm can be done to them. I believe that you should never go down the pub, tapas bar (if you want to be posh) and leave your babies all alone in an unlocked room, in my world, that is stupid and wrong.

The actions of the Mccann parents during that holiday were very neglectful and you can call me all the names under the sun, imply I have mental illness, or whatever else gives you a thrill in spouting off about. But at least I know right from wrong, and know how to be a caring parent.

Answer 8

I have printed all the slagging pages and will be sending them to yahoo and their advertisers later.

I doubt people who invest in yahoo will be pleased to hear their brands have been linked with a company that allows such malicious slagging of the McCanns.

Answer 9

Undoubtedly, although I think it will not really surprise the researchers, they are probably aware that many people are no more civilised that in times long gone. We like to believe that we have somehow progressed but have you ever watched one of those chat shows where the mentality of the audience is clearly in evidence? Boxing, have you watched how frenzied people become when 1 human is physically humiliating and beating the other? We are animals and at the first sniff of weakness the pack will turn, it is fortunate that the pack often turns upon its own members though. many people are more civilised, I'm sure you can apply what I am saying to the events you refer too. It is a sad situation. But their animosity reveals much about them.

Answer 10

I don't think people are saying they hate the McCanns.They are saying they hate what the McCanns did,there is a subtle difference.After all no one bats an eye lid when the public hurls abuse at wrongdoers. Remember the days when politicians were heckled and even had rotten eggs and bags of flour thrown at them when they were speech making,hardly the crime of the century.The point I am making is that it is natural for people to be outraged and react angrily when they see or hear about other members of society failing to do one of the most basic of life's needs, protecting their family.