What is a Troll? Top
Dear John,
Please reconsider carefully.
Bob
(http://members.aol.com/intwg/trolls.htm )
An Internet "troll" is a person who delights in sowing discord on the
Internet. He (and it is usually he) tries to start arguments and upset
people.
Trolls see Internet communications services as convenient venues for their
bizarre game. For some reason, they don't "get" that they are hurting real
people. To them, other Internet users are not quite human but are a kind of
digital abstraction. As a result, they feel no sorrow whatsoever for the
pain they inflict. Indeed, the greater the suffering they cause, the greater
their 'achievement' (as they see it). At the moment, the relative anonymity
of the net allows trolls to flourish.
Trolls are utterly impervious to criticism (constructive or otherwise). You
cannot negotiate with them; you cannot cause them to feel shame or
compassion; you cannot reason with them. They cannot be made to feel
remorse. For some reason, trolls do not feel they are bound by the rules of
courtesy or social responsibility.
Perhaps this sounds inconceivable. You may think, "Surely there is something
I can write that will change them." But a true troll can not be changed by
mere words.
Why Does it Matter? Top
Some people - particularly those who have been online for years - are not
upset by trolls and consider them an inevitable hazard of using the net. As
the saying goes, "You can't have a picnic without ants."
It would be nice if everybody was so easy-going, but the sad fact is that
trolls do discourage people. Established posters may leave a message board
because of the arguments that trolls ignite, and lurkers (people who read
but do not post) may decide that they do not want to expose themselves to
abuse and thus never get involved.
Another problem is that the negative emotions stirred up by trolls leak over
into other discussions. Normally affable people can become bitter after
reading an angry interchange between a troll and his victims, and this can
poison previously friendly interactions between long-time users.
Finally, trolls create a paranoid environment, such that a casual criticism
by a new arrival can elicit a ferocious and inappropriate backlash.
The Internet is a wonderful resource which is breaking down barriers and
stripping away prejudice. Trolls threaten our continued enjoyment of this
beautiful forum for ideas.
What Can be Done about Trolls? Top
When you suspect that somebody is a troll, you might try responding with a
polite, mild message to see if it's just somebody in a bad mood. Internet
users sometimes let their passions get away from them when seated safely
behind their keyboard. If you ignore their bluster and respond in a pleasant
manner, they usually calm down.
However, if the person persists in being beastly, and seems to enjoy being
unpleasant, the only effective position is summed up as follows:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding
others not to respond to trolls.
When you try to reason with a troll, he wins. When you insult a troll, he
wins. When you scream at a troll, he wins. The only thing that trolls can't
handle is being ignored.
What Not to Do Top
As already stated, it is futile to try to "cure" a troll of his obsession.
But perhaps you simply cannot bear the hostile environment that the troll is
creating and want to go away for a while.
If you do that, then for the sake of the others on the system, please do not
post a dramatic "Goodbye!" message. This convinces the troll that he is
winning the battle. There is, perhaps, no message you can write on a message
system that is as damaging as an announcement that you are leaving because
of the hostility that the troll has kindled.
If you feel you must say something, a discreet message to the system
operator (and some of the others users, if you have their email addresses)
is the best course of action. Incidentally, if you are writing the letter in
an agitated state, it is a good idea to wait an hour and then give it one
last review before you actually send it. That might spare you the pain of
saying things that you don't really mean to people you like.
Impersonation Top
One technique used by trolls to generate chaos is to pretend to be a
well-liked person. On some systems there is nothing to prevent somebody from
signing your name to a distasteful message. On other systems the troll may
have to be a bit more wiley, perhaps by replacing one character with
another. Here are some examples of various spoofing gimmicks that could be
used against a person named Brenda Q. O'Really:
Brenda Q. O"Really Brenda Q. 0'Really Brenda Q O'Really
Brenda Q. O'Rea11y Bredna Q. O'Really 8renda Q. O'Really
Note: "Brenda Q. O'Really" is a made-up name used to illustrate spoofing and
is not intended to refer to a particular person.
If you react with anger, the troll wins. So if you see a message
impersonating you on a message board, simply write a follow-up reply
entitled "That Wasn't Me" and type only this:
I did not write that message; it is a fake.
Of course, sometimes you will find that people who know you well have
already identified the message as a fake and have tagged it as such. After
all, one of the troll's goals is to make you look bad. If you have a good
reputation, people will be tipped off if a message that you apparently wrote
is completely out of character.
Trolls have been known to become so irritated at having their spoofs
identified that they have learned to write in another person's style. They
may end up writing an intelligent message that is indistinguishable from
your own golden words. If that happens, you can always just let the post
stand and take credit for it!
