Trolls analysed

[Malcador]

Oh dear. Really though, if a troll on a forum makes your life harder, then there is definitely a problem. This is just the wind up troll mind you, not the kind that wages a war, rather just a skirmish here and there.

[BruceVC]

Oh dear. Really though, if a troll on a forum makes your life harder, then there is definitely a problem. This is just the wind up troll mind you, not the kind that wages a war, rather just a skirmish here and there.

 

Of course in theory we should just ignore trolls or rather not get upset by there comments. But Internet history tells a different story about the insidious impact that Trolls can have on some people. For some the Internet is a form of identity and is much more important to them than you realize, when they get Trolled it really effects them  in a negative way...and I mean depression level consequences. There are people who have ended up committing suicide because of Trolling

[Valsuelm]

You guys keep bringing this topic up, and it's clear that some of you don't understand what a troll is. The articles linked in the OP most certainly were written by someone popping too many pills.

Here's a couple of examples of real trolls. I can't say I've seen any real honest to goodness trolls on this particular forum, even though many accuse others of being such fairly often, and some make some really bad attempts at trying to be one. Some of you guys are like kids who think babies come from Storks trying to discuss the finer points of Kama Sutra when you talk about trolls.

 

http://youtu.be/Kwu50xCtMME

 

[BruceVC]

You guys keep bringing this topic up, and it's clear that some of you don't understand what a troll is. The articles linked in the OP most certainly were written by someone popping too many pills.

 

Here's a couple of examples of real trolls. I can't say I've seen any real honest to goodness trolls on this particular forum, even though many accuse others of being such fairly often, and some make some really bad attempts at trying to be one. Some of you guys are like kids who think babies come from Storks trying to discuss the finer points of Kama Sutra when you talk about trolls.

 

http://youtu.be/Kwu50xCtMME

 

 

Cool picture

[Rosbjerg]

It's from the Norwegian movie Troll Hunter.

[Walsingham]

'Troll' is a hopelessly ill defined group, are we going for subjectively judged trolls or self confessed ones- in which case, lol, self confessed psychopaths/ narcissists. And in the other, might as well write a paper saying that, I dunno, gamergate people/ sjws are psychopathic narcissist machiavellian sadists, because they consider each other trolls; and you can find some people in each group who clearly do exhibit those same traits. 

 

It's not hopelessly defined. It's defined in black and white in the paper I linked.

 

Their definition is what we are discussing.

 

Also, it's a peer-reviewed and quite respectable journal. Bit overly keen to dismiss it, aren't we?

 

EDIT: OK, slight exaggeration. The whole point of the paper is to do a trait analysis to improve the definition. But you get the idea.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Walsingham

[BruceVC]

It's from the Norwegian movie Troll Hunter.

 

Thanks, I'm going to watch it

[Fighter]

 

It's from the Norwegian movie Troll Hunter.

 

Good movie.

[Zoraptor]

It's not hopelessly defined. It's defined in black and white in the paper I linked.

 

It is hopelessly defined because trolling is subjective and has variation in degree based on a large range of factors, principally based on how the recipient responds and whether it was even intended as trolling in the first place or is just labelled as such by the recipient.

 

To illustrate, let's say that I think someone, let's call him Bob, posts stuff to get a negative reaction, you think someone, let's call him Ivan, posts stuff to get a negative reaction but neither of us thinks that both are trolls. And if we asked either they'd both say they aren't trolling. So are you right, or am I, or are neither of us? Are we going to go through some objective check list to determine whether your troll induced butthurt or my troll induced butthurt is objectively reasonable, or if either of us should be butthurt by both 'trolls'? Do we take the 'trolls' statements about their intent as gospel or do we assume they'd lie about being trolls, or indeed lie about not being trolls (the classic 'say something stupid, then claim to be trolling' defence of having said something stupid)?

 

The only answer I can come up with is that none of those questions actually work to determine anything objectively. Base stuff on self identifying trolls and assume the trolls are being... honest and upfront- I think everyone can see the inherent problem in that proposition- or base stuff on what you personally think constitutes trolling, in which case it isn't objective either.

[Malcador]

 

 

Oh dear. Really though, if a troll on a forum makes your life harder, then there is definitely a problem. This is just the wind up troll mind you, not the kind that wages a war, rather just a skirmish here and there.

