"Internet Trolls Really are Horrible People"

[Mor]

It wouldn't surprised me if the research is a knee-jerk reaction to the media stories over the last few years of internet trolling. The research (and I use that term loosely) seems to paint all trolls with a sweeping generalisation of psychopathic narcissistic sadists. And as Meshugger points out, you can have trolls that do it for the fun and giggles without actually hurting anyone or do it to get people thinking out of their own closed world views.

Not every person who ever hit someone is a bully... at one time we all made prank (posts/calls/etc) for fun of it, wanted to unwinded after a long day at work, argued some unpopular point, lost our temper etc etc IMO that doesn't make a troll. You might want to visit some other forums, to see actual trolls, people who spend all their energy on this and this alone.

 

Those trolls aren't helping anyone but themselves at the expanse of others. ( I mean going to a consumer board and giving bad advice, wtf?) its like claiming that school bullies are helping their victims to become stronger...

 

 

EDITED.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Mor

[Hiro Protagonist]

Not every person who done something bad is a bad person... i.e. we all made prank (posts/calls/etc) for fun of it, wanted to unwinded after a long day at work, argued some unpopular point, lost our temper etc etc. That doesn't make a troll, you might want to visit some other forums, to see actual trolls, people who spend all their energy on this and this alone.

 

Why not just say troll. Using other words like pranks doesn't make it any better. Getting Rick-rolled with a link is also a troll. Does it make that person a psychopathic narcissistic sadist? Probably, considering it's Rick Astley.  And if I got rick-rolled, I wouldn't tell the person who did it to me that he's a psychopath. I'd say, well done. you got me. And can see the fun and humour in it.

 

And I don't need to go to other forums to know that certain types of trolling is bad. Also reading the linked article, they also include griefing in games as trolling which it isn't. It's griefing. Same as bullying is bullying. It makes me wonder what the authors of the study define as trolling and what they've included. It looks like they've included things that isn't trolling into trolling and the results are skewed.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Hiro Protagonist

[Monte Carlo]

As others have said, the true meaning of trolling has been lost. It now means 'person I don't agree with' or 'person who just urinated in my rainbow-flakes.'

 

Whereas a decent troll is an asset to an online community and would never need to resort to being vile.

[HoonDing]

[BruceVC]

s

As others have said, the true meaning of trolling has been lost. It now means 'person I don't agree with' or 'person who just urinated in my rainbow-flakes.'

 

Whereas a decent troll is an asset to an online community and would never need to resort to being vile.

 

Monte lets not debate semantics around this issue, I think we are all in agreement on what the definition of a modern day Troll is?

 

" A person who makes comments to upset people or get an emotional response but has no interest in really discussing topics or being constructive "

 

I'm surprised no one has said " wow BruceVC that's an accurate description of  a Troll...you are really insightful around this topic "    

[Cultist]

[BruceVC]

 

That was quite funny

[Monte Carlo]

It's not semantics, Bruce. It's a fact. Once upon a time Trolls were jokers, pranksters and (sometimes mean-spirited) baiters.

 

Although the word Troll now means online idiot it wasn't always so.

[alanschu]

Totally agree on both accounts.

 

It wouldn't surprised me if the research is a knee-jerk reaction to the media stories over the last few years of internet trolling. The research (and I use that term loosely) seems to paint all trolls with a sweeping generalisation of psychopathic narcissistic sadists. And as Meshugger points out, you can have trolls that do it for the fun and giggles without actually hurting anyone or do it to get people thinking out of their own closed world views.

Given the percentage of people that categorize themselves as trolls in the study, I think it's more an issue that the application of the term is used differently in the study than in your own perspective. I doubt very many people on this forum (if any) would be classified as a troll.

 

Having said that, I do think there's a not all that clear line. Many bullies behave in ways that, in their opinion, is for "fun and giggles without any [intentional] hurting going on."

[Hiro Protagonist]

 

Monte lets not debate semantics around this issue, I think we are all in agreement on what the definition of a modern day Troll is?

