Would someone please explain trolling to me? by SevenPercent

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Would someone please explain trolling to me?

POSTED BY: SEVENPERCENT
UPDATED: Saturday, September 23, 2006 18:53
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VIEWED: 1492
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Saturday, September 23, 2006 5:14 AM

And by that I don't mean I need a definition, I'm pretty clear what trolling is and is not in threads. I'm a member of several message boards, so I've seen trolling firsthand all over the web.

But I have to say that I just don't get it.

And I especially don't get it on this site, where, in the spirit of the Browncoats, it shouldn't exist at all.

Now let me start off by saying (and I'm sure at least a few of the FFF RWED regulars have noticed) that I have not been posting anywhere nearly as much as I used to, nor have I been coming to the site as often. And the reason is the troll content of the site in the past 4-5 months has gone off the charts. It's getting to where instead of checking in 3 or 4 times a day to see what's going on, I only check in once a day or once per 2 days (because I hate sifting through the trolls to find something interesting). Some threads I don't even feel like looking at at all, since I know they were started with the pure intention of trolling.

Now, I've been here a long time. Not as long as some but far longer than most (my sign in number is in the 3000's, and I measure my time on this site in years, not months). And for me to say that I don't want to come back, well, I think that signifies a large problem in our community.

So I don't understand trolling. I used to think only people who lived in their parent's basements and couldn't get dates because of a lack of social skills were trolls. Or maybe just crazy people who hear voices telling them to do things. But now every time I turn around on a website there's a troll in the forums, and it isn't just kids. Why?

I don't get it. Why would you go to the place someone enjoys and ruin it for them? Is your life that bad that if you're miserable you'll ruin everyone else's day? If that's the case, get some therapy and take some antidepressants or something. Now, I'm accused of being a liberal, and- I'll admit- am openly hostile towards this administration. But you don't see me get online, go to a right-wing site, and start trolling. Why waste my time to ruin someone else's day or deliberately make someone else angry? Frankly, that's just immature and stupid.

And, like a cancer, it's spread to this site. People who namecall in threads where it isn't necessary (and I don't mean in threads like RWED where folks get and stay mad at each other, I mean in threads like Forsaken threads or topic threads where people come in and insult others' screen names, pics, or posts just because they can). People with multiple sign-ins who get on, insult someone, then log back on and pretend to be nice (and you aren't fooling anyone; there are many teachers on this board, and they'll all tell you that no matter how hard you try, your writing voice follows you). People who start ridiculously inflammatory threads to get attention. People who post without linking to evidence or post bizarre articles out of nowhere.

So someone, anyone, explain it to me. I want to continue coming here. I like it here. I thought about posting this in immediate assistance, too, but I changed my mind. My lair is in RWED, and this is where I want to stay. So, help me out - explain trolling to me.

Make me want to keep coming back to this site.

------------------------------------------
"A revolution without dancing is no revolution at all." - V

Anyone wanting to continue a discussion off board is welcome to email me - check bio for details.

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 5:25 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

I have no explanation for you, I only have hugs.

Well, I'll take a shot.
Just as a child will do whatever they can for attention, so too does the troll. The multiple accounts totally baffle me. Playing mind games like that is on some other level entirely. I can only guess at who is who sometimes; I don't have that teacher eye, which is sad.
Anyway I have resolved to ignore them til they go away. They make River cranky.
And we all know what happens when River gets cranky.

http://www.bigdamnthankyou.com - show Universal your gratitude!

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Gautama Siddharta

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 5:46 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

7%- I MISS YOU!!! Please come back!

On some of my other boards, there are people in serious mental or physical pain acting out. It's possible that some trolls here have similar issues. In my view there are only two possible responses- overwhelming love and understanding (Honestly. I've seen it work on a couple of trolls who were thrashing about because of pain and depression. But EVERY responder has to "get it" or it doesn't work and that's difficult to do.) Or the big chill- ignoring them till they go away. It works faster but doesn't address the troll's underlying problem (if there are any).

By the way, which message boards do you belong to? Are they political? Can you share???

---------------------------------
Reality sucks. Especially when it contradicts our cherished ideas.

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 7:45 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Like any human activity, they do it for different causes and reasons, there's no single root cause, although the perceived anonymity of the net is a factor.

Some of them are what I see as Twains "Loud little handfull" and some are just the internet equivalent of a wanna-be playground bully, but mostly I think it's an ego issue and would personally classify it as a mental/social disorder.

