RCSignals
12-31-2002, 10:13 PM
This is from another board. I'm not sure who the original author was.
It's not a bad summation IMO
What is a Troll?
We've all heard the expression "He's a Troll", but have you ever taken the time to considered what that really means? If you're like most people, probably not. According to Merriam-Webster, a troll is a dwarf or giant in Scandinavian folklore inhabiting caves or hills. The troll I plan to discuss is a special variety referred to as the "Internet troll".
The Internet Troll
An Internet troll is someone who lurks in the dark recesses of bulletin boards awaiting hapless victims to prey upon. The troll derives his pleasure from sowing dissension and discord. He start arguments and provokes Flame Wars for the sole purpose of p*ssing people off and disrupting a board. The internet is his playground, and it's citizens are his playthings. The more he can anger or upset you, the better he feels about himself.
Trolls are not troubled by criticism. they could care less about what you think or feel. You cannot reason with them, you cannot chastise them, or make them feel guilty for their actions. They are true antisocials. The rules of society do not apply to them.
Some people due to constant exposure, have developed an immunity to troll tactics. They know better than to respond to them and simply ignore their cries for attention. Newbies however are easy prey for the veteran troll.
Common Troll Tactics
Makes accusations which can't be disproved
Misinterprets, misquotes, or misrepresents another person's point of view
Name calling
Use of offensive materials in their signature line
Trolling the posting of inflammatory material for the
purpose of eliciting emotionally charged responses.
Flooding making numerous posts to disrupt conversations
Impersonation sometimes a troll will modify the name of a well-liked member, and make offensive posts as if they were them.
Some Troll Terminology
Spanked or Slam Dunked- Trolls use these terms to signify that they have won an argument.
Trolling- To fish for responses by posting inflammatory material
Bwahahahaha- Trolls use this term as a delaying tactic to question they cannot respond to quickly, or have no answer for. It may also be used to intimidate another person occasionally.
Lamer- Trolls use this term to describe people that intimidate them
Puppet-master - A troll who acknowledges his true purpose
Puppet- A person whom the troll can easily manipulate
Sockpuppet- A character created by the troll to attack other users or support his viewpoint.
What effect does a troll have on a community?
Trolls are absolute Masters at spreading dissension, paranoia, and a general sense of ill-will. They can take what was once a pleasant place to exchange ideas, thoughts, and experiences, and turn it into a raging battleground! They can discourage both old and new members from participating, and cause others to leave in an effort to avoid their relentless attacks.
What can be done about trolls?
There are basically two tactics that can be employed when dealing with a particularly nasty troll.
Respond to him in a congenial manner. Sometimes he will calm down. Don't count on it though.
Ignore him. When you argue with a troll, he wins. When you show your agitation, he wins. When you exchange insults with a troll, he wins. The only thing a troll can't handle is your refusal to pay attention to him.
Simply put: Don't Feed The Trolls!
Troll Defenses
When trolls are confronted about their disruptive behavior, they tend to fall back on the tried and true defense of Free Speech. The majority of people on the internet support the right of free speech, and are therefore hesitant to censor or curtails another person's flow of thoughts, words, or ideas. The troll knows this, and uses it to his own self-serving advantage.
The best response to the troll's defense of free speech is: "Yes" you do have the right to say whatever you please, but you don't have the right to say it wherever you please.
Drawing the line as to what is an acceptable exercise of Free Speech is the job of the board administrator or owner. If he decides a troll's behavior has got out of hand, he has every right to ask him to leave. If the troll does not willingly comply, then the administrator can go one step farther and ban his IP. This does not always work though..
Trolls tend to be extremely resourceful individuals. They will find new ISP's to use, create new identities, or spam the board from another site. The best defense therefore, is to ignore the troll. He has little patience and must have his daily fix just like any other addict. By refusing to feed him, he will be forced to move on to greener pastures and seek out new victims to terrorize.
So Why Do Trolls Do What They Do?
Trolls do what they do because they crave your attention. Good or bad, it's all the same to the troll. In some vague, twisted way being obnoxious and putting other people down fills a void in their life. They enjoy seeing others get upset or hurt by their actions. They feel a great sense of accomplishment and power from viewing the chaos they have created. They and their efforts have been validated..
Part II
Are there different types of Trolls?
Yes trolls come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and dispositions. One variety that has proven to be especially nasty is the Conversational Terrorist troll. His weapons of choice are words and circular logic. He has honed the art of debate into a razor sharp weapon which he wields against his unsuspecting victims.
He has many potent forms of attack at his disposal, and will use them individually or in mass to defeat an opponent. Circular logic is the basis of many of his attacks. what is Circular Logic you ask? Circular logic is a logical error, caused by first making an assumption that can't be proven true, then, on the basis of that assumption, coming to some conclusion that is then used to "prove" that the first assumption is true. Confusing, huh? It's not to the troll.
