Omfg a troll!!!

[Gizenshya]

I'm just curious why accusations of trolls are so common on this forum. I see a lot of clearly legitimate posts being openly questioned. Why?

To be honest, if I were accused of being a troll, I wouldn't be very happy. It wouldn't be the warmest of welcomes.

I have one guess, though (may be a bit far out, but...): Most of the people who have been here a while seem to have honed their online communication skills well above the Internet average. After looking at several posts where the 'op' was openly suspected of being a troll, the only thing I see is an OP who just happens to not have explained itself well. In time, hopefully they will all learn how to communicate clearly and effectively in a text world, but I certainly do not think accusing them of being 'trolls' based on this is justified.

Agree? yes, no? or am I missing the point entirely?

[RiceMonster]

I don't think you know what "troll" means. It means deliberately trying to anger people or start arguments online. So obviously if someone thinks another is a troll, they wouldn't want to welcome them, would they?

[yabbadabbadont]

You should really stop trolling...

:twisted:

(I was just kidding by the way.... put down the pitchfoks and torches... /me runs away)

I think that part of it is an issue with being able to express oneself clearly. Another part is that the people who have been here for a while have seen so many trolls that they report topics perhaps prematurely because they have seen the same things spiral downward so many times before.

[Giant Speck]

](*,)

[lisati]

I'm just curious why accusations of trolls are so common on this forum. I see a lot of clearly legitimate posts being openly questioned. Why?
It's sometimes very easy for those of us who have been around a while to take things for granted, and for us to forget what it is like to be a noob.

Although I've been using Ubuntu a while, and computers of one sort or another a lot longer, I still don't know everything. Some questions I can give an answer to fairly easily, some I can only give a quick answer which might not help much (if at all), and some I'd better leave well alone.

[Gizenshya]

RiceMonster, yes, I'm familiar with the term and its meaning. I'm just pointing out that I think a lot of the accusations might just be confusing poor communication skills with mal intent.

yabbadabbadont (yes, copy and paste ;) ), I didn't think about that. So, the intention of the 'accusation' is not really an accusation at all, but more of a warning or state of awareness. So, the person will be aware that they should stay within bounds. Or, if they are indeed a troll, it would warn them that they will not likely be fed. right?

In other words, it might not be so much "hey you, go away," as "hey you... we play nice here, fyi," maybe?

[yabbadabbadont]

Most of the time, it is just best to report the topic and then let the mods decide whether to let it remain open. When you report it, the poster so reported doesn't know about it unless official action is taken. So no harm, no foul (so to speak).

[inobe]

they thought i was a troll or probably still do :D

i post a lot in the help sections and like coming in every so often to have a good time before i go back to the front line .

once you come in and show who you really are' a kind carrying individual consider yourself part of the family.

once you get on their good side then press their buttons :lol:

[HappinessNow]

I'm just curious why accusations of trolls are so common on this forum. I see a lot of clearly legitimate posts being openly questioned. Why?

To be honest, if I were accused of being a troll, I wouldn't be very happy. It wouldn't be the warmest of welcomes.

I have one guess, though (may be a bit far out, but...): Most of the people who have been here a while seem to have honed their online communication skills well above the Internet average. After looking at several posts where the 'op' was openly suspected of being a troll, the only thing I see is an OP who just happens to not have explained itself well. In time, hopefully they will all learn how to communicate clearly and effectively in a text world, but I certainly do not think accusing them of being 'trolls' based on this is justified.

Agree? yes, no? or am I missing the point entirely?

Bottom line: each and every user and staff member on this forum are Trolls and Spammers! it is just that plain and simple.

[.Maleficus.]

A lot of times, troll accusations come after someone makes a cleary false post (whether they know it's wrong or not). Something like "C is a terrible language, Python is just as fast and usually faster". Either the person who posted that doesn't know what he/she is talking about or is trying to agitate the programmers who are smart. Other times, after someone makes a topic like "Why Ubuntu will never make it into the mainstream" and then posts things about using the terminal, not playing games, etc, you'll see troll comments. Either that person has the best of intentions and just presents them wrong, or they post that to **** off Ubuntu users.

Oh yeah, and this is sooo a troll thread ;).

[swoll1980]

Swoll's Law (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1053721&highlight=swoll%27s+law)

[Johnsie]

I believe that trolls are a result of a design flaw in web based forums. The way a forum is designed almost seems to encourage trolling, random people posting in response to each other. I've seen many forums across the Internet and it is no coincidence that nearly every widely used one has some sort of trolling going on.

Forums should have a 'block' feature so you can block people you don't like and not have to read their messages.

Also, many people see forums as a place to complain/rant about things, and that encourages us to react and become trolls ourselves.

[inobe]

i see a lot hook line and sinker, the reason for this is simple, digital space stands between them, this makes them brave because the worse case scenario is being banned, they know many more forums they can go to to unleash their hatred and hope that these forums will deal and submit to it.


these kind folks here are merely saying they won't tolerate it and you've been made !

[Stupendoussteve]

Forums should have a 'block' feature so you can block people you don't like and not have to read their messages.


That feature is called ignore, and you can add people to the ignore list in your User CP.

I think someone saying inflammatory remarks is always going to be tagged as a troll, even if they're saying it out of frustration. There is generally a somewhat noticeable difference between the two though. A frustrated user generally has good reasons for being frustrated, even if the solution to their problem is relatively simple. Trolls generally don't even express a problem. A thread "Ubuntu Sucks" with a post "Windows is better" is pretty obvious, and most trolls do not take a lot of time generating their material. Really a person should avoid "Ubuntu sucks" anyway, as it is inflammatory and doesn't help the issue, but if they have a good reason for being upset ("I can't play my videos, the internet won't work, and it ate my first born child!") it is not really trolling.

There is some cultural stuff as well, of course. Someone talking about how much terminal sucks will either have people argue, agree with it, or claim they are trolling.

Anyone who has been in the IRC chat for some time knows at least a little trolling goes on. I have been in other channels when people even plan it... "Lets go to #ubuntu and get them mad. Haha I keep calling it uboonto and they're getting pissed!" and such.

[mister_doctor]

To get a better understanding of the troll, try paying a visit to their training grounds... (http://www.4chan.org)*





*Link does not go directly to /b/, I promise