[ POLL ] Troll.

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What is a 'Troll'? Opinions vary, and are usually based upon how a person identifies and what he or she believes in.

You may choose any or all options.

You may change your vote at any time.

Instead of other as an option, I would have used all of the above.

I don't believe a person who tends to start threads on the same topic is necessarily a troll. That person could, perhaps, have an obsession---which is aggravating to us, but troubles the poster.

I also don't believe that a person who posts "off-topic," or "digressive" posts is necessarily a troll.

Certainly not someone who espouses conservative or liberal viewpoints. People have a right to their opinion.

Last edited by kraftiekortie on 18 Mar 2019, 2:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Someone may have a definition that I overlooked. They could just say "Other: All of the above" … or maybe just select all of the options.

Someone that is deliberately trolling for a reaction for personal amusement. Someone that lay's down flame bait in hopes to provoke an emotional response or derailment to obstruct rational debate of the topic.

I believe a troll is someone who deliberately posts offensive things that he or she knows will offend other members and/or start an argument.

My answer would be all of the above. I also don't see you as a troll.

This is what I think too.

I've done some of the things on this list in the past & have been called a troll for it. I was very frustrated about things & my intention was NOT to troll but rather blow off steam & get stuff out of my system by posting about it.

I believe a lot of these are no-nos in the NT world rather than things an aspie would be doing to annoy anyone. Such as consistently starting conversations on the same topic, I do this because I'm autistic.

For WP purposes, I'd like troll to be someone who deliberately bullies another user. I have seen the bullying one on other sites, even doxing, and I have been bullied on other sites. However on WP, from my experience, there aren't any bullies

In terms of sexism, what I'd consider a troll is someone who wished violence on all women or men or wished violence on someone because of their sex. Or who found sadistic pleasure in the opposite sex being hurt or in the thought of rape against a specific sex. Yes, regular everyday sexism is annoying to me but some guys (especially aspie guys) are just awkward around women and either resent their lack of romantic success or worship women because they don't understand that women are just people. And the same with women and attitudes towards men. I'm bisexual and I find feminine people to be beautiful and my type but an absolute enigma.

The same with racism - some people simply don't mix a lot with other ethnicities and find it hard to know what to say. They need guiding. It's the scum who say things like 'Heil Hitler' (seriously someone said that to me on another site a few days ago because I said I didn't like Hitler...) or wish violence on other ethnicities which are the real trolls. But I haven't come across any of them.

So basically if it's a group and someone is wishing violence on a whole group, I hate it and it's trolling and it's going to upset people. And also, if someone is bullying other members especially through DOXing.

We seem to be a troll free environment although we do attract more harmless weirdos (myself included) than a predominantly NT site would. I feel like I can't even breathe on an NT site, for eg for accuastions of humblebragging or monologuing or straying off topic

Trolling is in reference to a baited hook. A line with a baited hook being trolled (dragged) behind a boat hoping to get a bite.

So far, the top 4 options are not surprising:

Consistently submits inflammatory posts. (19%)
Deliberately derails thread topics. (17%)
Consistently submits racist content. (11%)
Consistently submits sexist content. (11%)

It's the fifth-ranked option that draws my attention:

Consistently presents opposing views and opinions on any given topic. (9%)

Does this really mean that some people consider expressions of any opinion they don't agree with to be a form of trollery? I mean, some people enjoy playing the role of "Devil's Advocate" just to explore as many aspects of a subject as possible. That does not necessarily mean they are trolling, it may just mean that they enjoy a good debate (or they don't enjoy "Echo Chamber" discussions).

While anyone should expect to freely express their own (non-inflammatory) opinions, they should also expect others to freely express (non-inflammatory) opinions that contradict their own.

If having an opinion of my own, telling people the FACTS, and not being afraid to stand for what I believe in makes me a troll, then I guess I'd better start looking for the nearest bridge to crawl under.

Sorry … this bridge is already taken ...

I took it to mean anyone who always takes the opposing view not because that's what they believe but simply for the sake of being a contrarian and riling people up, even on issues where the opposing view is obviously wrong like whether racism and murder are good things or a bad things (racism and murder are never good things--but a contrarian would try to argue that they are just because everyone else says not and they know saying it's a good thing will get a reaction out of people.) I think of this type of troll as the "just asking questions/devil's advocate" guy, or the JAQ-off troll, for short.

Was that not how you meant that option?

I did not imply any motivations behind any options, specifically to leave each one open to personal interpretation.

The wording "consistently presents opposing views and opinions on any given topic" are what gave me that impression I got. Because this kind of troll will usually pick an opponent group and then just take the opposite opinion to them on any given topic being talked about, simply because it is the opposite of the group they are trying to rile up and troll, and they do it consistently which is what leads me to believe it's not that they are expressing their own opinions but just saying what they think will most effectively get the reaction they're looking for.

You're bound to run in to people you disagree with online--but when you run into the same person time and time again who ALWAYS expressed the exact opposite opinion to you on ANY issue and does it in a way using inflammatory language and buzzwords, talking points, coded language, dog-whistles, and overt and covert personal insults, then you have to wonder if you're talking to someone who's trying to troll you and not just another person expressing a different opinion.