Trolls / Flamers - Why?

[Otta]

Not sure there has ever actually been a thread about this on here.

I know it's kind of like asking "Psychopath - Why?" to a bunch of people that aren't psychopaths, but there you go.

I can see the fun in winding people up a bit, especially if someone bites easily, but deliberate trolling and flaming just doesn't make much sense to me. Sitting there being deliberately rude to people for no reason, just to give yourself a thrill if they respond. WTF?!?

Dicks.

[El Pibe]

I set up a thread once. Got attacked for doing so by a bunch of new posters protesting too much.

Nuff said really.

I reckon some people are just that type of person, they like to see a person's eyes widen as they say things a bit close to the knuckle *as they might deem it) and would probably be happy to have the same conversation with you down the pub.

Fair enough in that sense.

I suspect most of them are just idiots though, safe in their anonymity.

This forum's usually pretty good at ignoring/humouring/belittling them though.

[Tommy1000]

I honestly had to google what 'flaming' meant.

In case anyone else shares my ignorance:

"?To post an email message intended to insult and provoke.

?To speak incessantly and/or rabidly on some relatively uninteresting subject or with a patently ridiculous attitude."

I think you're right; some people just like to shock. And yes, the other kind, safe and empowered in their anonymity hiding behind screens.

[Twirly]

There are also the people who always have to have the last word, regardless.

[El Pibe]

It can actually be qeirdly entertaining when you get two of them on the same thread twirly.

Like a confabulatory version of the 'touched you last game' my brother and i used to play in the back of the car on long journies, driving my parents to the edge of sanity...

[DulwichFox]

The last word:- Amen.

[Mick Mac]

El Pibe Wrote:

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> It can actually be qeirdly entertaining when you

> get two of them on the same thread twirly.

> Like a confabulatory version of the 'touched you

> last game' my brother and i used to play in the

> back of the car on long journies, driving my

> parents to the edge of sanity...

I'm not sure of the technical difference between trolls and flamers but there is pain in the ass trolling which generally just annoys people as opposed to taking a slightly contentious viewpoint that has some merit, just to get a bit of a discussion going. Surely that's all part of the fun.

[El Pibe]

I think flamers tend to be the obvious light the blue touch paper and stand back, where trolls are grumpy antisocial types/outcasts (even if self-defined so) in general.

Both can be very entertaining if done right. Snorks is an excellent flamer in general for instance.

Huguenot ticked most boxes of the troll definition but did it with a certain charm, panache and wouldn't take himself too seriously.

I think the latter point is pretty important in differntiating between the good ones and the idiots.

anyway, found a couple for you otta

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,959317

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,944243,944243#msg-944243

[Tommy1000]

Some gold there, El Pibe.

Must a troll always be self-aware? I'm not sure this is but, if it is, then it's to a professional standard:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1220249,page=1

[JohnL]

The original internet troll (modem time) would lure newbies by posting

something that appeared Ok but actually led the newbie to trouble.

Tommy1000 Wrote:

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> Some gold there, El Pibe.

>

> Must a troll always be self-aware? I'm not sure

> this is but, if it is, then it's to a professional

> standard:

>

> http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?2

> 0,1220249,page=1

[Annette Curtain]

I've cried laughing at many a good flamer/troll

But, there ain't many good ones left

Snorks is/was one of the best, as was BBW in his time (and that time's well past)H? was very funny in his pomposity/wind up mode.

[Otta]

Funny, I never saw Huguenot as a troll/flamer, but that's probably because I knew him a bit. I just thought he enjoyed winding people up at times, but that's a bit different.

BBW was genuinely funny in his early days, but went way OTT. I remember Dulwichmum getting genuinely freaked out by him.

But yes, a good troll/flamer can lead to good laughs, but others are just nasty.

[FJDGoose]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not sure there has ever actually been a thread

> about this on here.

>

> I know it's kind of like asking "Psychopath -

> Why?" to a bunch of people that aren't

> psychopaths, but there you go.

>

> I can see the fun in winding people up a bit,

> especially if someone bites easily, but deliberate

> trolling and flaming just doesn't make much sense

> to me. Sitting there being deliberately rude to

> people for no reason, just to give yourself a

> thrill if they respond. WTF?!?

>

> Dicks.

Urban 75 is full of people who deliberately try and upset someone for no reason - makes ED forum seem quite mild by comparison

[Otta]

Don't get me wrong, I know this forum is very tame really. It's more a general question about why people enjoy doing it in a nasty way.

[Otta]

By that I mean that winding someone up a bit is funny, but deliberately being rude and trying to upset someone in to a response is just weird.

[newboots]

I strongly suspect that any trolling largely goes unnoticed by the vast majority of posters on the EDF.

[Loz]

Trolling, done well, is an art form. Sadly, it is rarely done well and the word 'troll' is now rather extensively misused.

[unlurked]

Crikey! Lets form a clique.

[Otta]

Haha. Never heard that before.

[TillieTrotter]

As long as he's not in then I'll join ;-)

[Jeremy]

Our current resident troll is not even vaguely funny, and just comes across as rather sad.

[giggirl]

Often these days I think I've clicked on the Daily Mail by mistake. Otta's original question was "why?" I've never seen the point of trolling, or on having multiple on-line personalities, but, these days when I read some of the sanctimonious, self-satisfied, smug, holier than thou (need I go on), posting, I'm tempted to have a go myself.

Of course most of the trolling that goes on on here is cowardly and un-funny but Snorky had a real genius for it. Please come back Snorky - we need you.

[StraferJack]

Keep up girl, snorky has long been back with us

[El Pibe]

and there you have it, the troll as the (self-defined) brave outcast upsetting the cosy status quo.

[giggirl]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> Keep up girl, snorky has long been back with us

DUH - yes, just been told. I'm never bright enough to figure out the Lazarus forumites. It was Hibbs told me about SM/SJ. Send me a memo next time.