 

" A person who makes comments to upset people or get an emotional response but has no interest in really discussing topics or being constructive "

 

I'm surprised no one has said " wow BruceVC that's an accurate description of  a Troll...you are really insightful around this topic "    

 

There is no clear cut definition. And there is a lot of disagreement with what a modern day troll is. You're definition is very simplistic. A troll could also churn the waters with compliments, practical jokes, humour, anything to get a response and practices a form of catch and release. Also can use the bait and switch tactic like rickrolling and usually associated with online forums.

 

The word troll has become the big bad of the internet, especially in recent years with bad cases of bullying reported by the media and it seems a lot of bad stuff which isn't trolling gets lumped into it as well.

[Hiro Protagonist]

 

Given the percentage of people that categorize themselves as trolls in the study, I think it's more an issue that the application of the term is used differently in the study than in your own perspective. I doubt very many people on this forum (if any) would be classified as a troll.

 

Having said that, I do think there's a not all that clear line. Many bullies behave in ways that, in their opinion, is for "fun and giggles without any [intentional] hurting going on."

 

Nice little attack there with my 'perspective' alan. So if someone rickrolled you, you think they're a bully? And I'm not talking about the bullies who are doing it for fun and giggles. Nice try anyway. I'm talking about the practical jokes that are played on each other and can laugh off. In real life we call them pranks or practical jokes, on the internet we call it trolling. And clearly some pranks are just wrong in real life. While others like we see on TV where people get pranked, they laugh it off. And the audience will laugh too. It's a sweeping generalisation that all trolling is bad and the graph shows that. By the graph, one would assume that if you do any type of trolling or prank at all, then you're a bad person. It doesn't show the types of trolling or practical jokes.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Hiro Protagonist

[Amentep]

No real sign of how the survey was conducted or what the sample size was.

 

What we do know is that the percentage of people identifying themselves as trolls was very, very small (5% of respondants).

 

So were they people trolling the polling?

 

While I imagine some people who troll are horrible people, I'm not sure this study really finds anything out about the nature of anonymous online interactions (negative or positive).

[Keyrock]

I always facepalm when studies like this come out that confirm what basically everybody already knew.  Hey folks, we just spent a whole bunch of money and however long a period of time to bring you absolutely nothing you didn't already know.  Give us some more money so that we can bring you more information of no value whatsoever.  Science, get the sensation!

[Meshugger]

Maybe the study itself is a result of elaborate trolling.

[BruceVC]

I always facepalm when studies like this come out that confirm what basically everybody already knew.  Hey folks, we just spent a whole bunch of money and however long a period of time to bring you absolutely nothing you didn't already know.  Give us some more money so that we can bring you more information of no value whatsoever.  Science, get the sensation!

 

But maybe if people understood the personality traits of what constitutes a Troll they wouldn't be so keen to think that Trolling is okay. A Troll is basically someone who has several dysfunctional mental traits. Its something I would think people would want to change  urgently and the article is relevant because its based on a real study and empirical evidence and not just what people think. So even though we all "know" what a Troll is this article substantiates our views

[Keyrock]

Who are these mysterious people that think trolling is okay?  Besides the trolls themselves, obviously. 

[Malcador]

Who are these mysterious people that think trolling is okay?  Besides the trolls themselves, obviously. 

 

A lot see it as just noise rather than something outrageous and horrifying, or whatever the proper response we are to have to it is these days.

[BruceVC]

Who are these mysterious people that think trolling is okay?  Besides the trolls themselves, obviously. 

 

That's a good question and one I'm glad you asked ( because most of the time I hate making a point where I offer too much information )

 

My issue with Trolling is more the indifference that we see from people in addressing it. So whenever someone is Trolling the typical reaction is " he is Trolling him, ignore him". There isn't really an attempt to condemn it or to take the person on, so now we know what type of personality defines a Troll that's an important step in people not just ignoring it but dealing with it

 

So these mysterious people are anyone who allows a Troll to post what he wants with impunity. We don't see this typically on these forums but I have experienced gratuitous and unchallenged Trolling on other forums

[Hurlshort]

Eh, arguing with a troll is much like arguing with my 3 year old.  There is no winning in that scenario.

