How to spot a TROLL

[louis wu]

November is the traditional time for trolls to give birth, so it will come as no surprise to see an increase in troll numbers recently. To the unwary, this can be a difficult time, so I have put together a little to help those who have never come across this creature before


There are many types of troll; here are a few of my favourites.

Been there, done that, got the medal this one is easy to spot, as they are simply an expert on everything and are your moral and intellectual superior. In short a know-it-all. This troll does not like being ignored, and practically demands an argument. Can get nasty, does get personal. Generally a bit on the dim side, and lives in a fantasy world.

Spotty teenager will just appear, leave crude comments then run and hide. This troll is always nervous at looking at his replies, but is horribly addicted to all forums. This troll is used to being ignored, as it never received any love and attention from his parents. He is nothing more than a mild irritant that quickly gets bored and moves on to fresh topics

Your censoring me this is perhaps the easiest to spot, they are the least intelligent of all trolls, post without thought and react violently when caught out. This troll is quick to criticise owners/mods and site helpers as being biased against them. This troll can be more annoying than others, as it never knows when to quit.

Sad and lonely not obvious at first, generally tries to worm his way into a social circle, gain acceptance and then dominate the group. Known for their irrational behaviour and childish outbursts. This troll craves attention like no other, as they have no life outside of cyberspace. This troll cannot abide being ignored, but is generally harmless and deserves to be pitied.

The stalker perhaps the most sinister of all trolls. Seems to pick his victims at random, but once latched on will not let go, returning time after time to old arguments. This troll will openly lie about previous posts, spread untruths about his victim, and follow him everywhere he goes. This troll requires urgent medical help and is the hardest to get rid of, as ignoring it does little good.

The loser just about the saddest of all trolls. This one has been exposed for what it is, but insists on returning for more punishment. Cannot win an argument, gets frustrated by it’s own lack of charm, brains and humour. Will try to focus on anything than it’s own lack of self-esteem.



It can be fun to go troll spotting. Treated correctly they pose no threat, and can be handled quite safely, although some minor skin irritation is to be expected.

Remember trolls crave attention at all costs, so when you’ve had enough of it just pretend it is not there. This will cause the best viewing spectacle of all, a full-blown troll super nova. When this happens the whole site basks in the glow of another dead troll, safe in the knowledge that troll reincarnation is almost instantaneous and it is part of the enjoyment to spot the sad creature returning with a new identity.

[Bookworm]

I may have come across one or two of those on CAG, Louis.

Thanks for that, DD was asking for one of those the other day. (the guide, not the troll!!! )

[setmefree]

Also

An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1; regularly posts specious arguments, flames or personal attacks to a newsgroup, discussion list, or in email for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by the fact that they have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand - they simply want to utter flame bait. Like the ugly creatures they are named after, they exhibit no redeeming characteristics, and as such, they are recognized as a lower form of life on the net, as in, “Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll

[Hippy-chick]

Thanks for this information Louis. I will study it carefully. One thing - do you have any advice for folk who have been bitten by a troll? What should they do? Who can help them?


Tx

xx

[setmefree]

Trolls see Internet communications services as convenient venues for their bizarre game. For some reason, they don't "get" that they are hurting real people. To them, other Internet users are not quite human but are a kind of digital abstraction. As a result, they feel no sorrow whatsoever for the pain they inflict. Indeed, the greater the suffering they cause, the greater their 'achievement' (as they see it). At the moment, the relative anonymity of the net allows trolls to flourish.

Trolls are utterly impervious to criticism (constructive or otherwise). You cannot negotiate with them; you cannot cause them to feel shame or compassion; you cannot reason with them. They cannot be made to feel remorse. For some reason, trolls do not feel they are bound by the rules of courtesy or social responsibility.

[louis wu]

Now you can spot your average troll, what can you do about it.? Well, we already know that the sole purpose of the troll is the need for attention. It therefore follows that taking that attention away should be enough to encourage the troll to go nova. Don’t forget, however, that troll baiting can be fun for a while, so it’s best not to go straight for the kill. This only tells half the story however, as trolls are surprisingly persistent, even though relatively stupid, and they will not go down without a fight.

So what can a troll do or say to continue the argument?

• Find multiple targets in the group, this ensures that at least on person will respond to the troll

• Use outrageous statements to inflame the passions of those involved

• Upgrade these remarks to blatant lies about other members of the group.

• Random changes of the subject, just to keep everyone off guard

And of course the all time, number one favourite

• Use the statement….’you have not responded, therefore I win and you lose’

Number 5 has many variations, but it’s always the same tired theme, and is usually followed by progressively nasty smears against the victim’s character.


So what do you do about it? It’s easy to say just ignore it, and that is exactly the best thing to do. If, however, you find yourself unwittingly involved in a discussion with a troll, it’s imperative to stay calm. Do not make sudden movements, Do not look it in the eye, Do not SHOUT at it, and above all Do not show that you are annoyed. Just back away slowly, agree with what is being said, and then just stop posting anything connected to the troll. Do, however, continue with the general discussion, just make no reference to the troll. This is perhaps the most painful way for the troll to die, but offers the victim the most satisfaction.

