"A disgrace", "the nadir of journalism", "pathetic" and "a complete and utter moron".

These are just some of the kinder examples of the type of comment regularly sent my way over the internet, while I'm simply trying my best to do my job.

There are also plenty of other examples that are far more vicious in their tone that I don't wish to publish.

All too often I'm told that it's just part and parcel of the position I'm in and over time, I've come to accept that, for now at least, it's just something I do have to deal with if this is the career I wish to pursue.

However, there are others who aren't able to cope with the mental strain of receiving regular abuse and the time has come for us all to say enough is enough.

I'm well aware that I'm one of the luckier ones too.

The unwarranted abuse levelled at me pales into insignificance when compared with that which is sent to the players themselves, which is often far nastier and more threatening than anything I've had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of.

Race, sexuality, gender, religion - all are frequently attacked by small-minded cowards, often hiding behind a shield of anonymity provided to them by social media sites, allowing them to continue to attack again and again, often unpunished.

It is not right, nor is it fair, that these people are repeatedly given the opportunity to purposefully and deliberately offend others, so this weekend a stand is being made.

Clubs, leagues, broadcasters, journalists - myself - are all boycotting the platforms where this type of abusive behaviour can most frequently be found to show that we are united both in condemning these disgraceful actions and in saying that more needs to be done to combat them.

As a result, there will be no sports coverage on my personal Twitter account, the Watford Observer Twitter account or the Watford Observer's dedicated sports Facebook page from 3pm on Friday until Tuesday morning.

Watford are playing Brentford on Saturday and sharing our coverage of games on social media sites is integral for us to reach as wide an audience as possible, but at the Observer, we believe that joining in and taking this stand is much more important.

It is our hope that this protest will not only demonstrate a collective desire from all within football to eradicate all forms of discriminatory abuse, but also inspires those social media companies to think about how many people are affected by this and what they can do to create an environment where we can all do our jobs without fear of such random acts of malice.

I'd urge anyone else who feels strongly about this boycott to join in as well.

In the meantime, any online abuse can be reported at Kick it Out or via the Watford FC 'We' Campaign.