Maddie, there's a Troll on the loose, get 'em!

1. 77

   Shadesbreathposted 15 years ago

   HP staff... Sickfingers is trolling about shamelessly.  You might want to have a look and maybe step on its head with your super hubstaff powers.

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2. 59

   anime_nanetposted 15 years ago

   Finger-pointer!

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3. 77

   Shadesbreathposted 15 years ago

   Yep, "tattle tale," "hall monitor" call me what you will.  lol.   Trolls are cancerous to a community (which is their whole point).  Based on a forum thread or a hub from several months back I know that a HUGE portion of hubpage users have no idea what a troll is.  If they've never heard of a troll, they damn sure don't know how to spot one and will, therefore, allow themselves to be drawn in and perhaps suffer in some way for their encounter with this childish, mean-spirited sophistry.  The whole subtle nefariousness of a troll is the ability to pretend, almost, to be in earnest.  I'd be surprised if trolling is acceptable behavior in HP policy.

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4. 63

   Mishaposted 15 years ago

   LOL Shades, people should learn

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5. 94

   Amanda Severnposted 15 years ago

   I just looked at the hub in question. It's in poor taste to say the least.

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   marisuewritesposted 15 years ago

   Ok, edumcate me...what does trolling mean?  and how do we spot it ?

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   1. 77

      Shadesbreathposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Basically a troll is someone who comes into a chat community and posts things for the pure sake of pissing people off.
      
      The responses they make often rely on plausible deniability.  If you want to see a good example, go to my hub on How to Perpetuate Modern Myths... scroll down to where he's accusing me of censorship.  He's trying to provoke a fight based on my warnings. He follows with a comment about Paraglider (who is obviously ingnoring him).
      
      DONT respond to him, btw.
      
      Go to Pgrundy's "How John McCain Exploits ..." hub and scroll down.  Go to his profile and you can track his comments on lots of stuff.
      
      You'll see a pattern.  It's not about having a real conversation, it's about stirring the pot and pissing people off.
      
      THe main tactic is to use random and misleading arguments, generally offensive but just enough self defense, often in the line of "free speech" or whatever, to create plausible deniabilty.  It's usually teenage boys, but sometimes very immature adults too.  It's always specious and if people don't realize what's happening, they can really get upset.  Especially nice people who see the good in others automatically.  Easier for cynical semi-aholes like me to spot them than people whose hearts are too full of love to be expecting cruelty for the sake of nothing more.
      
      (If you search Internet Troll on the web you'll find Wikipedia articles and all sorts of info on them.)

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7. 77

   Shadesbreathposted 15 years ago

   It's not just the hub he wrote, he's trying to piss people off on their threads.  Funny thing is, Paraglider ignored him and so he's leaving his comment to Para on my hub to punish me for ignoring him too.  He's not a very good troll, but he's puking on hubs right and left.

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8. 59

   Marian Swiftposted 15 years ago

   How to spend a lovely Sunday afternoon ...
   
   --  Thumbed down a Hub and flagged it for hate speech.
   
   --  Reported Profile (also ugly) and trolling activity directly to the Hub Pages Team.
   
   --  Did not respond directly to the troll in any way.  ("Don't feed the energy creature.")
   
   Want to join in on the weekend fun?

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      Sally's Troveposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Right on.

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9. 59

   B.T. Evilpantsposted 15 years ago

   I flagged the hub, and when I checked back, it was gone. his profile is still there, though. And he describes himself aptly.

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10. 59

    E Jposted 15 years ago

    So you found him then, or should i say he found you lol

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    1. 59

       B.T. Evilpantsposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       He didn't find me. I haven't come across an assinine sh**head bashing any of my hubs, yet. Just looked like another mental midget, trying to stir things up, to me.

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       1. 59

          E Jposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          I meant shadesbreath! Sorry it wasn't very clear.

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11. 63

    Mishaposted 15 years ago

    Oops, and I just started to have fun with him
    
    Um, well - till next time

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12. 69

    Christoph Reillyposted 15 years ago

    I'm glad I got a chance to read that tripe before it was yanked. To quote the immortal Bugs: "What a maroon!"

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    1. 59

       B.T. Evilpantsposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       ignoranimus, even.

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          Christoph Reillyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Dithssppppicable.

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13. 59

    E Jposted 15 years ago

    Yet he was only targeting certain hubbers?

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14. 57

    marisuewritesposted 15 years ago

    Oh ok...they sound mean to me.  What's the point of that, no life, you know?  I'll be on the lookout.    thanks, I  had no clue but now I understand.

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15. 59

    E Jposted 15 years ago

    Some of his comments are now quite frankly sick! Not just annoying

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16. 77

    Shadesbreathposted 15 years ago

    The danger of this dude is running people off.
    
