Can you spot a troll?

[Jebtrois]

Let's start a poll regarding ability to spot a troll!!
JEB

[djousset]

It was through this site that I learned (and experienced) what trolls are. Now I understand that they are fluent in bulls@#& and self-importance. That's ok, we all have our flaws. I just smile and don't feed them.

[Peel]

The type I usually run into are the ones who like to hang out in forums and shoot people down for asking questions, with statements like: "If you have to ask, then you shouldn't event be thinking about doing xyz yourself." Apparently to their mind you should only ask questions to which you already know the answer? Presumably they themselves must have been born knowing everything, and have never asked others to explain something so that they can learn. You either know it already, or you should never learn.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by djousset

It was through this site that I learned (and experienced) what trolls are. Now I understand that they are fluent in bulls@#& and self-importance. That's ok, we all have our flaws. I just smile and don't feed them.

So true, I would add the point that often they like to remind everyone of their vast and important experience.

[DMF Sailing]

I keep hoping for Boatman to show up

And for someone to choose option 1.

C'mon, man. You know who you are!

[Reefmagnet]

Who cares. Most trolls are proclaimed that by others, and those proclaiming tend to be repeat offenders. If you don't like what posters have written, move onto the next discussion.

And if you want to gripe, gripe about the self appointed thread police that seem rife on here at times.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Who cares. Most trolls are proclaimed that by others, and those proclaiming tend to be repeat offenders. If you don't like what posters have written, move onto the next discussion.

And if you want to gripe, gripe about the self appointed thread police that seem rife on here at times.

There's a good answer..
DMF... Ahh has arrived..

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

So true, I would add the point that often they like to remind everyone of their vast and important experience.

I find the most annoying ones are the ones who come here with no experience , ask a question and then refuse to understand or accept the answers they are given no matter how many times different forum members tell them the same thing.
(Sailing upwind anyone? )

[Narfi]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

The very fact that you had to post three times to clarify—it means you are one of us! Welcome, Narfi. You will always have a place in the O'Reilly-DMF Home for the Very Sincere and Well-Intentioned!

(And I mean it. Mike knows I'm not trolling.)

hehe, now you got me, I'm not sure which layer I am currently at

however,
my point was that at its heart, trolling is not necessarily malicious. It can be a well intended or poor attempt at humor at the expense of someone else.

When I joke with my son it is not malicious, however sometimes I go too far and my wife needs to reprimand me.
When he tells me a joke I may pretend not to get it, and that is all part of the game.

To an extent trolling works the same way, and when an internet troll is laughed at, either because their joke was funny, or because the attempt was so sad you had to laugh at the poor attempt, they stop.

Often on forums like this however that is not how they are treated, and so the darker side of trolling is fed.
Forums like this and a few others I am an active member of are made up of people passionate about the subject, experienced, and set in their ways. They are ripe for trolling, and anyone that has been around for any amount of time will know what buttons to push. Getting upset and calling them out reinforces the game, leads to more effort to stir the pot. Anything taken personaly will raise the stakes on both sides of the 'discussion' and the 'troll' wins.

Ignoring can work, laughing can work, loudly saying how terrible someone on the internet is will not work.

of course there are always exceptions

This goal of the game is to create this scenario,



To answer the original question,
Probably not, however I don't think it matters, my response would be the same.

If someone asks a stupid question, I am not offended, I have enough things to worry about in real life.

1. I can ignore it, it isn't worth my time. (if it was a troll their loss, if it was an honest stupid question, I haven't insulted them)
2. I can take the time to answer the question. (if it is a troll, they are not aware I am peeling back the first layer for them, if it was an honest stupid question then I have helped someone and my day is done.)

Neither way requires an emotional response from me, but one can lead to more fun in time..... if I am bored enough

Edit: apparently just from reading this thread I found out that those who know too little are considered trolls and those who know too much are considered trolls.........
I think some may be confused about what a troll is.... being an ass is not being a troll, its just being an ass. A troll can play the part of the ass to get a response, but your typical run of the mill arrogant forum ass is not a troll.

[tradrockrat]

The problem for me (and yes, it's my problem, not a forum specific problem or your problem, I understand) is that trolls and a******s do the same thing for different reasons, but I really don't have time for either. The distinction is irrelevant to me.

