Are "Trolls" Really Bad? ..... (An Open Discussion)

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  • gchutson
    gchutson Posts: 657
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    I approve this thread, and therefore have decided that you are not a troll.

    Carry on.

    I feel so validated and iLoved. Sweet.
  • trich33702
    trich33702 Posts: 21 Member
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    While I don't agree with being mean or disrespectful. I do appreciate someone who has the ability to make people think and look at someone else's point of view. In essence, I am a troll all day long as I try to rattle my students and get them to think and look beyond their small world and open up to others and their ideas. One skill that is often overlooked in today's society is fostering critical thinking. I think everyone should be able to express their ideas (respectfully) and have them pondered, debated, challenged, or confirmed. When all else fails just laugh. Laughter is good for the soul.:laugh:
  • gchutson
    gchutson Posts: 657
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    While I don't agree with being mean or disrespectful. I do appreciate someone who has the ability to make people think and look at someone else's point of view. In essence, I am a troll all day long as I try to rattle my students and get them to think and look beyond their small world and open up to others and their ideas. One skill that is often overlooked in today's society is fostering critical thinking. I think everyone should be able to express their ideas (respectfully) and have them pondered, debated, challenged, or confirmed. When all else fails just laugh. Laughter is good for the soul.:laugh:

    I think it's safe to say, we all have a little "troll" in us. Mine's name is Herman.
  • AChrisFox
    AChrisFox Posts: 1 Member
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    To me: when a troll posts, it's like a commercial in the middle of your program. May or may not like it but there it is.

    When the troll's post gets everyone all fired up, the commercial has turned into a cartoon which may or may not be better than the feature.

    I do have to agree that being hard to detect is an important trait. If they are subtle enough, they can make me think. Not easy.
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
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    Girls from MI DON'T smell like ham? But all girls from Wisconsin smell like cheese, right? RIGHT?

    I don't know what to believe in anymore. :-(

    Mmmm. Cheesehead girls rule.

    Packer fans suck.



    just sayin'.
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    As a karate expert, I believe I am the most qualified to answer this. Sometimes I'll leave a trollish comment instead of saying 'bump' when I want to subscribe to a thread. As aa non-practicing vegan, sometimes it's funny just to keep an argument alive.
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    thank you, theory b.

    I am always called a troll when I am just trying to connect with you guys. I never, ever, put other people down. For pete's sakes. A troll is there to light some fire and see the response and outcry.
  • gchutson
    gchutson Posts: 657
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    Girls from MI DON'T smell like ham? But all girls from Wisconsin smell like cheese, right? RIGHT?

    I don't know what to believe in anymore. :-(

    Mmmm. Cheesehead girls rule.

    Packer fans suck.

    just sayin'.

    Screw all that. I just dig chicks from Wisconsin. Well, one specific chick anyway.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
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    Speaking of... what ever happened to Gene Wilder. I F'n love that guy.

    He's dead you heartless *kitten*!

    I LOVE gene wilder! I was just listening to him on my Little Prince cd at work :bigsmile:

    I'd be willing to bet Gene Wilder is a good troll on the forums....
  • gchutson
    gchutson Posts: 657
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    thank you, theory b.

    I am always called a troll when I am just trying to connect with you guys. I never, ever, put other people down. For pete's sakes. A troll is there to light some fire and see the response and outcry.

    Gah. You're such a troll. (Ha.)
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    Yes, trolls are inherently bad. Their purpose is to disrupt normal communication, drive people from a forum, and generally create as much havoc, discord, and misery within a community as possible. They have no redeeming features.
  • gchutson
    gchutson Posts: 657
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    Speaking of... what ever happened to Gene Wilder. I F'n love that guy.

    He's dead you heartless *kitten*!

    I LOVE gene wilder! I was just listening to him on my Little Prince cd at work :bigsmile:

    I'd be willing to bet Gene Wilder is a good troll on the forums....

