Shitstorm

About

Shitstorm is referring to lenghty online discussions about both trivial and controversial topics. Unlike a flamewar where the cause was an initial discussion between two parties, shitstorms are started through events. In a shitstorm, the event is removed from the actual fighting, but it’s also the catalyst. The term itself is also very prominent in image macros, and online forum discussions.

Usage

In real life, a “shitstorm” is synonymous to the word “crisis”, refering to a situation that is rapidly heading towards a very bad outcome.

On the internet, images with captions warning about a shitstorm, are used on threads to warn others about the chance of the entire thread turning into a massive flamewar, which will serve of no purpose in the end.

It is a very common goal in trolling, to try and cause a shitstorm, or a flamewar on a thread.

Image Examples

External References

^[1]Urban Dictionary – Shitstorm

^[2]Urban Dictionary – Flamewar