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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow to eat an Internet troll - Mark Morford
Another one where Morford is spot on.
Internet trolls? Those nasty, scabrous, hate-spitting folk who spend their sunlight-deprived days taunting, baiting and venomizing all over the Interwebs anonymous comments sections in response to, well, just about about any article, column, video, photo gallery, product review or heartfelt tale of love and woe from the here to Gawker to Amazon, Car & Driver to Knitters World to the NYT, including but certainly not limited to the very Slate article which discusses the general cruelty and stupidity of trolls itself?
Turns out they really are awful people. Sociopathic, sadistic, narcissistic, cruel by nature, highly unpleasant to be around. They love to cause pain. They delight in ruining the beautiful. The more pure and integrity-filled something is, the more they enjoy corrupting it. So says a new psychology study. Also, theyre antisocial. Poor dressers. Ungainly. Hairy in all the wrong places. Smell like soggy asparagus and old toenails. Im just guessing.
Did you already suspect as much? Of course you did. It takes exactly 28 seconds of reading the comments beneath, say, any Gawker article ever posted to feel deeply soiled and sad for the state of modern humanity, and for the under-30 Millennial set in particular. And trollings even more vicious alter-ego, Internet bullying, has resulted in far uglier consequences, like depression and suicide. Trolling and vicious, look-at-me commenting in general has, to many, reached epidemic proportions, and some major news sites are shutting off comments entirely to try and tamp down the bile.
The rest: http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2014/02/18/how-to-eat-an-internet-troll/
TheBlackAdder
(28,244 posts)Keep doing that and very few people will reply.
After a couple of posts, the troll will go elsewhere.
madokie
(51,076 posts)Warpy
(111,419 posts)once a post is alerted.
It's my policy not to answer such posts. I just hit alert, explain, and move on.
In comment sections, I do nothing but move on.
Trolls don't bother me, too many have been outed as really pathetic henpecked daddyrabbits (yes, most are male) or petty, vicious women bucking for sainthood.
Neither is worth my time. You feed a troll, you get covered in troll shit.
Dread Pirate Roberts
(1,897 posts)so many of the vicious and vile attacks have a right-wing bent to them?
Holly_Hobby
(3,033 posts)proudretiredvet
(312 posts)I post on a couple of moderate boards. There are left wing trolls there too. I swear that some of them are the same who post RW crap here. I think they just love making trouble for everyone.
The RW trolls just get all religious, tell you how Superior they are and tell you that the power of their god will get you in the end.
The left wing trolls just call people names and tell others how stupid they are. They are the ALF and ELF types and always have an implied threat as well.
We all need different points of view to learn from and to invigorate us in our own beliefs but I want them to be honest in their beliefs. I want a good intelligent interaction. Trolls are worthless and useless small people who like to cause trouble.
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)Alien Life Form
Eat Left Handed
proudretiredvet
(312 posts)animal liberation front earth liberation front
Both on the list of domestic terrorists. People from these organizations have been caught and convicted of arson B&E, destruction of private and public property and other crimes.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Lots of 'em at DU too.
Sid
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)but that made me laugh, Out Loud even.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)edbermac
(15,950 posts)Response to madokie (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
madokie
(51,076 posts)Welcome to DU.
We like good people around here
Response to madokie (Reply #17)
Name removed Message auto-removed
ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)I really hate the message hiding features here!
sufrommich
(22,871 posts)I 've ever seen are on Politico anytime Drudge links to a Politico article. Drudge seems to have an audience made up of Stormfront/Alex Jones/Fred Phelps types. To a person,they are insane.
WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)You know, the people who are generally well liked but enjoy picking and choosing whom they will troll. A "moderated" DU wouldn't have many members.
ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)idendoit
(505 posts)Always insightful, witty, occasionally hilarious, but usually not far from the mark.