How to Deal with an Internet Troll

Yea, my two cents follows, since I was one of those who complained about the "parents killing children" headline. My concern was this idiot would keep posting worse and worse headlines, for attention, because that is what these attention seeking idiots do. For instance, maybe headlines having to do with illegal things that you might find on the "Deep Web", that we have been hearing about so much lately. I'm sure you can use your imagination, and know what I'm referring to, and think of many headlines that would be nauseating, this is what I was concerned about.

That said, I thought this whole incident was starting to become a mountain made out of a molehill. The attention seeking and probably meek and cowardly guy in real life is gone, (often, the internet is their only outlet with people who do troll-ish stuff, because they are meek people in real life) and all is well once again in rpg watch land. Giving this guy too much attention and discussion is like discussing and analyzing how bad it was that a dog shit on your lawn. Just deal with it, and move on.

Originally Posted by dteowner
You arrogantly assume that my post was directed at you. It was not. I would consider it appropriate to ask you similar questions since you seem to have joined the pitchfork-n-torch parade, but I don't see much coming of that since you tend to favor pretty sophistry over actual contribution. No worries, we'll let Celtic speak for himself should he choose to offer alternatives rather than faux-innocent bleats.

So, when you said "Insults but no answers", that wasn't addressed to me?

Look at the posts again. And if you are complaining about a lack of answers, I might assume you want me to answer the question?

Originally Posted by dteowner
You arrogantly assume that my post was directed at you. It was not. I would consider it appropriate to ask you similar questions since you seem to have joined the pitchfork-n-torch parade, but I don't see much coming of that since you tend to favor pretty sophistry over actual contribution. No worries, we'll let Celtic speak for himself should he choose to offer alternatives rather than faux-innocent bleats.

I have spoken for myself, it was a simple question at first and seemed harmless to me when I posted it. I don't know what answers you are looking for out of me. There are all kinds of subject titles I could come up with for shock value and post something inside of it that was a twist on what thread.

Do you want me to address what was said about my children once he saw my post?

I don't think that would solve anything as there is nothing to be said about that.

If you want to say the thread titles were changed after my post what more was I looking for?

Well, it that doesn't change the fact that and open and civil conversation could of happened if people like those thread titles or they are like me and find no place for them.
Also addressing that the titles of said threads were changed what more should have been done. The thread I started there could have been a simple post they have changed the titles and the person has been spoken too then closed the thread.

Did you have any other questions of me on this or any other subject?

The fact this thread is occurring is further proof Unredickister is a successful troll. Just let the whole damn thing die a natural death.

With fire.

I agree. This thread is going nowhere. The subject is important to discuss, but I fear this this particular thread no longer serve that purpose, it is destroyed, too many different things going on.

pibbur who only writes what he thinks about this, and is not targeting anyone specifically.

Originally Posted by Ripper
It is indeed extremely basic psychology - when someone has a desperate need for attention, it does not matter to them what form that attention takes. Small children do this often - when they want attention, they will push something off the table. One strategy is to confront the behaviour, another is to ignore it. What you don’t do, is tell them it’s funny and that they’re welcome to carry on. The psychology of attention-seeking in older people is essentially the same.

We clearly disagree about what a troll wants. You think he's desperate for attention, I think he's bored and wants to be entertained - and it takes a certain kind of attention to provide sufficient entertainment.

Even if it is all about getting attention, it's through fueling the fire and provoking people.

So, no, I don't agree that it's going to entertain them if you belittle their efforts and you pat them on the head, which is how I interpret what happened with Myrthos.

He can correct me if I'm wrong.

They can be mildly amusing - and that's absolutely not the reaction they're looking for.

This is nonsense. As I said, the nature of a troll is to attract attention through negative behaviour. If this attention is in the form of approval from fellow troll-enthusiasts, so much the better.

You're twisting what's happening here.

I don't know who's supposed to be a troll enthusiast.

But, no, I don't think being patted on the head and told you're fun in your own way is what they want. I think that would frustrate them.

