On the subject of Trolls

[thejakeman]

Originally Posted by Schwarzd354

To me, a troll, a lurker, etc. Is someone who intentionally writes their posts in a way to get the strongest reaction. Sometimes these reactions can be for the good, but all too often people are upset and offended. If it ended there, I think most issues of trolling would be resolved.

yes, all too often people decide to feel butthurt by something they read on the internet.

Unfortunately, it doesn't end there. What always seems to follow is the thread degenerating into the troll stating that they were joking, or that they were in their right to state their opinion so everyone else is in the wrong. And on the other side people continue to react with more fervor to the troll's comments. Each side rallying supporters to their cause.

It's called escalation, and it took two sides to start it.

For the joking, I'm all for humor, but it is damn hard to convey through text. Tone of voice and body language are removed, making it harder for people to realize the humor.

only if you assume that people are being serious on the internet. you need to start from the other end, believe that they're joking until proven otherwise, not vice versa.

and again, it's YOU who didn't get the joke, others did. so you're asking people to accommodate you.

For stating your opinion, everyone absolutely has that right.

great! you agree.

But there is a time and a place and people don't always seem to acknowledge when it is appropriate to state their opinion, or to phrase it a certain way. A lot of comments could be shifted away from seeming negative if they were written with less confrontational language.

oh, no you don't. you want to put restrictions on that right, turning it from a right into a privilege. who exactly is the judge of the "right" time and "right" place? you? society?

Personally, I find it rather aggravating that this happens so often. And obviously, not just on this website. I deal with enough obnoxious people in real life, I'd like to have a chance to get away from them for a while. Instead, I see the same self-absorbed arrogance.

you get away from people in real life by going to other people on the internet. they're still people, and just as likely to piss you off. if you really want to get away from people, you go do a solitary activity, not go to a website and expect everyone to behave the exact way you want them to. that sounds like arrogance to me.

Originally Posted by elmo

take thejakeman for example he's the most well known troll i know of

you haven't heard of many trolls....

Originally Posted by Clickme

Trolling isn't an art-from, it's about a person who enjoys pissing people off, and getting yuks from it.

If someone happens to offend someone else with a joke that was ill phrased or taken out of context, all they need to do is say Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, and drop it. On the other hand, Trolls like to believe that whatever they do, is in the right, and no one can tell them otherwise... like Hitler. Yes that's a bit extreme, but it gets the point across.

well, no, you just happen to believe that everything that they do is wrong and that no one can tell you otherwise. like Hitler felt towards the Jews.

for someone who purports to be so much more open minded than his ideological opponents, you sure do have a lot of irrational bias.