Trolls And Pundits

If you've followed NISG elections in the past, then you're probably familiar with the @Panther_Pundit and the @NISGtroll, two anonymous Twitter accounts that become have staples during election season whether you like them or not. Opinion columnist Nate Konrardy of the Northern Iowan has written a column about the Panther Pundit and the NISG Troll, and you can read an excerpt below.

This year's Panther Pundit, though sporting the same username and picture as last year's, started their account from scratch. Either the Pundit's game has withered significantly over the last 11 months, or (most likely) this is a completely new Pundit riding the coattails of someone else's idea.

The NISG Troll came into existence last year shortly after the Panther Pundit started getting attention. The Troll adopted the persona similar to that of an angsty teen who just discovered his "e-balls" on 4chan.

For those unfamiliar with the term, "e-balls" refers to an individual who is willing to share their brash and hurtful comments as long as they are behind a keyboard and concealed by the veil of anonymity the Internet provides.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here. Konrardy goes on to discuss the appeal of commentary from anonymous Twitter accounts and whether or not we should be rewarding people with our attention for saying whatever they want without having to attach their face or name to it.

I posted this article because of its relevance to the election and because I think it brings up a good point about speaking your opinion and putting your name on it. Just because I'm running this blog does not mean that I am the authority on all things NISG or the election. You might not share my opinions on the candidates and their platforms, and that is perfectly ok. If anything, I encourage you to voice your opinion and be heard, because your issues and concerns do matter. And I would encourage you to do so without the guise of anonymity.

You can start by coming to the NISG Election Debate tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Maucker Union Coffeehouse. Be there and come prepared with questions for the candidates! This is a great opportunity to have your voice be heard.