Your theory seems to be that they ONLY want negative attention, and that positive attention is a discouragement to them, like garlic to a vampire. This is not how it works. The combination of a reaction from their victim, and laughter from the crowd, is about the ultimate high for them.

They want to provoke people to get entertainment. I don't know if that's negative or positive - but that's what they want.

If they don't succeed in provoking people and getting a reaction, then they'll be bored or frustrated. They might try again - harder - but they'll go away as soon as you don't give in and react.

Telling them they're harmless and amusing in their own way, again, won't help their cause.

There's a HUGE difference between clapping, laughing or praising - and giving them a sympathic smile.

You apparently fail to distinguish between these two reactions.

Follow your logic through - if when he spouted that vicious abuse of Celtic’s children (for which Celtic has received a notable lack of sympathy, BTW) several of us had hit the the thumbs up button and posted, “Ha Ha! Good one!” you think he would have shrivelled and retreated? I don’t.

You mean you perceive a lack of sympathy which you then project unto everyone here as truth.

You're the sort of person who cares more about showing sympathy then being fair about how to treat people.

See? I can project too.

You don't seem to understand what happened. Myrthos didn't say he liked everything he had to say, he said he found him amusing in his own way - in general.

What you're saying is because you smile at some nut on the street spouting nonsense, that's the same as agreeing with their nonsense.

To me, liking an abusive statement would be the same as agreeing with it.

To stick with the nutty preacher analogy, what happened here is Myrthos shaking his head, smiling and patting the preacher on the back.

Myrthos can correct me if I'm wrong.

You think that's going to make the preacher happy and the kind of reaction he's trying to get out of people?

Take a look at his thread on the Codex that HiddenX linked us to. He has reposted the entire thing over there for the amusement of his friends. It’s not just about some special narrow definition of negative-only attention-seeking - it’s simply how people like him have fun.

I don't know why what I'm saying is now a "narrow definition of negative-only attention-seeking" - as that's not how I would put it myself.

I said they're looking to provoke a reaction, and the more powerful the better - because it's more fun.

EDIT: Take a look at this article, which covers the psychology quite well.

Sorry, I don't do the whole let's link an article back-and-forth game as if that represented actual arguments.

What it takes to argue your case with me is YOUR arguments and YOUR underpinning.

If you want to use an article, link specific quotes and explain why they're relevant to the matter at hand. It's not my job to argue your case.

So far, you've failed to explain why what Myrthos did is supposed to encourage an obvious troll - that's obviously looking to provoke exactly the kind of reaction CelticFrost gave him.

The best solution is to eat the trolls, I heard trolls taste good if you cook them with a touch of lemon and some fresh herbs, don't overcook them though, that is the most common mistake.

Originally Posted by Ripper
That I'm a troll?

No - that the 'post-troll' situation has gotten out of hand.

I don't know why we're fretting about this. We're debating a topic that's relevant to the Watch - and I think it's healthy to get this out of our systems.

I don't see much in the way of namecalling and such, so why not let it run its course?

Not that I, personally, think it's particularly interesting. I think it has developed from a tiny, tiny situation that some people elected to make into a big deal.

But talking about why can be beneficial, I think.

Maybe it's me who is overly sensitive. Not the first time.

pbbur who can be exactly that.

If we ever have another troll we'll lead him to the RPGWatch dungeon and let Harry Potter deal with him.

Or a bunch of hobbitses and dwarfses.

pibbur who also would consider exposing them to sssunlight. Preciousss ssssunlight.

Originally Posted by Arkadia7
Yea, my two cents follows, since I was one of those who complained about the "parents killing children" headline. My concern was this idiot would keep posting worse and worse headlines, for attention, because that is what these attention seeking idiots do.

Good thing he was banned. This could qualify as a personal attack.Or more exactly as it is a personal attack on a banned person, no banning consequences might ensue.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Not that I, personally, think it's particularly interesting.

I think that a reasonable person looking from the outside would say that a topic where you have expended thousands of words and significant time would pretty much qualify as 'of interest to you'.



(and YES I am trolling you with that )

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
I think it has developed from a tiny, tiny situation that some people elected to make into a big deal.