 

edit:  I'm all for reaching out and creating a personal relationship with a person who comes across as a troll.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it is just ignored, and sometimes they act with suspicion.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Hurlshot

[Keyrock]

 

Who are these mysterious people that think trolling is okay?  Besides the trolls themselves, obviously. 

 

My issue with Trolling is more the indifference that we see from people in addressing it. So whenever someone is Trolling the typical reaction is " he is Trolling him, ignore him". There isn't really an attempt to condemn it or to take the person on, so now we know what type of personality defines a Troll that's an important step in people not just ignoring it but dealing with it

 

 

That's the thing, though, for any forum member other than moderators the proper response is ignoring the troll, outwardly, anyway.  Reporting the troll to the moderators via report button is also proper, though no one will outwardly ever see that (other than the moderators).  Trolls generally crave attention.  Responding to them is giving them exactly what they want, especially if the response is a negative one.

[BruceVC]

Eh, arguing with a troll is much like arguing with my 3 year old.  There is no winning in that scenario.

 

edit:  I'm all for reaching out and creating a personal relationship with a person who comes across as a troll.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it is just ignored, and sometimes they act with suspicion.

 

Interesting, I don't think I've intentionally ever  really tried to reach out to a troll. That's something I may attempt in the future. I prefer to spend time in debates with people that actually enjoy the principles of discussion

[BruceVC]

o

 

 

Who are these mysterious people that think trolling is okay?  Besides the trolls themselves, obviously. 

 

My issue with Trolling is more the indifference that we see from people in addressing it. So whenever someone is Trolling the typical reaction is " he is Trolling him, ignore him". There isn't really an attempt to condemn it or to take the person on, so now we know what type of personality defines a Troll that's an important step in people not just ignoring it but dealing with it

 

 

That's the thing, though, for any forum member other than moderators the proper response is ignoring the troll, outwardly, anyway.  Reporting the troll to the moderators via report button is also proper, though no one will outwardly ever see that (other than the moderators).  Trolls generally crave attention.  Responding to them is giving them exactly what they want, especially if the response is a negative one.

 

 

That's a good point and I can see the strategy that you referring to. Also as you mentioned its the job of Moderators to take on a Troll, but then it becomes difficult because how do you really know when someone is trolling, I'm glad I'm not a Moderator

[213374U]

A Troll is basically someone who has several dysfunctional mental traits.

 

[citation needed]

 

 

 

Who are these mysterious people that think trolling is okay?  Besides the trolls themselves, obviously. 

 

A lot see it as just noise rather than something outrageous and horrifying, or whatever the proper response we are to have to it is these days.

 

This. This is the only real problem I see with trolling. This activity can seriously affect the signal to noise ratio in communities and discourage participation if any possibly valuable contribution is going to be buried under a ton of inane drivel. However, as others have noted, quality trolling can actually be a way to foster discussion and so is a potential asset in an online community. That's rare nowadays, though.

 

Other than that, trollin' is just goofing around. If you don't feel like playing along... just keep walking. Grow a thicker skin and there will be no need to call 

 

(I also eat babies, btw)

 

edit: I'm a formatting whore

Edited February 17, 2014 by 213374U

[Amentep]

A Troll is basically someone who has several dysfunctional mental traits.

Or its someone who thinks that maybe people shouldn't take themselves or the things they like so seriously - including their own posts/comments.

[Hurlshort]

 

A Troll is basically someone who has several dysfunctional mental traits.

Or its someone who thinks that maybe people shouldn't take themselves or the things they like so seriously - including their own posts/comments.

 

 

There is a big difference between trolling and being a troll.  We all have our trollish moments.

 

An actual troll is probably spending more time online than they are in real life, and they are completely disassociating themselves from reality when they do so.  That's not good.  Muy Malo.