Please don't feed the trolls

Apropos of nothing......

Who's a troll? Btw, I hate that word. If someone takes issue with something said, or a position taken, and says so, who are you....or anyone....to call them a "troll?"

Anyway, you are "feeding the trolls" if anyone is.

But it's true that if you don't want "outsiders" to comment on your school policies, don't post your BOE debates and discussions publicly, here. Right?

There are both trolls and willfully-ignorant hate mongers here. Feed neither of them.

I plead guilty. Will try to do better.

springgreen2 said:
Who's a troll?

A troll is someone who posts something inflammatory or just to "stir the pot," rather than because they truly believe it and want to have a discussion about it.

Too many people use the term for people who post things they don't like,

Some posters are full-out trolls, and I'm pretty good at ignoring them.

My challenge is with people (local or out-of-town) who have passions and ideas to share, but eventually fall into uncivil ("trollish") patterns that seem more driven by anger or desire to make trouble than by desire for real dialog.

I listen and participate while there are ideas being discussed in a more-or-less civil manner. When the insults and attacks ramp up, I try to leave the conversation before they bring out the worst in me. When I find myself repeatedly composing and deleting response, I know it is time to go.

susan1014 said:
.....I listen and participate while there are ideas being discussed in a more-or-less civil manner. When the insults and attacks ramp up, I try to leave the conversation before they bring out the worst in me. When I find myself repeatedly composing and deleting response, I know it is time to go.

+ 1

Love this, excerpted from Charlie Brooker in The Guardian:

"There's no point debating anything online. You might as well hurl shoes in the air to knock clouds from the sky. The internet's perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain't one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities for fruitless point-scoring: the heady combination of perceived anonymity, gestated responses, random heckling and a notional "live audience" quickly conspire to create a "perfect storm" of perpetual bickering.
Stumble in, take umbrage with someone, trade a few blows, and within about two or three exchanges, the subject itself goes out the window. Suddenly you're simply arguing about arguing. Eventually, one side gets bored, comes to its senses, or dies, and the row fizzles out: just another needless belch in the swirling online guffstorm.
But not for long, because online quarrelling is also addictive, in precisely the same way Tetris is addictive. It appeals to the "lab rat" part of your brain; the annoying, irrepressible part that adores repetitive pointlessness and would gleefully make you pop bubblewrap till Doomsday if it ever got its way. An unfortunate few, hooked on the futile thrill of online debate, devote their lives to its cause. They roam the internet, actively seeking out viewpoints they disagree with, or squat on message boards, whining, needling, sneering, over-analysing each new proclamation - joylessly fiddling, like unhappy gorillas doomed to pick lice from one another's fur for all eternity.

As for me, if you are directing your innuendo my way, I never wanted to "make trouble." I know the district, somewhat, and would like to comment on conversations. Having worked now in other states, I have learned a bit.

Someone presuming they know me, my personality or motives, based even on my postings over the years, is making presumptions, period.

@waxwings2: Perfect!

Sometimes people are called 'trolls' when they appear to be seeking attention by posting at a very high frequency.

sprout said:
Sometimes people are called 'trolls' when they appear to be seeking attention by posting at a very high frequency.

Again, that's an incorrect, scurrilous presumption of motive.

Once sprout enters a thread, I am out.

sprout said:
Sometimes people are called 'trolls' when they appear to be seeking attention by posting at a very high frequency.

Springgreen only had 100 posts yesterday.

It was important to me, Jamie. I'd like out of this discussion now, if I may, so please stop invoking or provoking me. OK?

springgreen2 said:

Once sprout enters a thread, I am out.

My experience tells me that's your loss.

DaveSchmidt said:

springgreen2 said:

Once sprout enters a thread, I am out.

My experience tells me that's your loss.

I return to the thread to respond. Sprout always disputes my comments, like a Republican (sic) on a Democrat.

jamie said:

sprout said:
Sometimes people are called 'trolls' when they appear to be seeking attention by posting at a very high frequency.

Springgreen only had 100 posts yesterday.

Personally, I would rather not see 100 posts a day by any one poster.

Lastworditis

Maybe others should start posting.

See, the thing is, saying you want to leave a thread does not mean everyone else has to stop posting so you can have the last word.

Want to leave? Just go for it! you don't even have to announce your departure.

PeggyC: I said, someone referred to me, so I responded. I didn't ask that people stop posting, just stop addressing me or referring to me.

Well, this is fun to read.

Please take you own advice and stop posting Thanke

Then don't "talk" to me, or make comments about me! Get it? It's only fair. If I upset you so much, do something else!

springgreen2 said:
PeggyC: I said, someone referred to me, so I responded. I didn't ask that people stop posting, just stop addressing me or referring to me.

Pardon my ignorance, but I see nothing in this thread aimed at you, springgreen2. OP said don;t feed the trolls, and you jumped all over him. Who's the troll in this situation?

Sorry, all. Let me rephrase: My experience tells me that if anyone left a thread because sprout entered it, it would be his or her loss.

Dammit. I've run out of bubblewrap again.

What happens if we all keep "talking" to you? Does that mean you can't leave the thread at all? What if you need to go to the bathroom and we're still "talking" to you?

I love that there's a certain thread that was started and NO ONE is on it! (I'm pretty sure most of you know what i mean - and I sure do hope that person doesn't read this ;-)

Cyber bullying is starting here.

ffof said:
I love that there's a certain thread that was started and NO ONE is on it! (I'm pretty sure most of you know what i mean - and I sure do hope that person doesn't read this

I *think* I know what it is, and when I saw it, the first thing I thought was "No one respond! No one respond!"

ridski said:
What happens if we all keep "talking" to you? Does that mean you can't leave the thread at all? What if you need to go to the bathroom and we're still "talking" to you?