Most people can spot a troll, most can spot the trolls victim, and some will jump in and offer help and support. DON’T. This only feeds the troll and adds to its enjoyment. Offer words of support to the victim, but make no direct reference to the troll. When the discussion continues around the troll, with it’s posts being left unanswered, the tide has turned, and instead of being the attacker, the troll has become it’s own victim. You will then notice the desperation of the troll when it gets to point 5. When this is done correctly the troll is reduced to a shadow of it’s former self, with no self-esteem, no friends, and no life.

It’s very difficult not to respond, but remember you will have the silent support of everyone else, your self-respect will rise, and your reputation amongst your peers will increase. When the troll is dead you will find staying silent much more rewarding than giving the troll what it wants.

[tiglet]

Hmm, do agree with a lot of the sentiments, but surely this is just baiting the bear a little too much?

In your own words "you will find staying silent much more rewarding than giving the troll what it wants".

You've just given the troll what (s)he wants - a thread dedicated to trolling which will reinforce the "them and us" ethos.

[louis wu]

Originally Posted by tiglet

Hmm, do agree with a lot of the sentiments, but surely this is just baiting the bear a little too much?

In your own words "you will find staying silent much more rewarding than giving the troll what it wants".

You've just given the troll what (s)he wants - a thread dedicated to trolling which will reinforce the "them and us" ethos.

The concept of 'Trolling' has been around in internet forums for many years now. Forunately CAG has not been affected to any great degree. Having said that, it is now becoming more widespread, and that trend looks set to continue.

CAG members are very varied, many (I believe) do not have a great knowledge of other forums and the 'antics' of some of the more destructive mebers.

This thread is for anyone who hasn't got the faintest idea of what is going on. It's also for those who get upset and offended by trolls.

I have done this not to inflame the situation, but to create a level playing field for ALL members. Trolls may well visit this thread, they may contribute, they may just disrupt. That is the nature of an internet forum.

It is up to each member to deal with the situation should they become the victim of it, hopefully this may just help them realise it is not only them being affected.

[trollstar]

hmmmm lol
looks at own id
looks arround posting
hides in corner
*giggle*

[setmefree]

Originally Posted by louis wu

The concept of 'Trolling' has been around in internet forums for many years now. Forunately CAG has not been affected to any great degree. Having said that, it is now becoming more widespread, and that trend looks set to continue.

CAG members are very varied, many (I believe) do not have a great knowledge of other forums and the 'antics' of some of the more destructive mebers.

This thread is for anyone who hasn't got the faintest idea of what is going on. It's also for those who get upset and offended by trolls.

I have done this not to inflame the situation, but to create a level playing field for ALL members. Trolls may well visit this thread, they may contribute, they may just disrupt. That is the nature of an internet forum.

It is up to each member to deal with the situation should they become the victim of it, hopefully this may just help them realise it is not only them being affected.

Very true
Also you will find it easy to spot a troll,they just usually sit at the bottom of the thread when everyone else has moved on..

[tiglet]

Hi Lulu

Wasn't suggesting you wanted to inflame the situation, just pointing it out, taht's all.

(Runs off before she gets accused of trolling on a thread about trolls ...)

[blueskies]

Originally Posted by stevokenevo

I dont see any mention in your 'troll' description of Moderators, using an 'alterego' to post vindictive and frankly unhelpful posts, does this not meet the requirements of 'trolling'?

I will take the opportunity of explaining alterego here as it has been mentioned. Alterego is my other (and only other) username. Many people may ask why I have it so I will explain. I was a moderator during the time of the chat room. In the chat room the layout of a moderator's screen was entirely different to that seen by a basic user and I had a lot of questions such as "what does the button next to the ? do?" and I wasn't able to answer as there was nothing there on my screen. I registered alterego for the purposes of checking things like this as an ordinary user.
alterego was known to many people at the time of the chat room to be my username and I used it in a post about trolling knowing that Littlesally knew it was me. I was not trying to hide this fact from her at all. If you would like to see all the other posts that I have made as alterego then please feel free to search.

Bankfighter is a username that I used on the LB website, which is why that has been mentioned. I will say here and now that I have never posted anything negative on any other forum and that includes LB.

[setmefree]

Blueskies you don't have to explain anything,just sit back and let the trolls starve,wither and die

[louis wu]

Stevo, you ask a sensible question.

I dont see any mention in your 'troll' description of Moderators, using an 'alterego' to post vindictive and frankly unhelpful posts, does this not meet the requirements of 'trolling'?

I have examined the the 'alterego' username and found this

A to Z of people who hate A to Z (times 2 posts on his own thread)

Abuse of Mods Powers! (Coz we can say what we want to) (times 2 posts, not confrontational)

Which TV presenter do YOU fancy? (cbeebies stars excluded)

Which Cbeebies presenter do YOU fancy? (Tiglet's managed to pull it back again!!!)


This is the lot. I do not believe anyone would consider this trolling, although my definition may differ to others.

i believe the term has been manipulated by the OP to seperate the 'Us' from 'Them' and to bolster the elitist mentality that is steadily growing

You can rest assured that is not true.

So basically, if you have a disagreement, a thread edited, or removed and you don't like it, or feel strongly about the decision. You are a 'troll' if you dispute this? Is it a case of the Refs decision is final, now run along and play nice?

Again, a slight misunderstanding. All posts, by all members can rightly be questioned, it is the constant return this theme for no apparent reason that would qualify this as troll behaviour.

I hope that clears it up for you Stevo

[trollstar]

damn lol and there was me thinkin this was gonna be a thread bout cute lil trolls lol *looks at new pic and preens hair* lol