Billy Goat, Billy Goat, Gruff! Gruff! Gruff!

[WizardStan]

Uh oh, looks like someone has their frowny face on today.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad.

Ah yes, the rubber v. glue defense. I was wondering when someone would trot that one out. Tis the last grasping straw of a beaten man trying to stay in a fight when he doesn't have the mental resources to present a cogent argument of his own.

You don't even realize what you just did, do you?

 

[crackerjacker]

Ah yes, the rubber v. glue defense.

Troll school? Which semester?

It's first semester and a prerequisite to actual trolling courses. If you don't get at least a 3.5gpa, they wash you out.

It's called imp class.

 

[Exophase]

Ah yes, the rubber v. glue defense. I was wondering when someone would trot that one out. Tis the last grasping straw of a beaten man trying to stay in a fight when he doesn't have the mental resources to present a cogent argument of his own.

It's o.k. Take a sec. Compose yourself. Breath and all that. Try again. Enlightenment is worth waiting for.

You are seriously all talk and no substance.

Being stupid on purpose is a valid trolling technique, but it doesn't really work that well in the long term.

That and it makes you look stupid.

 

[mali]

It's first semester and a prerequisite to actual trolling courses. If you don't get at least a 3.5gpa, they wash you out.

It's called imp class.

Oh please, everyone knows troll schools don't exist :rolleyes:

 

[crackerjacker]

Being stupid on purpose is a valid trolling technique, but it doesn't really work that well in the long term.

That is an interesting and on-topic point.

What do you suppose is the long term goal of a troll?
Can we manipulate it to our own ends?

 

[Balzac2m]

I don't know what this thread is about so I'll post a picture of ED's twitter on an internet-something in karlsruhe downtown:

 

[mali]

^ Hehe, interesting possibilities
I wonder if they block porn on that thing.

 

[Exophase]

That is an interesting and on-topic point.

What do you suppose is the long term goal of a troll?
Can we manipulate it to our own ends?

Personally, I think that your typical troll has only one long term goal: for the trolling to remain effective. To make people unhappy. Or really, as you have shown, to be under the perception that he's making people unhappy.

Trolls often talk about how they're doing a service by making people less sensitive. They're actually totally full of shit, and just say things like this as a rationalization. Trolling is generally just schadenfreude, or at least it's the pursuit of these things:

1. Retribution, because the troll feels the other person has wronged them in some way. This could be product of a more vague resentment towards humanity rather than focused on an individual. "Wronged" can also be as simple as "that person annoyed me in some way"

2. Power. By thinking that he can successfully manipulate the emotions of another person the troll is given a sense of control, which subconsciously extends to a feeling of overall stability and security.

3. Entertainment. Trolling generates posts which gives the troll something to read and respond to. I personally spend a lot of time arguing here so I can't pretend I'm not interested in doing it; a troll may go one step further and generate arguments regardless of any interest they have in the argument at hand. Debate teams will even debate topics they're not personally in agreement with so there's definitely a component of recreation to this.

 

[crade]

Trolling has a much wider definition in these forums than in most places, I'm used to it being used for people who are do not have a legitimate interest in the topic under discussion, and are only posting in order to disrupt the conversation.

 

[Exophase]

Trolling has a much wider definition in these forums than in most places, I'm used to it being used for people who are do not have a legitimate interest in the topic under discussion, and are only posting in order to disrupt the conversation.

Troll over-labeling happens all over the internet. But I think it's slightly different than what you're describing.

It's not that people don't know the definition of troll. It's more that they unrealistically assume people are trolling. Like, "he can't seriously be that stupid, he must be trolling me."

 

[crackerjacker]

As I read the wiki on schadenfreude, I get very strong sense that this phenomenon is natural. This would appear to be supported by your own arguments that the troller is seeking power, retribution or entertainment, all of which are basic human desires. Moral implications aside; most, if not all, human desires can be exploited.

The desire to procreate can be exploited as prostitution.
The desire to eat can be exploited by chefs and fast food chains.
The desire to escape is exploited by drug dealers.
The desire to prolong one’s life is exploited by doctors and socialists.