    This hub:
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Tips-To-Protect … al-Assault
    
    Is one of those that serves as a perfect example of how Trolls are harmful.  There are 1 of 2 things possible going on with this hub and the comment left by the troll.
    
    1.  Msigler4 is a BRAND new hubber and wrote a hub talking about some things women can do to keep themselves safer.  It's her first hub.  The first comment she got on it was from this Troll.  His remark is obviously meant to set her off, and given that she is a new hubber, she might see this and just not come back to her hubpages account.
    
    A mass of people rushing to her defense will only excit the troll, so in essence, the troll traps us into either paying attention to him, or into leaving a new hubber to think that's what she has to expect from HP.  A lose/lose scenario.
    
    [or]
    
    2.  This hub was written by the troll under the name of Msigler4 for the purpose of drawing sympathy because the article is about a very emotionally charged and important issue.  Then he gets to write a comment and stir things up.  (I believe there is some way to do an IP check on this sort of thing, but I have no clue how that works).  Either way, trolls are poison and should be squished the moment they are spotted by agressive moderators.  Or, at least in my know-it-all opinion. 

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    1. 69

       Christoph Reillyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Scenario two is an interesting consideration, and one that hadn't occurred to me. I read this hub a little while back. I did not leave a comment (I would have only been the 2nd - after trollboy) but couldn't figure out how to respond without giving the guy his satisfaction. Ignore him and comment on the hub as normal? But you somehow want to communicate to her to ignore this guy, but if you don't explain it somehow, she wouldn't get it. I'll go look and see if you responded and how. At the time, it was the last hub this guy had commented on so far today.

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17. 59

    E Jposted 15 years ago

    That was the one I was referring to and yet sadly he is still here making stupid requests!

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18. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    If I were attempting to piss people off, I would feel pretty good about Shadesbreath's reaction, since he/she spent his/her ENTIRE day following me around and trying to warn people of my existence.
    
    In truth, I don't care at all if you people are upset or happy or dead....you mean absolutely nothing to me. I made a hub and simply responded to the people who totally lost their composure over it.
    
    As far as Shadesbreath goes, he/she must be a troll's wet-dream, playing into their hands like that.
    
    I didn't want attention based on some moron's purposely spread opinion, I just wanted to address the fact that way too many of MY people are using the n-word these days.
    
    And I know, you unimaginative dolts are thinking, "Well, you didn't go about it the right way," but that's exactly my point: you don't get to decide the right way.
    
    As a side note, have you people who were so upset by my hub written to Nas, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle or Martin Lawrence to express similar concerns?  No?  Why not?  How do you approve of their material but not mine?
    
    Someone please explain, and let's see if I am, in fact, a troll with absolutely no decent argument. Let's employ logic, not name-calling, and see who is off their rocker (Shadesbreath, ColdWarBaby).
    
    I await an intelligent reply, but I suspect the wait will last a while, judging from the apparent intellect of the above posts.

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19. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    and exactly how many lunatics are here making up total nonsense??  I'm posting as a guest? I'm claiming free speech? I'm a high schooler?
    
    No, I'm a realist.  Not a racist, not a troll, not born with the same boring mind as most of you, a bunch that actually writes and writes with no purpose whatsoever except to agree with each other.
    
    I'm sorry, but my mind needs a bit of conflict to keep it awake. We're ll wired differently, and just as you see my writing as indicating total depravity, I see a bunch of people who couldn't find a topic to disagree on if God commanded them to do so, and it's no coincidence that Nazis all thought alike too.
    
    Still waiting for an intelligent reply.  Is it coming, or will you people just write, "mental midget" or its equivalent a few more times?
    
    And let me guess, Shadesbreath still advises that everyone ignore me, right?  Even when I'm trying to have an intelligent conversation? Well, that just sounds childish to me.

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20. 59

    E Jposted 15 years ago

    The benefits of hindsight!

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21. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    is that supposed to mean something to someone besides you, EJ?
    
    I've read your hubs, read what you had to say here. I haven't commented on your hubs or written to you in any way whatsoever, so I'm curious about your post claiming I am targeting people?  How did I target you, by reading what you wrote about me before I ever knew you existed?
    
    Don't bother arguing with me, I can see already that you lack the necessities.

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22. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    Boy, did this thread go silent! What happened? 
    
    Did people read ColdWarbaby's hubs and see that he thinks GW Bush is going to declare marshal law this coming week?
    
    Did people read Misha's comments and see that he blames rape on the victim?  Child molestation too.
    
    It's like an old time debate, like Lincoln/Douglass. You read or listen and fashion a reply. if you're totally beaten, you do like EJ and fashion a 2-3 word reply, because it makes you feel good and you can pretend like you made a point.
    
    So, let's have it, haters. I don't want to use profanity or defame people in this thread, I just want a brain to match against.
    