Trolls will also sometimes write a "That Wasn't Me" message after a genuine
one, attempting to elicit a denial. There really is no reason to give him
what he wants, since a "That Wasn't Me" warning merely reminds people to be
skeptical. That is to say, it is of no real consequence if somebody isn't
sure that you wrote a normal message, since in the long run it is the ideas
that are important.
The Webmaster's Challenge Top
When trolls are ignored they step up their attacks, desperately seeking the
attention they crave. Their messages become more and more foul, and they
post ever more of them. Alternatively, they may protest that their right to
free speech is being curtailed - more on this later.
The moderator of a message board may not be able to delete a troll's
messages right away, but their job is made much harder if they also have to
read numerous replies to trolls. They are also forced to decide whether or
not to delete posts from well-meaning folks which have the unintended effect
of encouraging the troll.
Some webmasters have to endure conscientious users telling them that they
are "acting like dictators" and should never delete a single message. These
people may be misinformed: they may have arrived at their opinion about a
troll based on the messages they see, never realizing that the webmaster has
already deleted his most horrific material. Please remember that a troll
does have an alternative if he has something of value to say: there are
services on the net that provide messaging systems free of charge. So the
troll can set up his own message board, where he can make his own decisions
about the kind of content he will tolerate.
Just how much can we expect of a webmaster when it comes to preserving the
principles of free speech? Some trolls find sport in determining what the
breaking point is for a particular message board operator. They might post a
dozen messages, each of which contains 400 lines of the letter "J". That is
a form of expression, to be sure, but would you consider it your duty to
play host to such a person?
Perhaps the most difficult challenge for a webmaster is deciding whether to
take steps against a troll that a few people find entertaining. Some trolls
do have a creative spark and have chosen to squander it on being disruptive.
There is a certain perverse pleasure in watching some of them. Ultimately,
though, the webmaster has to decide if the troll actually cares about
putting on a good show for the regular participants, or is simply playing to
an audience of one - himself.
What about Free Speech? Top
When trolls find that their efforts are being successfully resisted, they
often complain that their right to free speech is being infringed. Let us
examine that claim.
While most people on the Internet are ardent defenders of free speech, it is
not an absolute right; there are practical limitations. For example, you may
not scream out "Fire!" in a crowded theatre, and you may not make jokes
about bombs while waiting to board an airplane. We accept these limitations
because we recognize that they serve a greater good.
Another useful example is the control of the radio frequency spectrum. You
might wish to set up a powerful radio station to broadcast your ideas, but
you cannot do so without applying for a license. Again, this is a practical
limitation: if everybody broadcasted without restriction, the repercussions
would be annoying at best and life-threatening at worst.
The radio example is helpful for another reason: with countless people
having a legitimate need to use radio communications, it is important to
ensure that nobody is 'monopolizing the channel'. There are only so many
clear channels available in each frequency band and these must be shared.
When a troll attacks a message board, he generally posts a lot of messages.
Even if his messages are not particularly inflammatory, they can be so
numerous that they drown out the regular conversations (this is known as
'flooding'). Needless to say, no one person's opinions can be allowed to
monopolize a channel.
The ultimate response to the 'free speech' argument is this: while we may
have the right to say more or less whatever we want, we do not have the
right to say it wherever we want. You may feel strongly about the fact that
your neighbour has not mowed his lawn for two months, but you do not have
the right to berate him in his own living room. Similarly, if a webmaster
tells a troll that he is not welcome, the troll has no "right" to remain.
This is particularly true on the numerous free communications services
offered on the net. (On pay systems, the troll might be justified in asking
for a refund.)
Why Do They Do It? Top
Affirmation.
Regular net users know how delightful it is when somebody responds to
something they have written. It is a meeting of the minds, which is an
intellectual thrill, but it is also an acknowledgement of one's value - and
that can be a very satisfying emotional reward.
Trolls crave attention, and they care not whether it is positive or
negative. They see the Internet as a mirror into which they can gaze in
narcissistic rapture.
If you want a deeper analysis than that, perhaps a psychologist can shed
some additional light on the matter.
Conclusion Top
Next time you are on a message board and you see a post by somebody whom you
think is a troll, and you feel you must reply, simply write a follow-up
message entitled "Troll Alert" and type only this:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding
others not to respond to trolls.
By posting such a message, you let the troll know that you know what he is,
and that you are not going to get dragged into his twisted little hobby.