I will briefly summarize these attacks below:
Ad Hominem Variants Attacking the person instead of the subject at hand
Sleight of Mind Fallacies Mental "magic" to cheat logic and fair dialog
Delay Tactics When the brain freezes, the lips flap on...
Question as Opportunity A favorite of politicians
General Irritants Verbal grenades, irritants, and ploys
The Classic Troll
The classic troll's primary purpose is to engage others in heated arguments or debates. They tend to be above-average in intelligence, and perceive their trolling behaviors as intellectual challenges.
The Obsessive/Compulsive Troll
The Obsessive troll tend to be fixated on one particular topic, basing all their trolls from a common theme. i.e. (Police Impersonators) They may post on other topics, but they will almost always return to their main theme before too much time has past.
The Preoccupied Troll
Preoccupied trolls are known for their long streams of psychobabble. Their posts tend to make no sense, and have no logical order to them. It's as if they are emptying their disorganized thoughts on to the board for all to see. Typical post will relate to religion, self-help topics, numerology, etc.
The Malevolent Troll
Malevolent trolls tend to engage in activities such as spamming and extreme profanity. On the average, they are probably the least intelligent of all the troll subtypes. It's rumored that most trolls of this type are chronic bed wetters, and have difficulties getting an erection. They are fascinated by topics concerning rectums, penises, and homosexuality.
Have you seen any trolls like this?
I'm sure you have at one time or another. To engage in battle with him is pointless, you cannot win! But for the troll it's a win/win situation. he has got your attention and is feeding off your emotions..
Why are trolls so good at what they do?
This will probably come as a shock to you, but trolls really aren't so different from you or I. They feel the same pain, anger, hurt,and sorrow that you do, only it's everyday of their lives. This is why they're so good at finding other peoples weak spots and pushing their buttons. They enjoy seeing others hurt like they do. their only source of validation in life comes from anonymous strangers, and it infuriates them when they see a happy, well-adjusted person.
Trolls are social misfits in real life. They have very few friends, family, or social outlets. They don't know how to appropriately gain the respect, approval, or attention that they so desperately crave. They'll spend hours on a bulletin just waiting for an opportunity to create chaos. In their minds this is an acceptable means of obtaining the attention and respect they long for.
It's not a bad summation IMO
What is a Troll?
We've all heard the expression "He's a Troll", but have you ever taken the time to considered what that really means? If you're like most people, probably not. According to Merriam-Webster, a troll is a dwarf or giant in Scandinavian folklore inhabiting caves or hills. The troll I plan to discuss is a special variety referred to as the "Internet troll".
The Internet Troll
An Internet troll is someone who lurks in the dark recesses of bulletin boards awaiting hapless victims to prey upon. The troll derives his pleasure from sowing dissension and discord. He start arguments and provokes Flame Wars for the sole purpose of p*ssing people off and disrupting a board. The internet is his playground, and it's citizens are his playthings. The more he can anger or upset you, the better he feels about himself.
Trolls are not troubled by criticism. they could care less about what you think or feel. You cannot reason with them, you cannot chastise them, or make them feel guilty for their actions. They are true antisocials. The rules of society do not apply to them.
Some people due to constant exposure, have developed an immunity to troll tactics. They know better than to respond to them and simply ignore their cries for attention. Newbies however are easy prey for the veteran troll.
Common Troll Tactics
Makes accusations which can't be disproved
Misinterprets, misquotes, or misrepresents another person's point of view
Name calling
Use of offensive materials in their signature line
Trolling the posting of inflammatory material for the
purpose of eliciting emotionally charged responses.
Flooding making numerous posts to disrupt conversations
Impersonation sometimes a troll will modify the name of a well-liked member, and make offensive posts as if they were them.
Some Troll Terminology
Spanked or Slam Dunked- Trolls use these terms to signify that they have won an argument.
Trolling- To fish for responses by posting inflammatory material
Bwahahahaha- Trolls use this term as a delaying tactic to question they cannot respond to quickly, or have no answer for. It may also be used to intimidate another person occasionally.
Lamer- Trolls use this term to describe people that intimidate them
Puppet-master - A troll who acknowledges his true purpose
Puppet- A person whom the troll can easily manipulate
Sockpuppet- A character created by the troll to attack other users or support his viewpoint.
What effect does a troll have on a community?
Trolls are absolute Masters at spreading dissension, paranoia, and a general sense of ill-will. They can take what was once a pleasant place to exchange ideas, thoughts, and experiences, and turn it into a raging battleground! They can discourage both old and new members from participating, and cause others to leave in an effort to avoid their relentless attacks.
