T is for Trolls

Trolls never need proof of their claims. They get their power from readers’ outrage.

very interestingTrolls, in Scandinavian folklore, were entities that “live far from human habitation… and are considered dangerous to human beings… Trolls may be ugly and slow-witted…”

Whereas an Internet troll is “a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.” Very similar.

“This sense of the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with Internet discourse but have been used more widely. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling with online harassment. For example, mass media has used troll to describe ‘a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families.'”

I was thinking about this because some “person” suggested that shootings in Sandy Hook, CT in 2012 did not happen, and he would give anyone $25,000 if they could provide him with “proof.”

Naturally, this caused all sorts of anger. Someone wrote, “He’s the one making an extraordinary claim. It’s up to him to support his hypothesis with evidence.” But I think that’s wrong. Trolls never need proof of their claims. They get their power from readers’ outrage.

A few months ago, SamuraiFrog linked to this interesting article, 10 Former Internet Trolls Explain Why They Quit Being Jerks. One response, in particular, I found instructive:

1) I had two different personalities and demeanours, one online and one offline. I even ended up being obnoxious online to somebody I knew personally and he pointed it out to me. It was a wake up call.

2) I wasn’t making any friends or allies. Even when I was right about something or other people held the same opinions, I was getting fewer and fewer responses or agreements. I didn’t care about the numbers, but I realized I was making myself irrelevant and unwelcome in discussions and forums. And sometimes I was banned…

3) I saw the effects of trolls. The increasing number of news stories… about suicides, harassment, death threats, racism and other revolting behaviour got to be too much. I may not have been guilty of any of those types of assaults, but I recognized that I was part of the problem.

4) I was starting to become the target of trolls and abuse… I saw a news item about a man who left a white supremacist group and changed his tune when he realized the group’s list of “undesirables to be euthanized” included his own mentally disabled son. It wasn’t until the hate affected him personally that he realized he was on the wrong side. Same here.

When foolish people say inane things online, feel free to vent your anger. But know that you may just be feeding the beast.

abc 17 (1)
ABC Wednesday – Round 17

Author: Roger

I'm a librarian. I hear music, even when it's not being played. I used to work at a comic book store, and it still informs my life. I won once on JEOPARDY! - ditto.

16 thoughts on “T is for Trolls”

  1. I believe the impersonal and anonymous nature that the internet can have aggravates the troll syndrome for people with poor social skills and emotional deficiencies. Since we are communicating virtually, and there’s often no actual human contact, they may not realize the impact their words can have on others. Anyway, have a Happy Thanksgiving Day! ABCW #12

  2. My own son-in-law puts outlandish or rude/crude things on his FB site and I’ve told my daughter to speak to him about it. It’s decreased, but it still shows me what he’s really like and I wish my daughter would leave him. Isn’t that awful?

    Leslie
    abcw team

  3. Years ago I wrote 4 storries for children about trolls. There was one wise old troll, who was the great grandfather of the whole trollfamily. I even posted these stories.
    Thanks for your comment. Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!
    Wil, ABCW Team

  4. I’ve had a few Internet articles written about our life off the grid and each time the trolls come out. I know I should be able to ignore them, but the things they say hurt, a lot! – Margy

  5. I did hear of someone who used to send trolls pictures of cute cats as a response but in the end just had to block them if they continued.

  6. “Very Interesting but not funny”.
    A one-liner from The Rowan and Martin Laugh-In.
    That’s one of the many funny adages uttered by the little man
    (pictured)in the German soldiers helmet.
    He used to pop up at most
    un-expected times and make a witty quip. Another one was,
    “Vee have vays of making you talk”

    I believe Goldie Hawn made her debut
    on The Rowan and Martin Laugh-In.
    It was an hilarious show aired, on a Sunday evening, in the UK.
    More golden memories Roger, sparked of by a funny little man, in
    a tin hat !
    I always saw trolls as, Nordic mythical, little men who did naughty
    things to people, thus teasing and upsetting them.
    The Trolls would sneer and rub
    their scrawny little hands in glee, knowing that they were successfully
    winding somebody up and upsetting them…
    Hence the name TROLL being attached to those, mainly anonymous, or those using a pseudonym to make snide comments.
    They scour the internet to cause annoyance and distress, to whom ever they decide to pick upon.
    Therefore, in my opinion, I think TROLL is a most suitable title for those that have earned it, most suitable indeed !
    Another interesting and thought provoking piece Roger.
    Thank you.
    Best Wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.
    eam.

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