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    What is a forum troll?

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    Post  mac Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:01 pm



    What is a forum troll?

    A troll is someone who registers a forum account and an identity (sometimes more than one) which he uses (it seems to be males) to post controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or insulting messages. His aim is to upset members and provoke negative responses for his own amusement.

    The widely accepted ethic of free speech may lead on to an undeserved tolerance of potential troll behaviour when striving to maintain an open discussion forum at the same time as avoiding undue censure.

    At first, the word 'troll' referred mainly to individuals trolling for a response or opinion. Over time, trolling became more aggressive and the word began to be used to describe disruptive, irritating or hurtful behaviour.

    Any bulletin board, newsgroup, forum, chat room, blog or other online community may attract trolls. Some may be, or present as, experts in a particular field. But equally they may just choose topics they know they will attract impassioned responses. Their own postings may indicate personal prejudices about sex, religion, gender, race, politics, etc.

    Typically a troll may harass an online community for weeks or months, posting inflammatory or divisive statements in order to ‘push the buttons’ of members for the troll's amusement. Trolls differ in their attitudes and aggressiveness from ordinary users who just have different points of view. Their aim is not to discuss or debate but to antagonise and frustrate.

    Some trolls go to extremes by harassing, cyber-stalking, outing or hacking threads and blogs, things they may do with great skill. Normal forum business can be greatly disrupted, member relationships compromised, community spirit spoiled and considerable administrative time needed in tidying up.


    Types of troll

    Trolls may pose as 'newbies' who ask questions designed to 'wind up' other members and/or provoke extreme reactions. Or they may spin a tragic personal story, pretending to be searching for answers and drawing in empathetic members who are unaware they are being taken in by a false story line.

    They may attack by insults or provocative language. They may mount 'sneak attacks' by first posing as being interested in a topic before posting a message that includes controversial material.

    On other occasions the troll may form a relationship with a well-known, regular member giving the impression (by that association) that the troll is just another member like everyone else, a neat and mostly effective deception.

    A number of trolls (or one individual with multiple fake accounts and characters) may collude to cause problems. One troll or character may support another claiming the first was only trying to contribute to the discussion. Or a 'sacrificial' character (or troll) may deliberately transgress forum rules, unconcerned by the threat of a ban. When that happens focus gets pulled from the other troll(s) (or character) who, in turn, may then feign a 'hail fellow, well met' stance, just biding their time until the next opportunity to disrupt and upset.

    Another forum of trolling is truly bizarre. In this situation, two or more identities are created and postings made one in response to the other, the troll effectively speaking to himself. It's hard to be sure this is happening because IP addresses - indicators of the location of the characters - can be masked and it can then be impossible to see if the postings are coming from a single source. Successful trolls are masters of disguise and often computer literate and 'net savvy', leaving website owners/administrators uncertain about the situation. Members, too, get taken in because they think they're replying to different individuals.

    This is just a selection of the various types.


    Why do trolls do it?

    It's likely there are many reasons and they fall into the field of the mental health specialists. The nature of the World Wide Web encourages troll behaviour by allowing easy access and anonymity. It's deviant behaviour which would have presented in other ways before the emergence of the web. Such individuals may be socially inept, isolated and/or unable to relate to others in ordinary ways. Certainly they give that impression as they show no empathy, compassion or genuine emotion.


    Please do not feed the trolls

    Trolls are desperate for attention - any attention. Starve them of it in one place and they will seek it somewhere else, often on the same website. Most responses encourage further disruptive behaviour. Once identified the best policy (short of a ban) is not to 'feed the troll' but members may not anyway realise they're being trolled and be unwilling to resist hitting back when they do realise.

    Some folk who have long-time Internet experience know how best to deal with trolls and say they're something we're stuck with now the web is so deeply embedded in our lives. It may never be possible to prevent their antics and, as the saying goes, "You can't have a picnic without ants."

    Freedom to enjoy worldwide communication is our picnic and we have to learn to deal with the troublesome ants.

    During the spring of 2013 certain behaviours (as described above) became evident on the forum pages of a particular website. Forum disagreements initially appeared to be down more to personality clashes than trolling but over the following weeks it became obvious that something else was going on.

    I still feel very bad that it was I who unwittingly led one such troll to that website. He may be a particular individual who has faked my identity, and claimed all manner of lies about me (and others I've spoken to) in several other online locations. Being totally certain about who is who is rarely possible, however, and trolls move freely around websites.

    This troll manipulated the situation by being supportive and helpful to some members, attacking me (and sometimes others) and generally masquerading as a knowledgeable, interested and concerned fellow member.

    As a master of disguises it was easy to mistake him for someone highly knowledgeable on a range of spiritual issues but there were always weaknesses in his presentation. He wasn't subject-knowledgeable so much as knowledgeable about how to present himself. Challenges were either rubbished, ignored or swamped with text and links. [techniques often used on other websites] With the clarity of hindsight he was hiding in plain sight, something I'd always suspected but been unable to prove.

    A skilled tactician, this particular troll would attack me on a personal level at the same time as currying favour with other members, effectively isolating me to give the impression that I was the unreasonable one. He used one very clever ruse of accusing me in public of leaking to other members private messages he said he'd sent me. Impossible, of course, to refute in much the same way as trying to prove a negative. From occasional, 'throw-away' remarks in postings I gained the impression he may have used private messaging of other members to discredit me and undermine my character. Again impossible to prove unless those members disclose it.
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    Post  Auras Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:13 pm

    Excellent work, Mac.