Of course in theory we should just ignore trolls or rather not get upset by there comments. But Internet history tells a different story about the insidious impact that Trolls can have on some people. For some the Internet is a form of identity and is much more important to them than you realize, when they get Trolled it really effects them in a negative way...and I mean depression level consequences. There are people who have ended up committing suicide because of Trolling

Should help people so they don't identify via the Internet.

[HoonDing]

[Walsingham]

 

It's not hopelessly defined. It's defined in black and white in the paper I linked.

 

It is hopelessly defined because trolling is subjective and has variation in degree based on a large range of factors, principally based on how the recipient responds and whether it was even intended as trolling in the first place or is just labelled as such by the recipient.

 

To illustrate, let's say that I think someone, let's call him Bob, posts stuff to get a negative reaction, you think someone, let's call him Ivan, posts stuff to get a negative reaction but neither of us thinks that both are trolls. And if we asked either they'd both say they aren't trolling. So are you right, or am I, or are neither of us? Are we going to go through some objective check list to determine whether your troll induced butthurt or my troll induced butthurt is objectively reasonable, or if either of us should be butthurt by both 'trolls'? Do we take the 'trolls' statements about their intent as gospel or do we assume they'd lie about being trolls, or indeed lie about not being trolls (the classic 'say something stupid, then claim to be trolling' defence of having said something stupid)?

 

The only answer I can come up with is that none of those questions actually work to determine anything objectively. Base stuff on self identifying trolls and assume the trolls are being... honest and upfront- I think everyone can see the inherent problem in that proposition- or base stuff on what you personally think constitutes trolling, in which case it isn't objective either.

 

 

Come on, Zor. Don't make me explain the methodology to you, man. You're easily smart enough to work it out. Have another read.

[Valsuelm]

 

It's not hopelessly defined. It's defined in black and white in the paper I linked.

 

It is hopelessly defined because trolling is subjective and has variation in degree based on a large range of factors, principally based on how the recipient responds and whether it was even intended as trolling in the first place or is just labelled as such by the recipient.

 

To illustrate, let's say that I think someone, let's call him Bob, posts stuff to get a negative reaction, you think someone, let's call him Ivan, posts stuff to get a negative reaction but neither of us thinks that both are trolls. And if we asked either they'd both say they aren't trolling. So are you right, or am I, or are neither of us? Are we going to go through some objective check list to determine whether your troll induced butthurt or my troll induced butthurt is objectively reasonable, or if either of us should be butthurt by both 'trolls'? Do we take the 'trolls' statements about their intent as gospel or do we assume they'd lie about being trolls, or indeed lie about not being trolls (the classic 'say something stupid, then claim to be trolling' defence of having said something stupid)?

 

The only answer I can come up with is that none of those questions actually work to determine anything objectively. Base stuff on self identifying trolls and assume the trolls are being... honest and upfront- I think everyone can see the inherent problem in that proposition- or base stuff on what you personally think constitutes trolling, in which case it isn't objective either.

 

 

Hogwash! Where's your peer reviewed study?!?

 

Nothing is legit unless some incestuous academes who have yet to enter the real world and probably never will say it is so. We need bonified PhDs or their minions to verify your statement, and they better be from the Ivys, Berkeley, Oxford, or Cambridge or it still is questionable.

 

None of them seem to be on your side so you must be a crazy conspiracy theorist!

[Blarghagh]

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/18/am-i-being-catfished-an-author-confronts-her-number-one-online-critic

 

I thought this was a fascinating article about an author who gets consistently "trolled".

[Longknife]

For some the Internet is a form of identity and is much more important to them than you realize, when they get Trolled it really effects them  in a negative way.

 

These people are commonly referred to in layman's terms as "f***ing ridiculous."

[BruceVC]

 

For some the Internet is a form of identity and is much more important to them than you realize, when they get Trolled it really effects them  in a negative way.

 

These people are commonly referred to in layman's terms as "f***ing ridiculous."

 

 

So people who commit suicide because of Internet abuse are being silly?

 

You don't think real depression can be caused from the Internet and trolling?

[Gorth]

So people who commit suicide because of Internet abuse are being silly?

 

You don't think real depression can be caused from the Internet and trolling?

Those people need the kind of help no amount of time on the internet can give them. It's like a drug user that thinks he just needs one more shot in the arm and things will get better.