Facebook RIP pages defaced by British man

(CBS) - Facebook is many things to many people. For one British man, it's simply an outlet for airing derogatory and offensive remarks for no other purpose than his own amusement.

A recent episode of the BBC show Panorama focuses on cyberbullying and Internet trolling. One segment aims to put a face to an anonymous troll, who targets Facebook pages dedicated to the dead. Internet trolling is a slang term for the act of posting purposely offensive remarks to get a reaction in a particular forum.

On the show, BBC reporter Declan Lawn confronted a Cariff, Wales man who has been leaving remarks like "rot in piss" on Facebook tribute pages.

Darren Burton, who goes under the user name Nimrod Severen, is un-apologetically abrasive. When Lawn asked him to justify his online behavior, he did not deny the allegations. Instead he replied with more insults.

"Have you ever thought about the people that you're hurting?" Lawn probed. "Do you think about the effect it has on them?"

"I think f*** 'em. That's what I think," Burton said.

Upon further questioning, Burton fired back at Lawn. "Facebook is an open forum," Burton said. "You're entitled to your own opinion."

Yes, people are entitled to their own opinion, but what about common decency? Facebook tribute pages are a way for friends and family to mourn the dead. They're not discussion forums. And, to make offensive remarks about dead strangers under a fake name is spineless.

The Next Web posted a segment of the show on YouTube. The full episode can be found at the BBC website.