I DO find it amusing that those two think they're fooling anyone with the multiple logins - while not a teacher, I cut my teeth on the days of chat BBS's with just plain ascii straight text, and am also able to indentify someone by writing style almost instantly.

I just don't pay em any real mind save to yank their chain (in essence, trolling them right back) on occasion, and that only for personal amusement.

By all means, Seven, stick around - even though I don't participate in a lot of discussions, especially when I have nothing to add to them, I do very much enjoy seeing various viewpoints debated in a reasonable and mostly civil fashion, which, with the exception of a few - does happen a lot, and is well worth pondering over and learning from even if I don't choose to add my two pennysworth.

Adding one more rational discourser dilutes the idiocy and improves the signal to noise ratio by just that much, so that justifies sticking around even if naught else does.

I'll put the coffee on for ya,

-Frem

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 8:24 AM

ANTIMASON

guys we're all trolls! did anyone here discover firefly fans and stake their claim as rightfull recipients of the sites content? no... by nature the internet, the "web" is for people across the spectrum to interact and share their collective knowledge. im not exactly even sure what troll means.. many people here would never have found this site, let alone many other sites.. if it werent for "trolling around", but does that make us any less worthy to comment? if it werent for "trolling", people would concentrate themselves in forums that mirror their personal beliefs, and nothing new would be accomplished; i say bring on the trolls, lets include everyone in the debate, whatever it may be..

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 8:33 AM

KANEMAN

Quote:
Originally posted by antimason:
guys we're all trolls! did anyone here discover firefly fans and stake their claim as rightfull recipients of the sites content? no... by nature the internet, the "web" is for people across the spectrum to interact and share their collective knowledge. im not exactly even sure what troll means.. many people here would never have found this site, let alone many other sites.. if it werent for "trolling around", but does that make us any less worthy to comment? if it werent for "trolling", people would concentrate themselves in forums that mirror their personal beliefs, and nothing new would be accomplished; i say bring on the trolls, lets include everyone in the debate, whatever it may be..

Watch your tongue Antimason, the backlash over a little common sense and anti-sheeple ideas could cost you.... Well, it's true

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 8:35 AM

HKCAVALIER

I try to think of it in terms of information. They call it "the information super-highway" and some information is not at all pleasant. Hostility is always out there, mostly trying to hide behind cleverness and politesse. The troll simply manifests it openly and directly. I often find trollish posters much easier to deal with than the passive aggressive kind. The troll is giving everyone open access to parts of themselves that may never have become integrated socially, stuff most people try to hide--their rage, their foolishness, their pain, their loneliness.

And it's fascinating to me to see what happens. Recently there was a troll on a site I visit who went on a wild spree of scatology and viciousness, telling people they should die, etc. Folks responded as they felt they needed to. The fascinating thing to me is that when this troll posted again in a sensible and thoughtful manner, the community was there to engage with him on those terms as well. I think the experience had an overall possitive effect on the troll--calmed him down a bit, got something out of his system--and on the community as a whole. Doesn't always work out like that, but it's certainly possible to work through these kinds of issues on the internet in ways that would never work out in the real world.

I think that's the fundamental issue with trolling. People in real life can be so divided between the social and the personal. We learn that we must try to hide so much of ourselves from each other. The internet represents a place where we can act on our less than socialized impulses and see where it goes.

Just look at our own RWED. Look at how conversations between right and left continue well past the insults and the disgust, to actually getting a feeling for how the opposition really thinks and feels about the world. I find these discussions invaluable.

I see it all going toward a larger definition of what is tolerable and acceptible, an affirmation that strong opposition is necessary in a free society, and ultimately toward greater integration and self-knowledge.

You know what I mean? We've had trolls before, 7%, seen 'em come and seen 'em go. But the folks that stay here make it all worth while to me. You're part of the reason I keep coming back to this site. Take a break if you have to--I know I have, sometimes--but keep coming back, k?

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 8:39 AM

DREAMTROVE

I used to think that they followed the classic motivation, which was to disrupt debate, which was the original understood intention back in usenet days of trolling. If someone is trying to push to make a decision, trolls could break up the debate and limit the power of such deliberations.

I suspect that these modern trolls are actually just after attention. They're like a little spoiled brat who wants everyone to stop and yell at them so they will be paying any attention at all.

