Troll Definitives

19 Jul 2012

Please do not use names or refer to specific instances (on this site, anyway).

In your opinion, what contitutes an internet "troll"? I'm not talking abut the Three Billy Goats Gruff sort (troll/trōl/
Noun: A mythical, cave-dwelling being depicted in folklore as either a giant or a dwarf, typically having a very ugly appearance), although we all have our place here.

I mean the subtler side of trollism, not as harsh as this: 1. troll: One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=troll

I mean people who just lurk about and seem to cause little, but some, disruption for the fun of it. When you use the term, do you mean somebody who just likes attention? Who repeats themselves? Who never leaves any kind of comment without some kind of barb to it? Who just irritates the fudge out of you simply because they're there? (As an aside, I think politicians are trolls and shouldn't be given so much airtime).

How do you identify them? Do you even care?

And mostly, how do you prefer for them to be dealt with? Do you like to play with them? Or better them? Give them the benefit of the doubt? What leeway do you allow for mistakes being made in their identification? Have you ever been labelled a troll? Was it justified? If so, why, and what did you do about it?

I don't intend for this to become a slagging thread. It simply interests me because I often talk over how to deal with certain kinds of people in Real Life, and this is something I've been mulling over for a while because of another forum I know. Now sort of seemed like the time to bring it up for certain reasons.

Please be kind.

Ut incepit fidelis, sic permanet.

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19 Jul 2012

First off, I think that wee troll is rather cute and I think you're right about politicians being trolls. I have to admit, sometimes I think I'm somewhat of a troll because at times I'll leave pointed comments (and yes, sometimes on this site but usually it's to my friends on other sites and also when I'm shopping, if someone gets in my way, I'll make a pointed comment about not liking being walked in front of, or something of that ilk, just to get a reaction.).

As for how to best deal with a troll: I find it best just to ignore them and hope they'll go away. Though at first it can be difficult to identify a troll, typically after a few posts or comments, their troll colours show through and then it becomes easy to deal with them. Sometimes it can be better to befriend them and educated them in their trollish ways because some don't realise that they are being trolls - I call this type accidental trolls.

There are actually quite a few kinds of trolls I've found:

The accidental trolls I've already mentioned. There is also the aggravating troll - the one that likes to get under everybody's skin and initially say something controversial then go back on it and blame it on something else then say something else controversial and then the cycle repeats itself. Then there is the innocuous troll - the troll who is funny about what they say and they obviously just want a laugh - sometimes at their own expense, which is pretty cool, the innocuous troll, you can just ignore or entertain, depending on your mood - there's always someone who's gonna fall prey to their baiting.

In short, trolls should just be ignored unless they are the worst type - the angry troll: they just want to be badasses and try to get people banned even (mostly especially) for stupid wee things that were only meant to be taken in jest, in which case they should be reported post haste to an impartial person of authority.

20 Jul 2012

Do you know, was just thinking at work today (I do that sometimes), we have so many troll customers! Two of my bosses (I have 4) actively avoid certain timewasting customers, running away and leaving me to deal with them. Sadly, I can't ignore them, as it's my job. I usually manage to help them find something they want (if only to escape my "Ooooo, look at this shinyyyyy..." sales patter), or an alternative, but it takes a horribly long time.

I wonder if internet trolls more often than not find what they are looking for in forums.

When I used to be a global mod elsewhere, we had a spate of a random troll reappearing. I think he had a dongle thingy which changes the IP address or something. He always did it in the middle of the night, so he could plaster the forums with his crap, but it took him three weeks to realise he was getting banned as fast as he signed up and never did more than two posts before I kicked him out - I don't sleep much sometimes. evil4

Ut incepit fidelis, sic permanet.

***

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20 Jul 2012

Usually if I'm in the same chatroom as one I wind them up and end up making them leave through various different means.... I'm not a very nice person when provoked like that.

Teased and Tormented -My very first story and competition entry is now up!