Troll or Idiot

[whitestazn88]

I'll provide some examples so that you understand, but I'll alter the names to protect these members of our community. Note that my list isn't comprehensive, and is merely a reflection of what I see the forum to be, as of today.

troll:
fatronny, fleshpedlertom, sexypoison, militiaofallah, largerichmarx (on occasion), coors_fear (on occasion, mostly he's just being a [edit: jerk] about semantics though), paul8red (as of late, his posting style has been "______ is ______ and I don't like it" and never adds to the conversation, so I consider it trolling, maybe he's just an idiot)

idiot:
darkattack, colton (he doesn't post here anymore right? so i'll use his name), kierkegaard (possibly trolling, but the quality isn't very good, and the lack of a strong english vocabulary leads me to believe that the intent is never to incite. responders generally do so to the idiocy of comments rather than any kind of baiting), participant990857324, and any of the members of the community who are under 16 (i think that includes arubamewtwo, marknewyork, etc)

Then of course there is a lot of grey area. Every one of the newest members of this forum that are posting frequently (in my poor forum memory, the list would be: the chinese guy, huntington, and there's one more but I forget), are probably trolls. If not trolls necessarily, they're definitely former members who have been banned but needed to come up with a persona because their previous posting style has become to familiar. In my opinion, these people are trolls, because they're hiding their true identity and just bullshitting us. I'd rather never have had anyone perma-ed because at least then we could tell who's who. It's no fun when I don't pay enough attention to know who thelion or dancingmustard or whoever else is "gone" has become.

Hopefully my examples are helpful.

Please note that I did not mention woodruff in this post until now, as my reverence towards him combined with my grief of our recent loss means I don't want to place him in any category in my rashness. RIP spock. You'll live long and prosper in my heart.

So trolls hide their identity so that they cannot be attacked just as they are doing to other people? Also, posting who you think are trolls and idiots because that list can be seen as a bait. Let us not mention that baiting is part of a troll's arsenal. They last thing we want to start is a no I am not this debate.

I don't think that trolls are out there attacking people. That is merely the human emotion of the poster getting to them and causing a reaction. The actual trolling is done in certain posts that are obviously meant to incite emotion in others. Attacking people is too blunt, and most likely flaming.

My list doesn't have any names of members on this site, aside from colton, myself, thelion, dancing mustard, and woodruff. I added that colton has quit the site. If he comes back and deems my post as a bait or flame, I'll happily edit it out. Otherwise the other three names have been used neutrally. That being said, I don't see my post as baiting anyone.

[Nola_Lifer]

I'll provide some examples so that you understand, but I'll alter the names to protect these members of our community. Note that my list isn't comprehensive, and is merely a reflection of what I see the forum to be, as of today.

troll:
fatronny, fleshpedlertom, sexypoison, militiaofallah, largerichmarx (on occasion), coors_fear (on occasion, mostly he's just being a [edit: jerk] about semantics though), paul8red (as of late, his posting style has been "______ is ______ and I don't like it" and never adds to the conversation, so I consider it trolling, maybe he's just an idiot)

idiot:
darkattack, colton (he doesn't post here anymore right? so i'll use his name), kierkegaard (possibly trolling, but the quality isn't very good, and the lack of a strong english vocabulary leads me to believe that the intent is never to incite. responders generally do so to the idiocy of comments rather than any kind of baiting), participant990857324, and any of the members of the community who are under 16 (i think that includes arubamewtwo, marknewyork, etc)

Then of course there is a lot of grey area. Every one of the newest members of this forum that are posting frequently (in my poor forum memory, the list would be: the chinese guy, huntington, and there's one more but I forget), are probably trolls. If not trolls necessarily, they're definitely former members who have been banned but needed to come up with a persona because their previous posting style has become to familiar. In my opinion, these people are trolls, because they're hiding their true identity and just bullshitting us. I'd rather never have had anyone perma-ed because at least then we could tell who's who. It's no fun when I don't pay enough attention to know who thelion or dancingmustard or whoever else is "gone" has become.

Hopefully my examples are helpful.

Please note that I did not mention woodruff in this post until now, as my reverence towards him combined with my grief of our recent loss means I don't want to place him in any category in my rashness. RIP spock. You'll live long and prosper in my heart.

So trolls hide their identity so that they cannot be attacked just as they are doing to other people? Also, posting who you think are trolls and idiots because that list can be seen as a bait. Let us not mention that baiting is part of a troll's arsenal. They last thing we want to start is a no I am not this debate.

I don't think that trolls are out there attacking people. That is merely the human emotion of the poster getting to them and causing a reaction. The actual trolling is done in certain posts that are obviously meant to incite emotion in others. Attacking people is too blunt, and most likely flaming.

My list doesn't have any names of members on this site, aside from colton, myself, thelion, dancing mustard, and woodruff. I added that colton has quit the site. If he comes back and deems my post as a bait or flame, I'll happily edit it out. Otherwise the other three names have been used neutrally. That being said, I don't see my post as baiting anyone.

What about when you post something that is the opposite of what someone else posted? Is that attacking or is that flaming also?

[nietzsche]

I am an idiot

[whitestazn88]

What about when you post something that is the opposite of what someone else posted? Is that attacking or is that flaming also?

I don't think that's either. My response was to you saying

So trolls hide their identity so that they cannot be attacked just as they are doing to other people?

And I just meant that a troll is (typically) smart enough to not attack someone. The enjoyment I get from my troll posts is to see how people react, whether it's because they go crazy (as woodruff was wont to do, way back when he first came onto the scene) or it's because the dripping sarcasm in a post goes so far over someone's head that it actually makes a whoosh sound through the internet.