Can you see any way in which trolling could be exploited for fun or profit?

P.S. That was some very excellent insight Exo. Totally worth waiting for.

 

[zevdawg]

Cracker Jack is the troll of the week,

Stop, Stop. I'm blushing.

ur kinda cuuute

I enjoy a good troll every now and then....

I kind of know its wrong, but I find going troll to be very therapeutic. It's amazing how easy it is to slip into troll mode. I had actually not been feeling so spiffy for the last couple of days, and then someone posted something that kind of got my goat and I turned troll. Just imagining someone somewhere in the world getting worked up over my posts made me grin ear to ear. Is that truly rotten, or just human?

^ So, are you setting up a blog now, describing your feelings and all?

I do hear LiveJournal's popular nowadays (or Blogger) innit

Edited for content (drat multiquote not workin) +1 for subliminal message (can you find Waldo?)

 

[crackerjacker]

Where did you get that photo? They said it would never be published. Those damn liars, I'm gonna sue.

 

[kingoddball]

Where's Wally?




oooooohhh!!


Whats this?

Spoiler

 

[Exophase]

The things I mentioned are basic human desires, but a person seeking those things by trolling is not only doing it in an unhealthy and destructive fashion but is most likely doing so as a result of deficiencies in his ownlife and worldview. Let's look at them again:

Retribution: Seeking revenge against people whom you observe on a forum and have never directly negatively approached you (or at least not in much severity) can be displaced bitterness towards other people who have wronged you but whom you cannot act against.

Power: Seeking to manipulate the emotions of other people out of a desire for control is indicative of a failure to control the course of your own life and a desperate need to regain this.

Entertainment: Boredom is a symptom of not having a fulfilling life and meaningful goals.

When you get down to it, trolling is probably more of a miserable assessment of the troller than those he is trolling. It's not something that strikes me as worthy of glorifying.

 

[b1llygo4t]

did someone say my name?

 

[crackerjacker]

I think your right. I don't think we can find any commercial applications for schadenfreude in the specific manifestation of trolling.

While there may be ways to benefit from schadenfreude, I don't think we can explore them unless we move a more general discussion on the subject.
I'm guessing this is well beyond the scope of this board, and as such move that this thread be locked.

 

[Beholder]

I knew it! I knew I saw Waldo at Woodstock, man.

 

[droneb]

well, it makes you want to have some troll gerald's like suffering of terminal cancer boasting about it here, in order to diverge attention of the lack of news or at least the lack of good news.


hmm, it seems that he never came back, (did he really had terminal cancer?) or suffered a deadly account/ip/mail ban.

 

[Kangal]

Ah yes, the rubber v. glue defense.

Troll school? Which semester?

It's first semester and a prerequisite to actual trolling courses. If you don't get at least a 3.5gpa, they wash you out.

It's called imp class.

Wow The University of Trolling has low standards!
A GPA of 4 is the bare pass in universities of Austarlia.

To this:

That is an interesting and on-topic point.

What do you suppose is the long term goal of a troll?
Can we manipulate it to our own ends?

Personally, I think that your typical troll has only one long term goal: for the trolling to remain effective. To make people unhappy. Or really, as you have shown, to be under the perception that he's making people unhappy.

Trolls often talk about how they're doing a service by making people less sensitive. They're actually totally full of shit, and just say things like this as a rationalization. Trolling is generally just schadenfreude, or at least it's the pursuit of these things:

1. Retribution, because the troll feels the other person has wronged them in some way. This could be product of a more vague resentment towards humanity rather than focused on an individual. "Wronged" can also be as simple as "that person annoyed me in some way"

2. Power. By thinking that he can successfully manipulate the emotions of another person the troll is given a sense of control, which subconsciously extends to a feeling of overall stability and security.

3. Entertainment. Trolling generates posts which gives the troll something to read and respond to. I personally spend a lot of time arguing here so I can't pretend I'm not interested in doing it; a troll may go one step further and generate arguments regardless of any interest they have in the argument at hand. Debate teams will even debate topics they're not personally in agreement with so there's definitely a component of recreation to this.

I reply with:

It was inevitable.
And just to halt this trolling madness: