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Thread: Trolls

  1. #1
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    Default Trolls

    I wish I'd had this definition when I was at Anomalies. LOL

    Whats a troll?
    Ubuntu ^ | April 2005

    ----Definition----

    An "Internet troll" or "Forum Troll" is a person who posts outrageous message to bait people to answer. Trolls delight in sowing discord on the forums. A troll is someone who inspires flaming rhetoric, someone who is purposely provoking and pulling people into flaming discussion. Flaming discussions usually end with name calling and a flame war.

    A classic troll tries to make us believe that he is a skeptic. He is divisive and argumentative with need-to-be-right attitude, "searching for the truth", flaming discussion, and sometimes insulting people or provoking people to insult him. A troll is usually an expert in reusing the same words of its opponents and in turning it against them.

    While he tries to present himself as a skeptic looking for truth ... his messages usually sound as if it is the responsibility of other forum members to provide evidence that what forum is all about is legitimate.

    He (and in at least 90% of cases it is he) tries to start arguments and upset people.

    Sometimes, he is skeptical, trying to scare people, trying to plant fear in their hearts. Sometimes, Internet troll is trying to spin conflicting information, is questioning in an insincere manner, flaming discussion, insulting people, turning people against each other, harassing forum members, ignoring warnings from forum moderators.

    Trolling is a form of harassment that can take over a discussion. Well meaning defenders can create chaos by responding to trolls. The best response is to ignore it, or to report a message to a forum moderator. Ubuntuforums moderators usually move troll messages to the jail and may even ban trolls after a few unheeded warnings. Negative emotions stirred up by trolls leak over into other discussions. Normally affable people can become bitter after reading an angry interchange between a troll and his victims, and this can poison previously friendly interactions between long-time users.

    Finally, trolls create a paranoid environment, such that a casual criticism by a new arrival can elicit a ferocious and inappropriate backlash.

    When trolls are completely ignored they sometimes step up their attacks, desperately seeking the attention they crave. Their messages become more and more foul, and they post ever more of them. Alternatively, they may protest that their right to free speech is being curtailed. Perhaps the most difficult challenge for a moderator is deciding whether to take steps against a troll that a few people find entertaining. Some trolls do have a creative spark and have chosen to squander it on being disruptive. There is a certain perverse pleasure in watching some of them. Ultimately, though, we have to decide if the troll actually cares about putting on a good show for the regular participants, or is simply playing to an audience of one -- himself. For this reason the staff here often intervene, either with a warning in a thread, jailing one or more posts, sending private messages to offenders, and even banning people--temporarily or permanently--from these forums.

    As an idea, the next time you see a post by somebody whom you think is a troll, and you feel you must reply, maybe you could just write a follow-up message in the thread entitled "Troll Alert" and type something like this:
    Quote: The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction and not to respond to trolling messages. It is well known that most people don't read messages that nobody responds to, while 99% of forum visitors first read the longest and the largest threads with the most answers.

    The goal of the Ubuntuforums is to provide a place where people wanting to share experiences using Ubuntu or Linux in general can do so as well as give and receive technical assistance in a friendly, pleasant environment. Trolls disturb and disrupt community and are neither welcomed nor tolerated. There are lots of "free speech" forums available for political, religious, "not safe for work" and family-unfriendly sorts of interactions. If you feel the need to troll, please seek out one of these places.
    Libertatem Prius!


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    Default Re: Trolls

    Naw, trolls live under bridges and collect tolls for crossing.

    Ubuntu seems to be the future of the internet, in my opinion. I believe Linux OS is a very good system also.

    I can't believe there be trolls at Anomalies.

    From what I have seen this board handles trollage quite well.
    "Still waitin on the Judgement Day"

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    Super Moderator Aplomb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trolls

    And for those of us moderators who enjoy the exchange in the heated flame war, along with those trolling for it, we have a very special forum..."The Ring"...where Rick stomps 'em into nothingness and they leave never to return. Private showing for staff only at this point. If others want a view, they should just say so and maybe we could make that public for our members.

    You think you've seen him in action. Well, that's nothing compared to what we see in The Ring!
    I'm taking America back. Step 1: I'm taking my kids out of the public re-education system. They will no longer have liberal bias and lies like this from bullying teachers when I expect them to be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic:
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    Super Moderator Aplomb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trolls

    I think she's trolling and making things up and claiming it's all a government conspiracy or a TAA conspiracy and against the freedom of speech and expecting you to defend your position when she doesn't really care at all what the heck your truthful position is, just a troublemaker.
    I'm taking America back. Step 1: I'm taking my kids out of the public re-education system. They will no longer have liberal bias and lies like this from bullying teachers when I expect them to be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic:
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    Super Moderator Aplomb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trolls

    ...not to mention how she keeps it up...looking for attention. tsk. tsk. tsk.
    I'm taking America back. Step 1: I'm taking my kids out of the public re-education system. They will no longer have liberal bias and lies like this from bullying teachers when I expect them to be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic:
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    Default Re: Trolls

    damned trolls from Denver.
    Libertatem Prius!


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    Forum General Brian Baldwin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trolls

    That definition means that just about everyone over at AN were trolls except for a handful.... Oh wait... Nevermind.
    Brian Baldwin

    Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil.... For I am the meanest S.O.B. in the valley.


    "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... And how many want out." - Tony Blair on America



    It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

    It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

    It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

    It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

    -Father Denis O'Brien of the United States Marine Corp.


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    Default Re: Trolls

    Hahaha. There were.. Oh, I can name 10 people probably, off the top of my head that DIDN'T fit that defination, and I'm not in that list. Hahaha
    Libertatem Prius!


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