    Gene Wilder is the stick, by which all trolls are measured.
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
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    While I don't agree with being mean or disrespectful. I do appreciate someone who has the ability to make people think and look at someone else's point of view. In essence, I am a troll all day long as I try to rattle my students and get them to think and look beyond their small world and open up to others and their ideas. One skill that is often overlooked in today's society is fostering critical thinking. I think everyone should be able to express their ideas (respectfully) and have them pondered, debated, challenged, or confirmed. When all else fails just laugh. Laughter is good for the soul.:laugh:

    I think it's safe to say, we all have a little "troll" in us. Mine's name is Herman.

    As long as you don't post any pictures of your 'little Troll Herman', we're safe ;)
  • SmexAppeal
    SmexAppeal Posts: 858 Member
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    I'm a girl from MI, but a packers fan at heart. Do I smell like that damn cheese/meat tray at parties??
    HELLLLL NOOOOOO!!!!

    Love this topic, continue your trolling because I will continue enjoying it!!
  • gchutson
    gchutson Posts: 657
    Options
    While I don't agree with being mean or disrespectful. I do appreciate someone who has the ability to make people think and look at someone else's point of view. In essence, I am a troll all day long as I try to rattle my students and get them to think and look beyond their small world and open up to others and their ideas. One skill that is often overlooked in today's society is fostering critical thinking. I think everyone should be able to express their ideas (respectfully) and have them pondered, debated, challenged, or confirmed. When all else fails just laugh. Laughter is good for the soul.:laugh:

    I think it's safe to say, we all have a little "troll" in us. Mine's name is Herman.

    As long as you don't post any pictures of your 'little Troll Herman', we're safe ;)

    No. We call that "evidence."
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
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    Forum trolls are people whose delight and/or purpose is to incite anger or sadness by what they post. The /b/ section of the site 4chan is a perfect example. The members there post racist, sexist, ageist things alongside gore, porn, and generally unpleasant things and laugh about it. And when someone gets even mildly offensive, that person is then targeted whether mildly (as in being harassed for being a baby) or someone hacks into their various accounts, posts stuff like that person's address and phone number for further trolling. All because to them, it is funny to create chaos.

    The two definitions given are what people give others when they've never really gone outside the "safe zone" of the internet or are just generally immature. You're not a troll if you disagree with someone and you're not a troll for being random or for having a strange sense of humor/the desire to push the envelope slightly for the sake of humor. You're a troll if you don't give two sh*ts about someone else and making them cry and want to actually commit suicide is so hilarious you spurt Mountain Dew out your nose.
  • greasygriddle_wechnage
    greasygriddle_wechnage Posts: 246 Member
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    Girls from MI DON'T smell like ham? But all girls from Wisconsin smell like cheese, right? RIGHT?

    I don't know what to believe in anymore. :-(

    Mmmm. Cheesehead girls rule.



    Packer fans suck.

    just sayin'.

    Screw all that. I just dig chicks from Wisconsin. Well, one specific chick anyway.


    hehehehe :smokin:
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    Yes, trolls are inherently bad. Their purpose is to disrupt normal communication, drive people from a forum, and generally create as much havoc, discord, and misery within a community as possible. They have no redeeming features.
    As a retired pommel horse wrangler, I can tell you that most trolls don't like it when there is another rooster in the henhouse. If they think you're trolling when they've already marked their territory, trying to connect with them is near futile.
  • MisterDubs303
    MisterDubs303 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Provoking discussion is one thing. Railroading a thread is another.
    Having a little fun is one thing. Railroading a thread is another.
    Disliking a topic or viewpoint from another user is one thing. Railroading a thread is another.

    Trolls are fine, as long as they don't railroad threads for their own personal amusement or agendas.
    There are other people in the thread who are legitimately discussing the real topics of the threads.
    Worse yet, there are people who are deterred from legitimately discussing the real topics of threads because the threads have already been railroaded by worthless trolls.

    Also, while there are some exceptions, trolls are usually not quite as funny, nor as intelligent as they think they are. They do get reinforced by other trolls who are equally unaware, or unintelligent, and just feed each others' egos. Since it is not really within their control or even their awareness, we have to let it slide to some degree.
  • mikeyboy
    mikeyboy Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Trolls are people too! Even trolls need some love sometimes!

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