So in the internets there are things called Trolls. They are the horrible offspring to the “Everybody gets a Cookie” Self-esteem model. They are disfunctional, often mentally ill, and stupid members of society that have nothing positive to add, but they have been taught that they are special and need to be recognized.
They can’t do anything smart or good, so they strive to do things stupid and bad on an epic level, and get recognized that way.
By our friendly and inclusive nature, and our desire to be educated and informed (much like many of use were educated and informed ourselves) we are excellent prey for their stupidity.
So here’s today’s lesson. When a troll makes an obvious mistake he WANTS you to correct him, and by your correction acknowledge his wretched existance.
When he makes the same stupid mistake repeatedly he is setting out to disrupt discussion. When you correct him repeatedly you are saying you like trolls.
I will close the lesson with some homework. How do trolls positively effect your blog and the goals of your blog?
I will close with this statement. I had (past tense) a few trolls who frequented this blog. I asked the above question, and decided to route their comments to the spam trap where they are treated the same way as ads for knock-off handbags and chep sunglasses.
Class dismissed!
I don’t even bother rerouting their comments, I just ignore them at this point. That is, unless it’s a new guy I feel like having fun with just to make a point.
I use trolls.
1.) The illustrate the limitations of the opposing view points.
Most trolls know the strong points of the opposing argument and throw them down like trump cards thinking to shut down the the argument. When that doesn’t work (and it never does) the shallowness of the argument is exposed.
2.) They allow a person to phrase the arguments in different ways. Using the trolls comments as a foil to hone your argument is good practice.
3.) Trolls show the incivility of their side quickly. Pointing out their trollish behavior and the resultant virulent spewing highlights the differences between the two groups.
4.) And this is something I’m just coming to — Emphasizing the trolls improves the chances of someone finding their website or comments. The Joan Petersons are needed to show how facts, statistics, evidence and reason are presented and the response is sheer repetition of talking points. The MikeB302000’s are needed to show how few arguments are supported by evidence (can you say 10%? I knew you could).
5.) How we respond to trolls and comments in general sets us apart. Allowing trolls to comment, the world to see those comments shows that we have less to hide then the opposition. While the Joan Petersons can claim to have received threatening comments, I can point to exact comments with threats. Coming up on the 1 year anniversary of Rob Russell threatening to come to my house and punch me in the face. Guess which helps establish an aura of truthfulness?
Not every comment made by a troll deserves or requires a reply. Choose when and where to reply so that your argument is strengthened.
Trolls.
Ban em.
Or hunt them.
Mostly ignore them.
They usually have nothing pertinent or intelligent to say.
And are just looking for attention and trying to stir things up.
Overall its just best to ignore them, as they’re pretty boring and worthless.
I’m surprised you didn’t title this “Internets 404,” since there’s generally no “there” there with trolls…. 😉
Let me guess, though; this has something to do with the wannabe-tyrants consistently using the word “clip,” when the correct term for the item under discussion is “magazine.”
I think you may have read the same thing as I did.
Oh, come now – trolls serve a singular, wonderful purpose, especially when they are of the type you describe: they bump up comment counts. After all, folks simply cannot resist the opportunity or possibility of correcting someone who is blatantly wrong, and when the troll invariably responds, the entire situation spirals out of control into a comment maelstrom.
After all, Kevin never would have broken the 500-comments-on-one-post record if it were not for the efforts of Marxaphasia.
Aside from that, though, yeah, pretty much useless. However, fret not – the troll you are obliquely referring to has been banned from the webpage you are obliquely referring to… talk about giggle-worthy.
No adds for cheap sunglasses? Are adds for pearl necklaces still okay?
😀
Trash is trash!
Dangit! I’m not getting the oblique reference…
Nevermind, I figured out what I wasn’t missing…