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 8:50 AM

KANEMAN

Quote:
Originally posted by HKCavalier:
I try to think of it in terms of information. They call it "the information super-highway" and some information is not at all pleasant. Hostility is always out there, mostly trying to hide behind cleverness and politesse. The troll simply manifests it openly and directly. I often find trollish posters much easier to deal with than the passive aggressive kind. The troll is giving everyone open access to parts of themselves that may never have become integrated socially, stuff most people try to hide--their rage, their foolishness, their pain, their loneliness.

And it's fascinating to me to see what happens. Recently there was a troll on a site I visit who went on a wild spree of scatology and viciousness, telling people they should die, etc. Folks responded as they felt they needed to. The fascinating thing to me is that when this troll posted again in a sensible and thoughtful manner, the community was there to engage with him on those terms as well. I think the experience had an overall possitive effect on the troll--calmed him down a bit, got something out of his system--and on the community as a whole. Doesn't always work out like that, but it's certainly possible to work through these kinds of issues on the internet in ways that would never work out in the real world.

I think that's the fundamental issue with trolling. People in real life can be so divided between the social and the personal. We learn that we must try to hide so much of ourselves from each other. The internet represents a place where we can act on our less than socialized impulses and see where it goes.

Just look at our own RWED. Look at how conversations between right and left continue well past the insults and the disgust, to actually getting a feeling for how the opposition really thinks and feels about the world. I find these discussions invaluable.

I see it all going toward a larger definition of what is tolerable and acceptible, an affirmation that strong opposition is necessary in a free society, and ultimately toward greater integration and self-knowledge.

You know what I mean? We've had trolls before, 7%, seen 'em come and seen 'em go. But the folks that stay here make it all worth while to me. You're part of the reason I keep coming back to this site. Take a break if you have to--I know I have, sometimes--but keep coming back, k?

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

What a truly insightful post. When I read the debate between right and left on this board, I do not see any kind of understanding between posters. I only see sarcasm, disdain, and a gang mentality. If you see it different you are delusional

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 1:57 PM

BELUGASMOM

Damaged people do f****d up things. Case in point: F*X executive(s) who cancelled "Firefly"

Life is short, brutal, and unpredictable. EAT DESSERT FIRST.

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 6:46 PM

SEVENPERCENT

Quote:
Originally posted by antimason:
guys we're all trolls! did anyone here discover firefly fans and stake their claim as rightfull recipients of the sites content? no... by nature the internet, the "web" is for people across the spectrum to interact and share their collective knowledge.

No, I'm afraid we aren't "all trolls." There's a difference between opposing views and trolling. Finn and I have opposing views. AURaptor and I have opposing views. We exist in harmony on this site nonetheless. Trolls do not have "opposing views", they're jerks and assholes who bring nothing to the discussion.

Quote:
im not exactly even sure what troll means.. many people here would never have found this site, let alone many other sites.. if it werent for "trolling around",

It's not a fishing euphemism. It's a reference to the nasty creatures that smell bad, live under bridges, and try to eat goats.

Quote:
but does that make us any less worthy to comment?

It does if you contribute nothing worthy to the discussion.

Quote:
i say bring on the trolls, lets include everyone in the debate, whatever it may be..

I say, get some mods to start deleting offensive postings. If you want to debate, then debate. Start with this, then: Since he/she/it posted in this thread - explain how Kaneman namecalling Chrisisall and Citizen and wrecking threads in the main forums is debate?

------------------------------------------
"A revolution without dancing is no revolution at all." - V

Anyone wanting to continue a discussion off board is welcome to email me - check bio for details.

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Saturday, September 23, 2006 6:53 PM

SEVENPERCENT

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
7%- I MISS YOU!!! Please come back!

Thanks. I'm back today, and in quite a mood.

Quote:
By the way, which message boards do you belong to? Are they political? Can you share???

Check out the Straight Dope message boards sometime. They have some intense debates over there, on any subject you can think of. But they have an interesting troll policy - personal insults are not accepted and trolls are banned outright. You get on someone's thread and call their mother a whore and their thread a joke, and the mods lock the thread, delete the offending post, and toss your IP addy off the site. That fast, that simple.

------------------------------------------
"A revolution without dancing is no revolution at all." - V

Anyone wanting to continue a discussion off board is welcome to email me - check bio for details.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

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