Trolling?

[papayahed]

I've noticed here and on other websites where members (and not just trollers but long time members) will specifically make rude or obnoxious comments and I can't help but wonder why?

For example: There is a fairly active thread about needlepoint, members who enjoy needlepoint happily talk about their projects and such without much bother to anybody else on the forum. Another non needlepointer member posts that they hate needlepoint and anybody who does needlepoint are idiots.

Why take the time? The needlepointers are happily playing in their own little sandbox why would anybody want to come poo in it for no reason? What is the purpose?

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Is the needlepoint thread on another forum?

[LadyLuck]

Mostly I think lots of people use the internet as a free forum to be as rude and mean to others as they can. It isn't like the person is standing there and can do anything about it.

By the way, where is the needlepoint thread? I'm trying to develop a filet crochet pattern of a celtic knot to use to make afghan squares. Maybe somebody will have a suggestion :D

[YesNo]

I suspect there are at least two reasons why someone would want to comment in a negative way on a forum. They would be the same reasons that one would make a negative comment to someone in person:

1) The negative comment helps define the person making it as different from those engaging in the thread.

2) The negative comment helps justify the person as better than those engaging in the thread.

Those who define themselves as different and better than others in an uncouth manner are labelled "trolls".

However, it goes both ways. When people become offended by trolls they too often respond to the person making the negative comment in an uncouth manner just like the troll did. They also want to define and justify themselves using the troll as someone to compare themselves to. From the perspective of the troll, when those offended respond rudely to the troll, they look just like trolls. I doubt that many trolls see themselves as being trolls.

Being courteous to trolls is a way to practice patience and humility by refusing to act on any feeling of offense.

[Emil Miller]

Mostly I think lots of people use the internet as a free forum to be as rude and mean to others as they can. It isn't like the person is standing there and can do anything about it.

By the way, where is the needlepoint thread? I'm trying to develop a filet crochet pattern of a celtic knot to use to make afghan squares. Maybe somebody will have a suggestion :D

I have a suggestion but it's nothing to do with needlepoint. :biggrin5:

[JCamilo]

Oh c'mom, who here never teased a brother, a close friend, etc? Rudeness is part of human behaviour and literature does not ignore him. Guys like Voltaire and Schopenhauer do suggest the offending others is a great debate tatic. There is also humor on this. Removing insults from daily human language is like removing death from children tales.

There is just trolls, bullies. There is those who bully back in some short of attempt to make the trolls be seem as ridiculous, etc. It is not so different from real life

[tonywalt]

Mostly I think lots of people use the internet as a free forum to be as rude and mean to others as they can. It isn't like the person is standing there and can do anything about it.

By the way, where is the needlepoint thread? I'm trying to develop a filet crochet pattern of a celtic knot to use to make afghan squares. Maybe somebody will have a suggestion :D

There is a guy I know in Kabul his name is Sandy Burko, he has a kebab shop behind the Halliburton intelligence centre. He has that pattern and if you drop my name he will give you a good price.

[billl]

I was under the impression that a troll was someone who posted something outrageous (perhaps offensive) in order to generate attention. Saying "Twilight is a modern classic," would be trolling, and it wouldn't be about self-definition, or wanting to poo on anyone for having a certain opinion or interest.

Seeing it like this, however, it's still pooing on others, but as if they were lab rats or something. (The troll is in the superior, pooing position, like a sadistic experimenter. I think that, when people get annoyed with Sacha Baron Cohen, they're kind of feeling the same sort of annoyance.)

And as far as "Why?", my initial suspicion is that it's a cheap way to get interaction with other people. People will post back, and things can get pretty passionate, which is more "real" than posting something honest somewhere, and then getting zero or one reply, probably without any passion.

[Paulclem]

Is the needlepoint thread on another forum?

It's a metaphor. it's a colourful thread with pointed argument where people weave elborate patterns of words. Do you know which one now? :biggrin5:

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

It's a metaphor. it's a colourful thread with pointed argument where people weave elborate patterns of words. Do you know which one now? :biggrin5:

No. Now I'm just confused. :(

[Hawkman]

What depresses me is that there is always someone who lacks the wit to just ignore the troll. If the troll fails to elicit a response he is denied the oxygen that sustains him.

[MANICHAEAN]

Paul, I missed the metaphor completely!

Were you serious, or just trolling?

[JuniperWoolf]

Well, according to troll central (ie. 4chan, ie. the original home of Anonymous, ie. the utter cesspool of humanity, ie. the very lowest common denominator of humor, ie. the Bottom of the Internet), trolls do it "for the lulz." In other words, they find it funny.


It's a metaphor. it's a colourful thread with pointed argument where people weave elborate patterns of words. Do you know which one now? :biggrin5:


No. Now I'm just confused. :(

Ahhhahaha... haha... ahhh...

No but really, there is a needlework thread (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18371).

[papayahed]

It's a metaphor.

That makes me a writer, right?

[Alexander III]

Well, according to troll central (ie. 4chan, ie. the original home of Anonymous, ie. the utter cesspool of humanity, ie. the very lowest common denominator of humor, ie. the Bottom of the Internet), trolls do it "for the lulz." In other words, they find it funny.


God I love 4chan - humanity at its finest.

[Paulclem]

That makes me a writer, right?

Indeed. A writer that rights wrongs.

[Paulclem]

Paul, I missed the metaphor completely!

Were you serious, or just trolling?

I was possessed by the spirit of troll. I am penitant.

[MANICHAEAN]

Consider yourself forgiven.

Go forth and serve.