If you're merely posing another question, then I don't think that posting an opposite opinion is either trolling or flaming, at its core. People can have differing opinions. If the point is to cause dissent and a ruckus (see people posting that american football is better than football in the premier league thread), only then would I consider calling it trolling.

Honestly, most of the political debate we see isn't even trolling, despite the fact that people on both sides try to call out their opposition as trolls. To me, it's just a bunch of lonely dudes on the internet mentally masturbating to show off how much they know about candidates/issues/government/what have you.

Trolling, idiocy, flaming, baiting, and whatever else is frowned upon by the dumb rules we abide by here are all really really really really really really really vague. Therefore, they can be used by the powers that be to whatever end they need. Note that I've only posted one example of any of those things throughout the whole thread, and that was just in this post, because I don't like to try to figure it out. I just tow the line cautiously and hope for the best (and that people don't consider me an idiot).

[john9blue]

mr. stazn, which category would you put yourself in? since obviously you believe that everyone belongs in one of the two categories.

[whitestazn88]

mr. stazn, which category would you put yourself in? since obviously you believe that everyone belongs in one of the two categories.

It appears that john9blue has volunteered to join the ranks of the idiots, following nietszche's lead.

1. I put "myself" in the troll category. I don't think that there's anyone in the forums who is named yourstruly or possessorofownego. The implication is that "myself" refers to the person who wrote the post. In this case, I'm referring to me, or whitestazn88 if you still can't figure that one out.

2. This number comes after 1. Do I need to fully explain everything to you in this comment? Now I see why natty_dread has to be so blunt when you guys have your lovers' quarrels.

3. Where in this thread do I state that everyone belongs in the category of either troll or idiot? I'm merely responding to the question that this thread puts forward, which is how do we distinguish between a troll on the conquerclub forums. If I were describing the landscape of this Where the Wild Things Are, it would assuredly cover more than trolls and idiots. Even if I were to put the users of this forum into one of two groups, it would be United States vs the World, like they do in the Little League World Series (I'm trying to use examples that a common mind might be familiar with).

4. Please, don't call me mister, it makes me feel old. White is fine.

EDIT: clarified that I meant in this thread, so that john9blue doesn't get an aneurysm trying to find examples where I say that everyone in the forum is either a troll or idiot

[nietzsche]

OMG we have a genius in the forum.

[whitestazn88]

OMG we have a genius in the forum.

[xeno]

Is it too much to ask to infer who is a troll and who isn't on your own and simply ignore them?

[crispybits]

I just check their location. Under a bridge? Troll.

[whitestazn88]

Is it too much to ask to infer who is a troll and who isn't on your own and simply ignore them?

Excellent post.

I just check their location. Under a bridge? Troll.

Hardy har har. Nice one, troll.

[Phatscotty]

idiots are self-explanatory.

trolls are people who try to provoke a reaction in others. they don't have to be "intelligent" at all; an idiot can follow someone around the forum harassing them and still technically be a "troll".

as a general rule, the better the troll, the less people that realize that that person is a troll.

Sorry for the double post here. Provoking a reaction in a malicious way or just provoking a reaction at all? Cause if you are trying to think critically you are trying to provoke a reaction but in a constructive way, no?

i'd say maliciously, i.e. provoking a negative reaction

So what is worse, jon, a troll or an idiot. Maybe that's what the poll should be.

Well, if we agree that an idiot can be a troll, but not a good troll, then probably idiot right?

I'm changing my view by the way - I now agree with AoG. I marxing love an intelligent troll.

and there it is. I needed to make sure it wasn't brought up already... so nevermind

[Timminz]

Around this forum, I am a troll more often than an idiot.

Of others on this forum, I'm starting to believe that, for the most part, when I suspect a troll it's just wishful thinking.

[natty dread]

you're all trodiots

whereas I only post intelligent and well-thought-out opinion pieces and piercing observations about modern life

[Nola_Lifer]

Is it too much to ask to infer who is a troll and who isn't on your own and simply ignore them?

I was wondering more of what is a troll and how does a troll act as compared to an idiot, not so much of a list of people who I or you think is a troll or an idiot. Just look at the posts above, which ones contain idiocy and which ones contain trolls.

[nietzsche]

Anyway.

I'm with kenringtone in this one. Some of the best post I've read here are troll posts. They are normally harmless, and pretty funny.

Off-topics wouldn't be the same without the good trolls.

As to whitezazn, I didn't answer him directly because it was clear he was holding some anger, his judgements reflect that he's under the same fire, friendly fire. There was a time when I was more of a serious poster, but with time I've come to realize that there are many valid opinions in here, many posters are very educated on their fields of interest, so now I like more to listen to the different positions. And I am a troll lately, but I like to think I'm a friendly troll.

I really appreciate every post that adds to this off-topics community.

[Nola_Lifer]

Anyway.

I'm with kenringtone in this one. Some of the best post I've read here are troll posts. They are normally harmless, and pretty funny.

Off-topics wouldn't be the same without the good trolls.

As to whitezazn, I didn't answer him directly because it was clear he was holding some anger, his judgements reflect that he's under the same fire, friendly fire. There was a time when I was more of a serious poster, but with time I've come to realize that there are many valid opinions in here, many posters are very educated on their fields of interest, so now I like more to listen to the different positions. And I am a troll lately, but I like to think I'm a friendly troll.

I really appreciate every post that adds to this off-topics community.

So trolls aren't that bad after all, eh? I guess this is why it is "Where the Wild Things Are."