The Internet is a splendidly haphazard collection of both serious and silly
material. Because it is so free, there are bound to be problems. I think
that we can best enjoy it if we deal with everything that happens online
with a wry grin and a ready shrug.
Resources Top
Links: You are invited to link to this article; it is not necessary to ask
for permission. Please do not cut-and-paste copies of this article.
Flame Wars: I have written another article on a similar theme, entitled
"Flame Wars and Other Online Arguments".
Writing Guide: If you participate in a message board, you may find it
helpful to link to my Internet Writing Guide at www.intwg.com - it is a
10-minute course that can help new Internet users write better messages and
email.
Parsing Tools: If you need to analyze large text files, have a look at my
freeware Windows utility TextHarvest. This can be helpful if your web site
is troubled by trolls or system crackers, and you wish to extract specific
records from your system log file. (I also offer customized file conversion
utilities at the same site: www.parse-o-matic.com).
Administrator Board: If you have been running a message board for at least
one year, and you would like to discuss your trials and tribulations with
other administrators, please visit the ForumAdmin Home Page.
On a completely unrelated note, if you like my writing style and you know
somebody who is afraid to fly, check out the web page for my book "Overcome
Your Fear of Flying" at www.airplanephobia.com.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-
> heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Foster
> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:57 PM
> To: heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: suggestion
>
> Henry,
>
> the best way to starve a troll is to use dialectics, negative
> dialectics. He is proving useful and at the same time appearing as though
> having a childish tantrum, proving irrational discontent.
>
> 1. Popper was not a nice man compared to Wittgenstein and Heidegger
> according to Tarski. While Hiedegger had a great deal of adoration by
> others, Popper was not adored.
>
> 2. Heidegger can be forgiven for his initial interest in Nazism because
> the Nazi really did not like him nor understand his philosophy. Kind of
> like
> Jud's attitude. He was totally demoralized by Nazi after 1933, apparently.
>
> chao
>
> john
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "henry" <healanthenry@xxxxxxx>
> To: <heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:00 PM
> Subject: suggestion
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Don't feed the troll....
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- StripMime Warning -- MIME attachments removed ---
> > This message may have contained attachments which were removed.
> >
> > Sorry, we do not allow attachments on this list.
> >
> > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
> > text/html (html body -- converted)
> > ---
> >
> >
> > --- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
> >
>
>
>
> --- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
--- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
Dear John,
Please reconsider carefully.
Bob
(http://members.aol.com/intwg/trolls.htm )
An Internet "troll" is a person who delights in sowing discord on the
Internet. He (and it is usually he) tries to start arguments and upset
people.
Trolls see Internet communications services as convenient venues for their
bizarre game. For some reason, they don't "get" that they are hurting real
people. To them, other Internet users are not quite human but are a kind of
digital abstraction. As a result, they feel no sorrow whatsoever for the
pain they inflict. Indeed, the greater the suffering they cause, the greater
their 'achievement' (as they see it). At the moment, the relative anonymity
of the net allows trolls to flourish.
Trolls are utterly impervious to criticism (constructive or otherwise). You
cannot negotiate with them; you cannot cause them to feel shame or
compassion; you cannot reason with them. They cannot be made to feel
remorse. For some reason, trolls do not feel they are bound by the rules of
courtesy or social responsibility.
Perhaps this sounds inconceivable. You may think, "Surely there is something
I can write that will change them." But a true troll can not be changed by
mere words.
Why Does it Matter? Top
Some people - particularly those who have been online for years - are not
upset by trolls and consider them an inevitable hazard of using the net. As
the saying goes, "You can't have a picnic without ants."
It would be nice if everybody was so easy-going, but the sad fact is that
trolls do discourage people. Established posters may leave a message board
because of the arguments that trolls ignite, and lurkers (people who read
but do not post) may decide that they do not want to expose themselves to
abuse and thus never get involved.
Another problem is that the negative emotions stirred up by trolls leak over
into other discussions. Normally affable people can become bitter after
reading an angry interchange between a troll and his victims, and this can
poison previously friendly interactions between long-time users.
Finally, trolls create a paranoid environment, such that a casual criticism
by a new arrival can elicit a ferocious and inappropriate backlash.
The Internet is a wonderful resource which is breaking down barriers and
stripping away prejudice. Trolls threaten our continued enjoyment of this
beautiful forum for ideas.
What Can be Done about Trolls? Top
When you suspect that somebody is a troll, you might try responding with a
polite, mild message to see if it's just somebody in a bad mood. Internet
users sometimes let their passions get away from them when seated safely
behind their keyboard. If you ignore their bluster and respond in a pleasant
manner, they usually calm down.
