A Trolling We Will Go

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K

kaylagrl

Guest
#1
I hate to bring up this never ending subject again but here it goes. But Im coming at this from a different angle. There is strife all over the forums about how to deal with a suspected troll. One side says dont judge no matter what they say,others deal with them and call them out directly. People have different views and personalities. Why is there such a split within the forum? Why does it get so nasty? Members that have been here longer know a troll faster. But why so much strife over how to deal with a troll? Anyone have an answer?
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#2
I have a decades long history of listening to frustrated and denying people who say all manner of things. Frankly, sometimes I only see a troll who is intent on nothing but a hit and run... or just stirring up things.

However, at other times I recognize a more legitimate cry for someone to put up with their crap long enough to see that they really do want help.
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
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#3
Because some people truly want to help them, and others figure why bother, because they're obviously doing it for kicks. My opinion is, if you know they're just yanking our chain, then why even waste the time to try and change their minds?
 
W

wwjd_kilden

Guest
#4
Yeah, what they said.
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#5
I have a decades long history of listening to frustrated and denying people who say all manner of things. Frankly, sometimes I only see a troll who is intent on nothing but a hit and run... or just stirring up things.

However, at other times I recognize a more legitimate cry for someone to put up with their crap long enough to see that they really do want help.

Ya,I think Im along the same lines. I see some who truly may need help underneath it and others that are opportunists or rabble rousers.
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#6
It takes a lot of everything we have to help a person who doesn't know how to ask for it....... or really, that they even need it.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
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#7
TROLLS DON'T EXIST!

Nobody acts like a moron for the sheer pleasure of upsetting others.




[video=youtube;pPllOOuYmpk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPllOOuYmpk[/video]
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#8
I think we all understand that a child learns early that negative attention is easier to attract than positive... and people often grow up never learning how to get anything else.
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#9
Its not so much about the troll...Ive gotten into nastier discussions with other members in the thread than with the troll themselves! We have different ways of dealing with trolls. So why such strife between members?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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#10
One person who comes here and presumably gets banned repeatedly, has such a recognizable MO, that as soon as I see their opening post, I know better than to engage them. However, this does not mean I go around telling others what to do in relation to such people. If they wish to engage, either knowingly or unwittingly, with a known troll, that is their business. Those who do engage with the particular MO I am thinking of, will learn soon enough that it is a pointless not-so-merry-go-round. If they decide after that to keep engaging, that is their prerogative :)
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#11
I feel it is imperative to be realistic, and recognize insincere motives, and not to enable them because we like to feel we are helping by acting like we believe their baloney.

I have no problem with openly telling a person I think they are completely phony... but that I am more than happy to talk if they can do so honestly.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,247
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#12
I feel it is imperative to be realistic, and recognize insincere motives, and not to enable them because we like to feel we are helping by acting like we believe their baloney.

I have no problem with openly telling a person I think they are completely phony... but that I am more than happy to talk if they can do so honestly.
If they are an insincere phony, why expect honesty from them?
 
B

BeyondET

Guest
#13
I've wondered about this word, would using this word be just another way of saying and there right back at Ya, to a person that is assumed as being one.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
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#14
I repeat: TROLLS DO NOT EXIST!

Nobody acts horrible for the sheer fun of irritating others.



[video=youtube;w2k3Okd_mmA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2k3Okd_mmA[/video]
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#15
If they are an insincere phony, why expect honesty from them?
Perhaps I should have more accurately said that I know what they are presenting is phony. You are correct in pointing out my error of not saying that the recognition of BS needs to be expressed as being indicative of what they are trying to sell, and not THEM, personally.
 
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blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,862
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#16
That last part.. Many times people have sincerely been trying to help these so-called trolls, and we get called fools for engaging them and not realizing that they're insincere.. :/ Maybe they are, but does it hurt for us to still try and help them regardless of that?


I feel it is imperative to be realistic, and recognize insincere motives, and not to enable them because we like to feel we are helping by acting like we believe their baloney.

I have no problem with openly telling a person I think they are completely phony... but that I am more than happy to talk if they can do so honestly.
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,862
9,579
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#17
The last few times I tried helping a troll, I got called a fool and an idiot, from people on here who were SUPPOSEDLY my "friends".. :/ And that is precisely why I don't bother with it anymore. You try to help and get called names.. But it's par for the course on here..an everyday occurence.. :/
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,261
2,386
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#18
Troll-ology:

The Sinister Mind of the Troll:

Mwa ha ha

[video=youtube;82cPC4KaRZA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82cPC4KaRZA[/video]
 
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Feb 7, 2015
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#19
That last part.. Many times people have sincerely been trying to help these so-called trolls, and we get called fools for engaging them and not realizing that they're insincere.. :/ Maybe they are, but does it hurt for us to still try and help them regardless of that?
No, you are actually enabling them. They did not give you that concocted question to get a real answer. They throw out a 'hook' to see if they can get someone to grab it and go steaming off like The Great White Savior. And until we can stop that fishing expedition of theirs in its tracks......... and challenge them to speak from their hearts, instead of setting out a cleverly composed intellectual snare they devised to kick us into the expected and anticipated response....... we are doing nothing but showing them their learned 'control tactics' have once again induced someone to give them the attention they crave, as useless to them as it might be.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,247
25,715
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#20
Perhaps I should have more accurately said that I know what they are presenting is phony. You are correct in pointing out my error of not saying that the recognition of BS needs to be expressed as being indicative of what they are trying to sell, and not THEM, personally.
I was not trying to point out any error, just asking a straight up question. If it is obvious someone is up to no good, it seems a bit much to be expecting honesty from them, in my view. Saying anything to them is pointless. They will just deflect, deny, and do more of the usual. Usually haha. If a troll ever did come here and have a change of heart in the middle of jerking people around, that would be pretty amazing. I have never seen it happen. In fact, more often than not, some people (atheists for example) come here telling us how good their intentions are and even making promises of what they will not do, and yet we see soon enough that they really do not have good intentions as they start doing those things they swore up and down they would not do. The sad thing, really, is that it is to be expected of them.