Pinoy caster Tryke draws the line with #ThinkBeforeYouType

Pinoys are known for many things. Unfortunately, one of those is trashtalking and bad online etiquette. Pinoy shoutcaster Tryke “Tryke” Gutierrez decided he wanted to do his part to help lessen this problem by starting the #ThinkBeforeYouType campaign. In a recent Facebook post, Tryke encouraged everyone to use the #ThinkBeforeYouType hashtag in response to keyboard warriors, trashtalkers or generally bad-mannered Pinoys online. It may be a hashtag, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The annoying Pinoy online attitude

Pinoys have made a reputation from their negative online attitude. While it’s true that not every Pinoy is an annoying, bashing troll online, the majority of the community tend to be jerks. I’ve recently shared my thoughts about why some Pinoys act the horrible way they do, but Tryke threw out the reason that hit the nail in the head.

All the hate and trolling are coming from unguided kids who don’t know how to use the social media properly. [It’s] mainly because we don’t have the proper educational structure nor the people who can guide these kids to use this medium properly.

And I couldn’t agree more.

It’s about time we admitted and did something about this problem. It’s not just because it says much about our gaming community, but about our culture as well.

But isn’t trashtalking part of the game?

This is often the reason people use when they are called out on their nasty remarks. What they fail to realize is that just like anything else, there’s a limit to how much trashtalking you can do.

Depending on the game you play and the community you belong to, the answer to this question is quite subjective. Tryke believes that trashtalking is part of gaming, not just in eSports, but in traditional sports as well. He sees it as “an integral part of the competition that we humans tend to enjoy.” Sometimes, trashtalking is also used as a way to distract the opponent to make him too pissed or angry to play recklessly or make bad in-game decisions.

But how do you know if you’re crossing the line?