That is very much what I am saying - we have seen perhaps a half dozen threads evolving out of this, and loads of consternation and hand-wringing.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
But talking about why can be beneficial, I think.

I agree … but I am not sure that anyone who could use to explore the why is actually talking about it in a self-reflective way.

Originally Posted by txa1265
I think that a reasonable person looking from the outside would say that a topic where you have expended thousands of words and significant time would pretty much qualify as 'of interest to you'.



(and YES I am trolling you with that )

I'm strange in that I can find a debate worthwhile without finding the topic interesting

I agree … but I am not sure that anyone who could use to explore the why is actually talking about it in a self-reflective way.

Perhaps not now, where people are entrenched and defending their points of view.

But that's the thing about what it takes to change minds and open eyes. It takes time - and it doesn't necessarily happen during a debate.

I'm not here to change minds, though. I'm just here to argue my point of view for as long as I think it might be useful - and for as long as I actually have that point of view

As with most topics here that get heated, everyone gets things off their chest and at the end of the day most of are grown up enough to just let it go.

Stay tuned for the next big topic "Should ………"

Can't wait.

pibuur who is patiently impatient. Or the other way around.

Originally Posted by Ripper
So, when you said "Insults but no answers", that wasn't addressed to me?

Look at the posts again. And if you are complaining about a lack of answers, I might assume you want me to answer the question?

I think it's fairly obvious, but I suppose I should expect nothing different from you than feeble attempts at the "exact words" game. Post #32 was directed at Celtic. In post #33, you felt the need to toss in a pithy one-liner. In post #34, I addressed you directly and encouraged you to offer answers rather than insults. To this point, I don't see where you've been bothered to offer the slightest hint at what you would have done differently, nor the criteria you would have used to make your decisions. You know, kinda exactly what I said. Here we are a page later and in all your impressively worded posts and backhanded insults, you've still failed to offer anything resembling a solution.

Here, let me help you. I wouldn't recommend playing the exact words game with this one, but whatever floats your boat.

"I, in my infinite brilliance, would have done things differently than the administration which I have repeatedly called to task. I would have done…….."

"Further displaying my tremendous intellect, the criteria I would use to determine when someone should be banned should a similar situation arise in the future would be…………"

Originally Posted by Ripper

EDIT: Take a look at this article, which covers the psychology quite well.

Third, trolling is a status-enhancing activity: by attracting readers’ attention, upsetting people, sparking heated debates, and even gaining approval from others, trolls can feel important, perhaps much more than they are in their real lives. Thus trolling is yet another internet activity that promotes narcissistic motives, since trolls may be expected to be far less successful in attracting people’s attention in the physical world.

Guardian is partially wrong. Not completely, there are exactly trolls like that.

Some trolls couldn't care less for status or approval. If they were after that, they'd troll over social networks all day long where the audience is numbered in gazillions, not on some obscure forums or chats.
Instead, to this other type of trolls the aim is to make a discussion or a topic interesting. Usually point onto something that sucks but is carefully hidden or described as superb thing by PR. There are no narcissistic motives in this case.

But even this doesn't cover all types of trolls. For example, in recent years a new type emerged called copyright trolls, but I really don't feel like go into details there.

My two pennies state that I like the way this site is run.

I think the issue was handled properly as usually happens. Some issues are controversial, just like the Women in gaming threads when Aubrielle had joined the team (where is she by the way?).

Sometimes, the board gets some trolls and when they get too trolly they get banned.

I remember originally Damian was seen as a troll because he was posting all these religious posts all the time. Imagine if he had been banned just for that.
If this were my site, I probably would have, but Damian has certainly become part of our little internet community and so I'm happy I am not a mod here.

In my infinite wisdom, HHR would have been banned long ago, but he has calmed down telling everyone they're Marxist fascist liberals lately and argues a bit better too.

Another example might be Chien, whom I cannot even understand half the time and seems to argue for the sake of arguing. He is never out of line however and tries to contribute whenever he can.

So all in all, I believe the staff here are doing their jobs very well.