I'm fast and loose with the ignore button and I use the forums I belong to to educate myself and have some relaxed fun. If the thread doesn't do one or both of those things, or if a troll / whatever decides it's fightin' time, I'm out. And I don't think anyone else really wants to hear my "expertise" or "correct answer" in an internet fight anyway.

There used to be a hugely inappropriate joke about fighting on the internet but the gist is that even if you win the argument, you're still an idiot for doing it. I have MASSIVE respect for the men and women who try to remain reasonable and respectful in the face of trolls and a******s, but it's not something I'm willing to spend my time on in a forum. So for me, it's a quick exit stage right and the ignore button for all future threads.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by boatman61

There's a good answer..
DMF... Ahh has arrived..

righteous, Boat

never disappoint

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Narfi

hehe, now you got me, I'm not sure which layer I am currently at

however,
my point was that at its heart, trolling is not necessarily malicious. It can be a well intended or poor attempt at humor at the expense of someone else.

When I joke with my son it is not malicious, however sometimes I go too far and my wife needs to reprimand me.
When he tells me a joke I may pretend not to get it, and that is all part of the game.

To an extent trolling works the same way, and when an internet troll is laughed at, either because their joke was funny, or because the attempt was so sad you had to laugh at the poor attempt, they stop.

Often on forums like this however that is not how they are treated, and so the darker side of trolling is fed.
Forums like this and a few others I am an active member of are made up of people passionate about the subject, experienced, and set in their ways. They are ripe for trolling, and anyone that has been around for any amount of time will know what buttons to push. Getting upset and calling them out reinforces the game, leads to more effort to stir the pot. Anything taken personaly will raise the stakes on both sides of the 'discussion' and the 'troll' wins.

Ignoring can work, laughing can work, loudly saying how terrible someone on the internet is will not work.

of course there are always exceptions

This goal of the game is to create this scenario,



To answer the original question,
Probably not, however I don't think it matters, my response would be the same.

If someone asks a stupid question, I am not offended, I have enough things to worry about in real life.

1. I can ignore it, it isn't worth my time. (if it was a troll their loss, if it was an honest stupid question, I haven't insulted them)
2. I can take the time to answer the question. (if it is a troll, they are not aware I am peeling back the first layer for them, if it was an honest stupid question then I have helped someone and my day is done.)

Neither way requires an emotional response from me, but one can lead to more fun in time..... if I am bored enough

Edit: apparently just from reading this thread I found out that those who know too little are considered trolls and those who know too much are considered trolls.........
I think some may be confused about what a troll is.... being an ass is not being a troll, its just being an ass. A troll can play the part of the ass to get a response, but your typical run of the mill arrogant forum ass is not a troll.

oh wow
the only way this could've been better is if you'd written fora. Or forae

[ronstory]

My favorite was the individual that joined in 2017 and 'retired' from CF in 2020 with 13k+ posts. I'm pretty sure he never owned a boat, but offered lots of opinions on how to do something that he likely had never done.

An intelligent person? Yes. Did he intend to be a troll? No. But their is a huge difference between theory and practice. Unfortunately you could see less experienced folks get pointed the wrong direction regarding 'help' because he had 8K posts and they had much, much less.

Those are ones I worry about. The 'trolls' that press all the buttons that irritate folks are easy to just ignore... because the really don't do any damage other than wasting folk's time. But maybe that is just me.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Who cares. Most trolls are proclaimed that by others, and those proclaiming tend to be repeat offenders. If you don't like what posters have written, move onto the next discussion.

And if you want to gripe, gripe about the self appointed thread police that seem rife on here at times.

man, I sure hope you voted option 3, blood

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Who cares. Most trolls are proclaimed that by others, and those proclaiming tend to be repeat offenders. If you don't like what posters have written, move onto the next discussion.

And if you want to gripe, gripe about the self appointed thread police that seem rife on here at times.

No need to be the thread police, there is an ignore button for a reason. It is amazing how blocking a few people/threads can change Cruisers Forum from an annoyance to a place that is a great resource.

Rule #1 for me: Block any thread that discusses scope, anchoring to close, guns or anything even close to climate change. These all never end well.