What can be done about trolls?
There are basically two tactics that can be employed when dealing with a particularly nasty troll.
Respond to him in a congenial manner. Sometimes he will calm down. Don't count on it though.
Ignore him. When you argue with a troll, he wins. When you show your agitation, he wins. When you exchange insults with a troll, he wins. The only thing a troll can't handle is your refusal to pay attention to him.
Simply put: Don't Feed The Trolls!
Troll Defenses
When trolls are confronted about their disruptive behavior, they tend to fall back on the tried and true defense of Free Speech. The majority of people on the internet support the right of free speech, and are therefore hesitant to censor or curtails another person's flow of thoughts, words, or ideas. The troll knows this, and uses it to his own self-serving advantage.
The best response to the troll's defense of free speech is: "Yes" you do have the right to say whatever you please, but you don't have the right to say it wherever you please.
Drawing the line as to what is an acceptable exercise of Free Speech is the job of the board administrator or owner. If he decides a troll's behavior has got out of hand, he has every right to ask him to leave. If the troll does not willingly comply, then the administrator can go one step farther and ban his IP. This does not always work though..
Trolls tend to be extremely resourceful individuals. They will find new ISP's to use, create new identities, or spam the board from another site. The best defense therefore, is to ignore the troll. He has little patience and must have his daily fix just like any other addict. By refusing to feed him, he will be forced to move on to greener pastures and seek out new victims to terrorize.
So Why Do Trolls Do What They Do?
Trolls do what they do because they crave your attention. Good or bad, it's all the same to the troll. In some vague, twisted way being obnoxious and putting other people down fills a void in their life. They enjoy seeing others get upset or hurt by their actions. They feel a great sense of accomplishment and power from viewing the chaos they have created. They and their efforts have been validated..
Part II
Are there different types of Trolls?
Yes trolls come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and dispositions. One variety that has proven to be especially nasty is the Conversational Terrorist troll. His weapons of choice are words and circular logic. He has honed the art of debate into a razor sharp weapon which he wields against his unsuspecting victims.
He has many potent forms of attack at his disposal, and will use them individually or in mass to defeat an opponent. Circular logic is the basis of many of his attacks. what is Circular Logic you ask? Circular logic is a logical error, caused by first making an assumption that can't be proven true, then, on the basis of that assumption, coming to some conclusion that is then used to "prove" that the first assumption is true. Confusing, huh? It's not to the troll.
I will briefly summarize these attacks below:
Ad Hominem Variants Attacking the person instead of the subject at hand
Sleight of Mind Fallacies Mental "magic" to cheat logic and fair dialog
Delay Tactics When the brain freezes, the lips flap on...
Question as Opportunity A favorite of politicians
General Irritants Verbal grenades, irritants, and ploys
The Classic Troll
The classic troll's primary purpose is to engage others in heated arguments or debates. They tend to be above-average in intelligence, and perceive their trolling behaviors as intellectual challenges.
The Obsessive/Compulsive Troll
The Obsessive troll tend to be fixated on one particular topic, basing all their trolls from a common theme. i.e. (Police Impersonators) They may post on other topics, but they will almost always return to their main theme before too much time has past.
The Preoccupied Troll
Preoccupied trolls are known for their long streams of psychobabble. Their posts tend to make no sense, and have no logical order to them. It's as if they are emptying their disorganized thoughts on to the board for all to see. Typical post will relate to religion, self-help topics, numerology, etc.
The Malevolent Troll
Malevolent trolls tend to engage in activities such as spamming and extreme profanity. On the average, they are probably the least intelligent of all the troll subtypes. It's rumored that most trolls of this type are chronic bed wetters, and have difficulties getting an erection. They are fascinated by topics concerning rectums, penises, and homosexuality.
Have you seen any trolls like this?
I'm sure you have at one time or another. To engage in battle with him is pointless, you cannot win! But for the troll it's a win/win situation. he has got your attention and is feeding off your emotions..
Why are trolls so good at what they do?
This will probably come as a shock to you, but trolls really aren't so different from you or I. They feel the same pain, anger, hurt,and sorrow that you do, only it's everyday of their lives. This is why they're so good at finding other peoples weak spots and pushing their buttons. They enjoy seeing others hurt like they do. their only source of validation in life comes from anonymous strangers, and it infuriates them when they see a happy, well-adjusted person.
Trolls are social misfits in real life. They have very few friends, family, or social outlets. They don't know how to appropriately gain the respect, approval, or attention that they so desperately crave. They'll spend hours on a bulletin just waiting for an opportunity to create chaos. In their minds this is an acceptable means of obtaining the attention and respect they long for.