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Basically, 'trolls' on the internet are of variety of types and engage in the behavior for variety of reasons. Some outright malevolent some playful, some like to 'play' others. Its the digital equivalent of agitation propaganda especially when you can sense there is no desire for resolution or seeking an understanding between differing views on an issue/ topic.
Good post. Things can get pretty weird when we finally come to realize that some of the posters complaining the most loudly and the most obsessively about trolls actually engage in troll-like behavior themselves by their testy over-reactions to any disagreement and their rapid descent into bickering. I am convinced that some of them have so little self-awareness that they do not even realize what they are doing. Their holier-than-thou tone betrays their delusion that they hold an absolute moral high ground and that their personal attacks are somehow not really personal attacks since, after all, they are the ones complaining about trolls.
I am not claiming that trolling is not a problem - it is a problem. But the degree of obsession with it puzzles me. Why not just report problem posts (but not respond to them) and go on down the road? Trolls feed off of making people upset, so those who become super-upset to the point of ranting are just giving trolls what they want.
Good post. Things can get pretty weird when we finally come to realize that some of the posters complaining the most loudly and the most obsessively about trolls actually engage in troll-like behavior themselves by their testy over-reactions to any disagreement and their rapid descent into bickering. I am convinced that some of them have so little self-awareness that they do not even realize what they are doing. Their holier-than-thou tone betrays their delusion that they hold an absolute moral high ground and that their personal attacks are somehow not really personal attacks since, after all, they are the ones complaining about trolls.
I am not claiming that trolling is not a problem - it is a problem. But the degree of obsession with it puzzles me. Why not just report problem posts (but not respond to them) and go on down the road? Trolls feed off of making people upset, so those who become super-upset to the point of ranting are just giving trolls what they want.
Bringing light to a general problem that has become ever prevailing issue on a variety of social media platforms is hardly the issue, IMO. There are a lot of campaigns out there whose prime directive is to address internet trolling and bullying. At least some communities, such as reddit (which is far more influential than this site, thankfully), are serious about addressing the issue within their own community by shutting down well-known hate groups who spam, troll, and harass others in the community. I'd be curious if the same people who complain here about bringing light to this issue spend their time attacking those groups and campaigns as well. Especially those who have parents of children that have committed suicide as a result of trolling and harassment.
The irony is rich in that the same people attacking those of us who are speaking out against trolling are also exhibiting a holier-than-thou tone about what is the right and wrong way to go about this. They go so far as to post incendiary comments and personal attacks that derail a discussion and close threads that are otherwise innocuous and peaceful. How can anyone say that they are better or in the right? It's reassuring that I'm not the only one who feels this way, as the number of rep comments and DMs I've received about this particular issue, and those particular posters, is rather significant.
What's really interesting to me is how many people comment about "needing" vacations from a website that is intended for entertainment and information. It seems peculiar to me that a place of leisure can cause people so much mental or emotional anguish that they need to take a break from it. Huh?!?! That seems counter-intuitive and, *gasp*, that there might actually be a problem. But what do I know? I'm just one person speaking out on behalf of tens of others who've expressed this concern to me by way of comments, rep comments, and DMs. Why don't we all just agree that we don't like trolls and leave it at that? I think that's the best compromise we can make.
But hey, I appreciate the bump of this thread after some special people helped get my other thread closed down.
Last edited by Left-handed; 12-03-2017 at 06:00 PM..
Bringing light to a general problem that has become ever prevailing issue on a variety of social media platforms is hardly the issue, IMO. There are a lot of campaigns out there whose prime directive is to address internet trolling and bullying. At least some communities, such as reddit (which is far more influential than this site, thankfully), are serious about addressing the issue within their own community by shutting down well-known hate groups who spam, troll, and harass others in the community. I'd be curious if the same people who complain here about bringing light to this issue spend their time attacking those groups and campaigns as well. Especially those who have parents of children that have committed suicide as a result of trolling and harassment.
The irony is rich in that the same people attacking those of us who are speaking out against trolling are also exhibiting a holier-than-thou tone about what is the right and wrong way to go about this. They go so far as to post incendiary comments and personal attacks that derail a discussion and close threads that are otherwise innocuous and peaceful. How can anyone say that they are better or in the right? It's reassuring that I'm not the only one who feels this way, as the number of rep comments and DMs I've received about this particular issue, and those particular posters, is rather significant.
What's really interesting to me is how many people comment about "needing" vacations from a website that is intended for entertainment and information. It seems peculiar to me that a place of leisure can cause people so much mental or emotional anguish that they need to take a break from it. Huh?!?! That seems counter-intuitive and, *gasp*, that there might actually be a problem. But what do I know? I'm just one person speaking out on behalf of tens of others who've expressed this concern to me by way of comments, rep comments, and DMs. Why don't we all just agree that we don't like trolls and leave it at that? I think that's the best compromise we can make.
But hey, I appreciate the bump of this thread after some special people helped get my other thread closed down.
Thanks for helping me make my point. The discussion I wrote in my post was intended to apply to the context of City-Data. I don't know anything about other sites such as Reddit, which you talk about a lot. On City-Data we are all supposed to be 18 or older, so the admittedly tragic situation of children who have committed suicide does not apply to the context of City-Data. More straw man arguments.
News flash: not every rebuttal of your point of view constitutes a personal attack - that's a trap which is easy to fall into. And you would be surprised at the identity of at least one person who "helped get my other thread closed down".
As for posters who claim to need a "vacation" from City-Data, that is a great mystery to me. Perhaps they are frequent visitors to forums which I do not go to? (My understanding is that the politics forum is pretty brutal, for example). Or perhaps they are super-sensitive and therefore over-reacting? We are all supposed to be adults here - we debate and we disagree. I suppose some folks just can't handle that.
I also have received rep comments for posts I have made on this subject. But since you cannot see mine and I cannot see yours, that issue is just not relevant. It is a moot point. Staying on topic is sometimes hard.
I think most if not everyone has been hurt before, yet not everyone goes on to hurt others. It's called maturity and not wanting others to feel bad. You (generally speaking) know what it is like to be hurt, so why would you(generally speaking) want to go after others and try and hurt them unless you(generally speaking) get some sick joy out of it?
Regardless of political leanings, I've noticed the same behavior OP. Most people who pride themselves on telling it like it is and offending people can't take having their less than finer character flaws thrown back at them. Then when this is pointed out to them they come up with some excuse on why it's different and why their hurt feelings are more valid than everyone else's
I tend to like to provoke people who blurt things out (via typed word) without any thought behind what they say. Like when they call all welfare people losers or all men are wimps, that sort of thing. I want them to think about what they're saying and give me some good, solid reasons why they think this way. I call it stepping on a tiger's tail, but I guess porcupine mode would fit me, too. I mean, to be honest, if the shoe fits me, I guess I should confess to wearing it occasionally.
Usually they can't come up with any reasons. Or sometimes they will just read your post and not even bother to respond since someone stood up to them and called attention to their behavior.
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