    Keep it up and you can be back on my good side. :giggles:
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    Post  SpiritVoices Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:28 pm

    Perfect description of a troll,Mac.    I have had experience of one such troll.
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    Post  Guest Tue Oct 15, 2013 10:21 pm

    Damn................I'm a troll

    does that mean I have to go now?

    This sucks!
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    Post  SpiritVoices Tue Oct 15, 2013 10:22 pm

    Mr.Whitmore wrote:Damn................I'm a troll

    does that mean I have to go now?

    This sucks!
    You're a nice well mannered troll.....you can stay!
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    Post  Guest Tue Oct 15, 2013 10:23 pm

    lol

    Thanks mom
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    Post  Detlef Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:41 am

    There is only one thing we need to remember as I see it, don't feed them.
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    Post  SpiritVoices Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:29 am

    Always hard to keep quiet,Detlef when the insults are flying.  :blush:
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    Post  Detlef Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:01 am

    SpiritVoices wrote:Always hard to keep quiet,Detlef when the insults are flying.  :blush:
    I thought this was part of growing up.
    Once we learn, what anyone else says has nothing to do with us....
    It is entirely their problem until we make it our own by buying into it.
    I think, for us introverts it is much easier to detach then for all you extraverts.
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    Post  Guest Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:09 am






    lol............

    i mean...........so sad
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    Post  SpiritVoices Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:31 am

    Detlef wrote:
    SpiritVoices wrote:Always hard to keep quiet,Detlef when the insults are flying.  :blush:
    I thought this was part of growing up.
    Once we learn, what anyone else says has nothing to do with us....
    It is entirely their problem until we make it our own by buying into it.
    I think, for us introverts it is much easier to detach then for all you extraverts.
    Who says I am an extravert?  You don't know me at all.   I may sound very outgoing on site but not in my private life.   
    My troll was a gentleman.    Until I was misled by gossip about him.    
    I retaliated and lost the friendship which I had a great deal of respect for.
    I am hoping that is in the past now and we can both live in peace.
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    Post  mac Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:52 am

    Mr.Whitmore wrote:




    lol............

    i mean...........so sad
    sad?  I loved it!  thanks!

    The first response that means anything much....
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    Post  Detlef Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:00 pm

    SpiritVoices wrote:
    Detlef wrote:
    SpiritVoices wrote:Always hard to keep quiet,Detlef when the insults are flying.  :blush:
    I thought this was part of growing up.
    Once we learn, what anyone else says has nothing to do with us....
    It is entirely their problem until we make it our own by buying into it.
    I think, for us introverts it is much easier to detach then for all you extraverts.
    Who says I am an extravert?  You don't know me at all.   I may sound very outgoing on site but not in my private life.   
    My troll was a gentleman.    Until I was misled by gossip about him.    
    I retaliated and lost the friendship which I had a great deal of respect for.
    I am hoping that is in the past now and we can both live in peace.
    My divine self seams to agree with you in regards to extra or intro
    I try not to tap into people to much anymore.
    The rest is very simple, detach, send love, and everything plays out as it ought to.
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    Post  SpiritVoices Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:41 pm

    Thank you,Detlef.....spoken like a true Australian....after 10 years of living and working with them...I always admired their way of being forthright and honest.
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    Post  SpiritVoices Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:11 pm

    Let's ignore the troll who ever he or she is it.

    Let's carry on with our contributions to keep Violet's site going.   I have been a member on this site since 2010 I think.     Four years of contributing to a great site.

    I don't want to think that I have wasted my time....
    I don't want to think that Violet has wasted her time.

    Some great topics on here if we have to dig deep.....to keep the ball rolling.

    Come on,you lot.....let's get going......

    Keep the red flag flying......

    :ghug: 

    SpiritVoices......
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    Post  Guest Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:25 pm

    My ass has been dragging behind me...............I hope to be around more
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    Post  SpiritVoices Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:52 pm

    Thanks Mr.Whitmore,that is really appreciated.....
    :urwelcome:
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    Post  Kaere Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:21 pm

    I really don't think this site is in danger of disappearing... all forums go through lulls and such. It's the nature of forums.
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    Post  SpiritVoices Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:55 am

    I think there is only two sites which are doing well.     
    This one and another one which I frequent,Kaere.

    Most are struggling but I still think FB is the cause of the downfall of most sites.
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    Post  Guest Sat Nov 02, 2013 6:42 pm

    agree

    facebook trumps all

    we may as well say goodbye now
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    Post  RavenMoon Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:05 pm

    only play the games on Facebook......:happy:
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    Post  SpiritVoices Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:06 pm

    All sites are failing......we struggle to keep sites alive but I'm giving up bit by bit....

    Just going to be an old granny sitting with her shawl on,knitting Balaclavas for the soldiers in the next war....
    Now ask what Balaclavas are........:grin:
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    Post  SpiritVoices Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:07 pm

    RavenMoon wrote:only play the games on Facebook......:happy:
    Stop making excuses......:giggles:
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    Post  RavenMoon Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:13 pm

    not making excuses.... I got fed up of having people on my profile that never spoke or commented  on posts. so I removed them and closed it off. :rant:  Made up a new one which is now totally for games only.  :spitcoff:
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    Post  Guest Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:34 pm

    never give up

    you know what all you facebookers should do?

    advertise this forum on it

    Sponsored content


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