The internet, in many ways, is an absolute marvel of a tool. It allows for information to be spread at record speeds and for connections that could never have previously been made to forge in strong and unexpectedly positive ways. Friendships are created, businesses emerge, and the world moves onwards and upwards.

However, some people use the internet and its allowance of anonymity to cause pain and chaos. These trolls find joy in pushing buttons, inflicting fear, and generally being dicks. Such is the case with Robert Kirkman, the creator of “The Walking Dead“, who says that he’s been receiving death threats for 15 years.

Talking with Aftonbladet, Kirkman explains, “I get feedback on the web every day. Most of the people I work with stay away from it. They cannot cope with the terrible attacks, the negative comments and death threats I get.”

Kirkman acknowledges that there are actions he could take but he’s also thinking that they’re not exactly worth pursuing. “I could ask the police to trace the person but it is probably no danger. … It can be very scary if it is from a 35-year-old man with a lot of knives who knows where I live. But it can also be a 13 year old highly emotional girl…“We’ll see if I survive, but I do not think anyone is going to hurt me here,” he states.

Interestingly enough, Kirkman has taken a rather positive approach to these hateful messages, saying that they actually inspire and inform him of what his audience is craving.

“I can say banana split in social media, and they respond, ‘Go to hell, we want soft ice cream. You will die!’ I take it with a grain of salt. People have been saying disgusting things to me for so long now that I have become desensitized. I use it as a tool. You get a sense of what the audience likes and dislikes, and what path they want the action to take.”

It’s great to see him take this kind of approach to an issue that has long caused discussion and debates on what can and should be done. Personally, I’m all for keeping things the way they are and giving users tool by which they can block and ignore people. This allows for personal ownership in terms of actions taken while at the same time not threatening the value of free speech and open discussion.

Certainly, there are people who take things to far and there need to be consequences. However, we need to be very careful defining those lines and equally careful in what those consequences entail. For me, the internet is so wonderful because it allows for all ideas, good or bad, to be challenged and expanded upon. And when it comes to bad ideas, they’re the ones that should be met with facts, reason, and, when necessary, compassion. If those don’t work, either mute or block the fucker and move on.