However, if the person persists in being beastly, and seems to enjoy being
unpleasant, the only effective position is summed up as follows:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding
others not to respond to trolls.
When you try to reason with a troll, he wins. When you insult a troll, he
wins. When you scream at a troll, he wins. The only thing that trolls can't
handle is being ignored.
What Not to Do Top
As already stated, it is futile to try to "cure" a troll of his obsession.
But perhaps you simply cannot bear the hostile environment that the troll is
creating and want to go away for a while.
If you do that, then for the sake of the others on the system, please do not
post a dramatic "Goodbye!" message. This convinces the troll that he is
winning the battle. There is, perhaps, no message you can write on a message
system that is as damaging as an announcement that you are leaving because
of the hostility that the troll has kindled.
If you feel you must say something, a discreet message to the system
operator (and some of the others users, if you have their email addresses)
is the best course of action. Incidentally, if you are writing the letter in
an agitated state, it is a good idea to wait an hour and then give it one
last review before you actually send it. That might spare you the pain of
saying things that you don't really mean to people you like.
Impersonation Top
One technique used by trolls to generate chaos is to pretend to be a
well-liked person. On some systems there is nothing to prevent somebody from
signing your name to a distasteful message. On other systems the troll may
have to be a bit more wiley, perhaps by replacing one character with
another. Here are some examples of various spoofing gimmicks that could be
used against a person named Brenda Q. O'Really:
Brenda Q. O"Really Brenda Q. 0'Really Brenda Q O'Really
Brenda Q. O'Rea11y Bredna Q. O'Really 8renda Q. O'Really
Note: "Brenda Q. O'Really" is a made-up name used to illustrate spoofing and
is not intended to refer to a particular person.
If you react with anger, the troll wins. So if you see a message
impersonating you on a message board, simply write a follow-up reply
entitled "That Wasn't Me" and type only this:
I did not write that message; it is a fake.
Of course, sometimes you will find that people who know you well have
already identified the message as a fake and have tagged it as such. After
all, one of the troll's goals is to make you look bad. If you have a good
reputation, people will be tipped off if a message that you apparently wrote
is completely out of character.
Trolls have been known to become so irritated at having their spoofs
identified that they have learned to write in another person's style. They
may end up writing an intelligent message that is indistinguishable from
your own golden words. If that happens, you can always just let the post
stand and take credit for it!
Trolls will also sometimes write a "That Wasn't Me" message after a genuine
one, attempting to elicit a denial. There really is no reason to give him
what he wants, since a "That Wasn't Me" warning merely reminds people to be
skeptical. That is to say, it is of no real consequence if somebody isn't
sure that you wrote a normal message, since in the long run it is the ideas
that are important.
The Webmaster's Challenge Top
When trolls are ignored they step up their attacks, desperately seeking the
attention they crave. Their messages become more and more foul, and they
post ever more of them. Alternatively, they may protest that their right to
free speech is being curtailed - more on this later.
The moderator of a message board may not be able to delete a troll's
messages right away, but their job is made much harder if they also have to
read numerous replies to trolls. They are also forced to decide whether or
not to delete posts from well-meaning folks which have the unintended effect
of encouraging the troll.
Some webmasters have to endure conscientious users telling them that they
are "acting like dictators" and should never delete a single message. These
people may be misinformed: they may have arrived at their opinion about a
troll based on the messages they see, never realizing that the webmaster has
already deleted his most horrific material. Please remember that a troll
does have an alternative if he has something of value to say: there are
services on the net that provide messaging systems free of charge. So the
troll can set up his own message board, where he can make his own decisions
about the kind of content he will tolerate.
Just how much can we expect of a webmaster when it comes to preserving the
principles of free speech? Some trolls find sport in determining what the
breaking point is for a particular message board operator. They might post a
dozen messages, each of which contains 400 lines of the letter "J". That is
a form of expression, to be sure, but would you consider it your duty to
play host to such a person?
Perhaps the most difficult challenge for a webmaster is deciding whether to
take steps against a troll that a few people find entertaining. Some trolls
do have a creative spark and have chosen to squander it on being disruptive.
There is a certain perverse pleasure in watching some of them. Ultimately,
though, the webmaster has to decide if the troll actually cares about
putting on a good show for the regular participants, or is simply playing to
an audience of one - himself.
What about Free Speech? Top
When trolls find that their efforts are being successfully resisted, they
often complain that their right to free speech is being infringed. Let us
examine that claim.
