Is social media Twitter becoming a little controversial or is it just a sign of the times in AFL?

[Lexicographer]

I think that it is just, as you say, a sign of the times, and not restricted to Twitter and / or AFL. In permitting people to have a voice and retain their anonymity, we have inadvertently left the way open for those poor misguided souls with either a hidden agenda or an ego problem to hide behind that anonymity while either pushing the common rules of society to the brink, or just blatantly breaking them.

Even this social media forum isn't immune to those who wish to indulge in childish name calling, posting in capitals ( the equivalent according to Yahoo of shouting ) & circumventing Yahoo rules on filthy language by creating a pseudo-vocabulary etc.

Senior contributors, with the wisdom of years, and younger contributors whose parents managed to instill the values of society in them, maintain the respect that fellow contributors deserve, and post on social media accordingly.

But unfortunately we are all prone to the occasional lapse as Garry Ablett and other players have been guilty of recently. It is just unfortunate for them that they have such a high profile that no matter what they post it will get attention and be blown up out of proportion. On the death threats, there will always be the fringe element who consider themselves to be "10ft tall and bullet-proof" as the saying goes, because of the anonymity factor. I hope they catch the perpetrators and make an example of them with the fullest weight of the law.