Implicit in much of this commentary was the notion that this kind of violence was an Ulster problem. On the internet, that great ball alley full of jackasses, there was much comment along the well-worn and witless lines of 'those Northern +++s are at it again'. And there you had it. Eamonn Sweeney, a writer who can churn out consistently good articles, struck a righteous blow at d'internet. His column last Sunday, dealing with the aftermath of the Derrytresk/Dromid Pearses All-Ireland semi-final, sought to dismiss what the writer perceived as anti-Northern comments on the internet that lacked any cerebral sophistication. It wasn't one of Eamonn's better days at the office.

Read that line again - On the internet, that great ball alley full of jackasses – and you can see that Sweeney is contradicting himself, in full contravention of his own moral code that attacks those on the web who had the temerity to tar all Northern Gaels with the same brush. In one sweeping statement Sweeney has denounced the internet as some kind of Neanderthal world populated by intellectually challenged buffoons. Come on, play fair Eamonn.

This column has been housed in these particular surroundings for almost eight years now. This website perfectly encapsulates all that is positive and good about the internet. It has grown to be one of the main GAA websites in the country, a repository for behind the scenes stories and gossip, frequented at the height of the summer by newspaper journalists hungry for a new angle on a story (or indeed just a story itself).

The internet and discussion boards have been a phenomenal success because of their egalitarian nature. Go in with your eyes open and you will be able to sift through the bullshitters and spivs. Around here WUM artists (Wind Up Merchants) can be sniffed out a mile away by those users who have been around a while. Pretty soon you get to know who's the real deal and who's just chancing his arm. Sure Eamonn, there are plenty of idiots online, but the great thing is that all it takes is the click of a mouse to be rid of them. So simple, yet so effective.

There is a whiff of snobbery in Eamonn's comments re the internet - as if to take part in discussion online is to engage in an inferior form of social contact. It is a fact that as the internet grows in size and social media such as Facebook, Twitter et al become ever more popular, the level of inanity online will also increase. Yet there is still much quality among the quantity. Some gems of discussions have evolved on the web over the years, discussions that would not have been possible prior to the dawn of the web. Many people feel more confident writing anonymously, and find themselves making comments that heretofore they would never have countenanced (granted, anonymity can also lead to comments that are libellous, but these troublemakers are usually weeded out).

The instant nature of the internet has transformed the life cycle of news – news is now a 24 hour, seven day a week animal. The internet never rests – want to get something off your chest at four o'clock in the morning? Then log on and type to your heart's content.

As mentioned previously, the strength of the internet is its egalitarianism. A few years ago a new writer joined the stable of scribes at An Fear Rua. He checked in his first column, all shiny and bright, full of hope for a new career. That hope was quickly dashed as the response to his first column was so negative that the new writer soon became the ex writer, explaining that he was shocked by the negative response to his maiden piece. The readers of An Fear Rua had let it be known that there were standards to be met - no room for Jackasses here Eamonn.

I'm sure there are plenty of internet ball alleys that are populated by jackasses, but then again there are plenty of newspapers that are housing substandard writers also. It is the beauty of the internet that anybody can log on and have their voice heard. It is even more beautiful that they will usually receive some feedback, negative or positive (or none), to their views. It's a competitive world online, and with the busy lives that we all lead, there is scant time to be wasted on bullshit merchants.

The internet and its population of “jackasses” are here to stay Eamonn. Many of us who use it daily, who contribute articles or discussion pieces, would kindly like to be distinguished from any four legged creature. I sympathise with you if you have trawled through hours of inane tripe on the web, a piece of you dying inside as you read the awful grammar/poor spelling/incoherent arguments. We've all been there, believe you me.

But don't despair Eamonn, don't give up hope just yet. Keep sifting through the rubbish and you'll find some gems that will make it all worthwhile.

Your piece last Sunday attacked generalisations against Northern Gaels, yet totally contradicted itself by making the similarly crass generalisation that the internet was an inferior forum that solely catered for Neanderthals. Hopefully that wasn't what you meant.

Of course, given that this column is appearing exclusively on the internet, there's a good chance that you won't even darken these parts to read it...