While most people on the Internet are ardent defenders of free speech, it is
not an absolute right; there are practical limitations. For example, you may
not scream out "Fire!" in a crowded theatre, and you may not make jokes
about bombs while waiting to board an airplane. We accept these limitations
because we recognize that they serve a greater good.
Another useful example is the control of the radio frequency spectrum. You
might wish to set up a powerful radio station to broadcast your ideas, but
you cannot do so without applying for a license. Again, this is a practical
limitation: if everybody broadcasted without restriction, the repercussions
would be annoying at best and life-threatening at worst.
The radio example is helpful for another reason: with countless people
having a legitimate need to use radio communications, it is important to
ensure that nobody is 'monopolizing the channel'. There are only so many
clear channels available in each frequency band and these must be shared.
When a troll attacks a message board, he generally posts a lot of messages.
Even if his messages are not particularly inflammatory, they can be so
numerous that they drown out the regular conversations (this is known as
'flooding'). Needless to say, no one person's opinions can be allowed to
monopolize a channel.
The ultimate response to the 'free speech' argument is this: while we may
have the right to say more or less whatever we want, we do not have the
right to say it wherever we want. You may feel strongly about the fact that
your neighbour has not mowed his lawn for two months, but you do not have
the right to berate him in his own living room. Similarly, if a webmaster
tells a troll that he is not welcome, the troll has no "right" to remain.
This is particularly true on the numerous free communications services
offered on the net. (On pay systems, the troll might be justified in asking
for a refund.)
Why Do They Do It? Top
Affirmation.
Regular net users know how delightful it is when somebody responds to
something they have written. It is a meeting of the minds, which is an
intellectual thrill, but it is also an acknowledgement of one's value - and
that can be a very satisfying emotional reward.
Trolls crave attention, and they care not whether it is positive or
negative. They see the Internet as a mirror into which they can gaze in
narcissistic rapture.
If you want a deeper analysis than that, perhaps a psychologist can shed
some additional light on the matter.
Conclusion Top
Next time you are on a message board and you see a post by somebody whom you
think is a troll, and you feel you must reply, simply write a follow-up
message entitled "Troll Alert" and type only this:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding
others not to respond to trolls.
By posting such a message, you let the troll know that you know what he is,
and that you are not going to get dragged into his twisted little hobby.
The Internet is a splendidly haphazard collection of both serious and silly
material. Because it is so free, there are bound to be problems. I think
that we can best enjoy it if we deal with everything that happens online
with a wry grin and a ready shrug.
Resources Top
Links: You are invited to link to this article; it is not necessary to ask
for permission. Please do not cut-and-paste copies of this article.
Flame Wars: I have written another article on a similar theme, entitled
"Flame Wars and Other Online Arguments".
Writing Guide: If you participate in a message board, you may find it
helpful to link to my Internet Writing Guide at www.intwg.com - it is a
10-minute course that can help new Internet users write better messages and
email.
Parsing Tools: If you need to analyze large text files, have a look at my
freeware Windows utility TextHarvest. This can be helpful if your web site
is troubled by trolls or system crackers, and you wish to extract specific
records from your system log file. (I also offer customized file conversion
utilities at the same site: www.parse-o-matic.com).
Administrator Board: If you have been running a message board for at least
one year, and you would like to discuss your trials and tribulations with
other administrators, please visit the ForumAdmin Home Page.
On a completely unrelated note, if you like my writing style and you know
somebody who is afraid to fly, check out the web page for my book "Overcome
Your Fear of Flying" at www.airplanephobia.com.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-
> heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Foster
> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:57 PM
> To: heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: suggestion
>
> Henry,
>
> the best way to starve a troll is to use dialectics, negative
> dialectics. He is proving useful and at the same time appearing as though
> having a childish tantrum, proving irrational discontent.
>
> 1. Popper was not a nice man compared to Wittgenstein and Heidegger
> according to Tarski. While Hiedegger had a great deal of adoration by
> others, Popper was not adored.
>
> 2. Heidegger can be forgiven for his initial interest in Nazism because
> the Nazi really did not like him nor understand his philosophy. Kind of
> like
> Jud's attitude. He was totally demoralized by Nazi after 1933, apparently.
>
> chao
>
> john
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "henry" <healanthenry@xxxxxxx>
> To: <heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:00 PM
> Subject: suggestion
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Don't feed the troll....
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- StripMime Warning -- MIME attachments removed ---
> > This message may have contained attachments which were removed.
> >
> > Sorry, we do not allow attachments on this list.
> >
> > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
> > text/html (html body -- converted)
> > ---
> >
> >
> > --- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
> >
>
>
>
> --- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
--- from list heidegger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---