do you like to troll?
In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog), either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. Wikipedia
Oddly enough, in the last couple of days two of the people I follow quite closely have suggested that they consider some of their own comments to be trolling. I checked out the posts they were specifically referring to and couldn’t see any difference between the kind of comments they were leaving and the kind of comments I frequently leave, mainly on Christian posts.
My understanding of trolling is deliberately starting arguments you don’t care about, just for the sake of getting a reaction and winding people up. But surely if you are trying to convince the author, or any readers, of a post that their point of view is somehow flawed, a negative reaction that any comments generate does not somehow make the whole exercise trolling. Trolls, on the other hand, tend to just shout random and nasty stuff then disappear, without trying to explain their point of view (because it doesn’t really matter to them).
So, if you happen to stumble across posts with harmful, stupid and illogical content and you feel the need to comment, don’t dismiss your urges to engage in discussion as flippant trolling. Remember you are doing a valuable service to your fellow human beings by encouraging people to analyse and defend their point of view. It’s only by exploring why we hold views on specific areas that we can learn how to distinguish our irrational indoctrinated attitudes (which, granted, may have logic behind them on further analysis) from rational opinions which are formed based on evidence and logic.
Go forth, good people, and chat the good chat!
Funny, someone called me a troll on my blog when I asked him to explain what he means when he talks of god but he evaded the question completely.
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I thought that was hilarious. Calling the blog owner and author of the post a troll. You were well within your rights to call him an idiot.
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And indeed that’s what I called him. Hope you’ve been well mate?
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That sounds funny, I’ll have to pop over for a lurk …
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There is a moment when I try to convince, and a moment when I just register disapproval. If someone comes out with all the Bible passages and says therefore it is completely clear that God abominates homosexuality, I leave a note to say this Christian disagrees. But on the post I was referring to, that chap wrote long, involved comments quoting the Bible, and I wrote a couple of sentences to provoke him.
I am not ashamed of being deliberately provocative, but what I actually do is like a troll’s behaviour.
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I personally think that is very different from trolling. Trolls are playing from start to finish and generally have no real interest in the topic they’re involved in.
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I never troll like your mate, Silence of no mind, but I am no stranger to pissing off certain religious types.
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I expect you’re quite frequently mistaken for a troll. And I’m sure lots of trolls take their inspiration from you. 🙂
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Ah…dear heart. Your kind words are always an inspiration. Been at the battery acid again?
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Oh come on, you know it’s true! For someone who courts spamming you’re incredibly sensitive. (I was considering that perhaps I troll your blog in certain respects …)
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Of course I am sensitive. I even send myself flowers.
I have never considered you were a troll on my blog. Ever.
I don’t profess to understand quite how your mind works – but then do any of us ever really understand each other?
And that is part of your charm. I like not knowing, and no matter what you write, be it post or comment you always manage to make me smile.
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*barf*
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Have you read John’s latest post? Isn’t it a humdinger?
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Yes, I sent him an email about it. I suggested this was ideal material for a documentary and maybe he should pitch it to a TV station.
It would make for cracking Television.
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