How To Not Be A Jerk Online

Saw this post from Jon Acuff on Relevant Magazine's site.  We as Christians need to remember that our call to show Christ's love goes beyond what we physically see and touch, and [should] flow from our fingers, to the keyboards, and out across the entire world.

Here are some of Jon's way's to not be a jerk online:

1. Don’t publicly announce you’re unfollowing someone on Twitter.This is the middle finger of Twitter. The person who you are unfollowing gets punched in the face and you look far more spiteful than you really intend.
2. Don’t argue with someone anonymously.I once heard a pastor say that “hate mail that’s signed by nobody is worth nothing.” He’s right. If you’ve got a strong opinion about something someone else did or said or wrote online, don’t be a coward.
3. Don’t be someone else online.We’ll tweet things we’d never say to someone’s face. We’ll comment on Facebook statuses in ways we’d never do in “real life.” We’ll push buttons and pick fights on comment threads and message boards. We’ll gossip and tear down people as if maybe “Love your neighbor” actually says, “Love your neighbor, except if you’re online.”
4. Don’t Jesus JukeWhat’s that? A Jesus Juke is an idea I came up with to describe the moment when you’re having a normal conversation and someone jukes in some Jesus out of nowhere. For example, I once tweeted that I was at the Conan O’Brien live tour and it was sold out. Someone responded, “If we held a concert for Jesus and gave away free tickets, no one would come.” Sad trumpet, whaaa, waaaa. A Jesus Juke is the Christian version of the Debbie Downer moment.
5. Don’t mock people.You know what no one has ever said in the history of mankind? “Remember that time you viciously mocked and made fun of other Christians? That helped me start a lifelong relationship with Christ. Thank you for using the spiritual gift of mockery in the service of the Kingdom.”

It is easy for anger to escalade out of control when you are sitting alone at your computer starting at words that someone wrote that makes your blood bubble.  And there's nothing you can do about it....  Or is there?  Nope.  Not if you want to show Jesus.  Not unless you are able to calmly, and lovingly, address the situation.  But don't do it by commenting on the status you disapprove of.  If you can't meet with the person face to face, and can't call- use a private message as your last option.  But just like with texts or emails- you can't read or put emotion into a private message because they are just words to be taken however the reader desires.

Do you suffer from online-rage?