Beware of the Trolls

Myself-Vanity ^ | 8/5/2020 | Megan

[TXnMA]

Megan C,

As we say here in Texas, "It's the hit dog that yelps!.

You've got one yelpin', whinin', an' crawlin' backward... <LOL!!!>

Notice how the tone moderates and becomes almost conciliatory as the thread progresses. Typical when cornered -- and caught projecting...

Jes' cain't help a'nibblin' at the bait... '-)

Interesting -- and revealing -- thread. Nicely Done!

TXnMA
  

[Okeydoker]

I don’t need to repeat that you are an obnoxious jerk and a disgrace to the site.

[Okeydoker]

Listen up Karen, don’t be a Jan.

[kiryandil]

    

The Opie-Doper weighs in...

[kiryandil]

Put a sock in it, tool.

[dragnet2]

And I never said you did. Get it straight.

[Arcadian Empire]

The Jones, down the street, have a new car.

Where did they get the money for it?

Did they sell secrets to communists?

Alert the mob.

Pass the torches.

[sport]

You loss.

[dirtymac]

how could you repeat something that you have never said.

Jumping quickly to DU tactics name calling and insults without addressing the issue.

You don’t belong here. Go away

[Political Junkie Too]

I've been here since 2000. I signed up on November 6, 2000, the day before election day of George W. Bush. I was called a n00b on my first post.

That said, these days I do think it's easier to spot a troll. Here are my tells:

1. Use of profanity. Nobody used it in the early days of FR. I think it's a result of younger posters who have less respect for others (especially the elderly), and feel they don't have to be "respectful" in public settings. They will swear in public, in restaurants, walking down the street, because the just don't care how anybody feels about it.
2. In direct contrast to #1, magnifying slight disagreements into ban-level arguments. They DO care when others disagree with them, but they don't care about others when they act disrespectfully in public.
3. Following #2, holding on to a minor point and beating it to death, over and over and over like a dog with a bone. Unwilling to concede any point, no matter how small, goes to the nature of a generation who can't stand losing.
4. Using disruptive language, elevating minor points, and holding onto grudges over repeat posts, are all intended to pollute threads in order to break up a chain of discussion and drive others away from an interesting conversation.
5. Eventually, a debate with a troll will either go silent or devolve into effectively a schoolyard taunt: blaming you for doing what they were doing, deflecting accountability for the things they posted, throwing a tangent at you instead of explaining their own reasoning, etc.
6. Suddenly, you begin to feel like you're arguing with a teenager.

-PJ

[David Chase]

I hope you wore a mask while posting this.
I already did 3 dips into the bleach vat today. I’m getting itchy.

[GOPJ]

Do you point out Biden’s gaff’s too?

https://i.postimg.cc/13Q7QzV6/Biden-Smell-VP.jpg

[GOPJ]

We are used.

We’re studied.

The way we use words and phrases is copied.

We’re the much hated Trump base. We’re the people they couldn’t find in focus groups. We’re the voice they copy when they write fake letters to our people - pretending to be us. Or fake letters to the editors...

How many times have you heard liberal elites proclaim the Trump base is leaving him? A hundred? Two hundred? Yes, they want to know why they keep getting it wrong. And how they can change that...

[TXnMA]

FReepMail for you...

TXnMA
  

[SunkenCiv]

The nephilim were seven trolls that survived Bilbo, Thorin's dwarves, and Gandalf.

[Grimmy]

The nephilim were seven trolls that survived Bilbo, Thorin’s dwarves, and Gandalf.

**********

If there were no nephilim, then how’d we end up with;

Dogmen,
Goatman,
Sheepsquatch,
Sasquatch,
Mothman,
Batman,
Devil Monkeys,
Flying Gargoyles (a thing. Really. Occasional problem on the Navajo res. Seen it on the youtube)
Lizardmen,
Commies and leftists?

Someone/thing had to make all that crap.

[SisterK]

there were giants in those days

[fr_freak]

The problem is that the definition of “troll” is similar to the definition of “racist”, or harassment. i.e. it depends on what it means in the mind of the accuser.

No, it really doesn't. I just gave you a good definition of a troll. Now, if there are people misusing the term, that's another thing. But the concept of an internet troll has been pretty well defined since the 90s.

[fr_freak]

You really believe that Free Republic is so instrumental in accomplishing anything that it is a target for organized groups?

LOL Either you are naive as hell or you really are a troll. I have seen chat forums for health discussions get trolled, with full on tag teaming and sock puppets. I have no doubt that basket weaving forums get trolled, especially since no area of human existence has been free of politics since the brainwashed commies hit critical mass 30 years ago.

Heck, you think antifa queers wouldn't troll us here? For the sake of f**k, one of those antifa a-holes joined up with the Proud Boys in Vancouver just to spy on them and report back to his antifa cronies on what they were doing. That was a LIVE ACTION TROLL that took the guy months, and you think they wouldn't come here for a few lame posts? Hahahahaha.

[SunkenCiv]

Hi ho, hi ho...