    I posted a comedic hub and every self-proclaimed defender of the web attacked me for it, and I would like to hear actual reasons, but all I get is silence from the same people who verbally accosted me a few hours ago. But then again, they felt like a pack when they did that, didn't they? Lone wolfs never attack, do they?
    
    Forgive me, but: I smell cowards!

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    E Jposted 15 years ago

    Firstly: I have been reading here at hp for a long time before I ever wrote. People get frequently pissed off by other people, that's life. However, some people if they had the mentallity could then, for example create a new account and go round trolling all those hubbers that have pissed them off. Are you keeping up with this so far? It's all very simple, yet wrong.
    I did not say you were targeting me, I was just wondering if their was a pattern to whom you were trying to piss off that was all. I took no offence by your hub you are entilted to your opinion as I am mine. What isn't acceptable is just being blatenly rude to cause an impact. I for one love a good debate, but trying to cause fireworks just for the sake of it is just plain boring!
    
    Secondly: In hindsight, it's just not fun trying to have a discussion on your own now is it? "Even when you are trying to have an intelligent conversation"

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24. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    No, it's not fun, but how is that my fault?
    
    And, no, I don't follow you, because I don't care about your tricks and posting as a guest. I am posting under one name, and the reason there is no pattern is because none was laid down. I can not help you to discover patterns where none exist, but I can suggest that you watch 'A Beautiful Mind' and report back as to if the movie adequately depicts whatever sensation you are feeling, the one that convinces you there are patterns about.
    
    Besides that, I don't think you actually wrote anything except, "being rude is unacceptable," and I'll take that one seriously when you adopt me and put a roof over my head.

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25. 78

    Sally's Troveposted 15 years ago

    For any of you who'd like to know more about trolling...
    
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magaz … _popular_3
    
    ...and it's well worth the read.

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26. 71

    Inspirepubposted 15 years ago

    How very accommodating of the accused "troll" to come to this thread and display the nature of his/her writings so that everyone can make up their own minds.
    
    The resounding silence seems to indicate that after examining the writing style, everyone reached the same conclusion.
    
    Jenny

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27. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    here's the correct link:
    
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magaz … amp;st=cse
    
    I guess it takes a troll to copy and paste a link that goes to the first page of an article, not the seventh.

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28. 78

    Sally's Troveposted 15 years ago

    I'm a little surprised that HubPages hasn't been hit with this kind of troll vengeance in the past, or maybe it has, but I've only been here for a few months and wouldn't have seen it.  So maybe HubPages is now, really, really, coming into its own as a major site big enough to deserve this kind of accomplished attack.
    
    Go HP!  A sign of the times.  When you are important enough to invite this kind of attack, I guess that's a good thing.
    
    Please, people, read the article I posted the link to a few minutes ago.  It puts sickfingers (who would choose that name as an entity who wanted to engage with HP and other 2.0 communities?) into a social-deviant, enlightened, or dead-brain perspective, whichever way you'd like to look at it.

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29. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    You know, I just read that article.  I never heard of a troll before. The article says trolls defame the dead, for Christ's sake.
    
    This means one thing to me, you people who called me a troll didn't use the word correctly, and you labeled me with extreme prejudice.
    
    Don't get me wrong, I'm no Republican, but I bet every single person who labelled me claims to be a tolerant liberal. Why do I think that? because theey are always the least tolerant, most agreesive and protective people alive, although refering to this type as 'people' is an undue ccommment.
    
    I decline to respond to those few who have taken it upon themselves to try and ban me because of my own hub. They are worse than cowards, they are exclusionary and too ignorant to recognize that fact.
    
    Shame on the haters!

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30. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    Well, that settles it. This woman up here decided I'm unworthy by the name I chose. Boy, she's a tolerant one, eh?
    
    Damn glad you're not in charge, woman. Everyone but you and your friends would be imprisoned.
    
    You're sick! Only someone totally deranged could judge someone so quickly. I''ll bet your kids are the most screwed up individuals on the planet, and I bet they get beat up at school every day.  Know this, it's probably my kid beating them, because they are sick too, and in my family we smell Nazis a mile away...............I smell you, woman.

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31. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    thanks, I never would have found that on my own. You must be a genius.

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    Mishaposted 15 years ago

    LOL people, *Don't feed the troll*

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    1. 78

       Sally's Troveposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I just fed it with Misha's comment.  But, isn't enough, enough?

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33. 0

    sickfingersposted 15 years ago

    I'm done with this thread. You people proclaimed that I should be banned.  I came here and asked for just one of you to explain why.  none did. I got nothing but sophomoric replies. Sally's trove is actually writing to me to tell me that she is ignoring me. What is this, a Scooby Doo episode?
    
    You all might feel pretty good about having such good internet friends, but not one of you has a decent and logical thing to say.
    
    I'm guessing the people who are basically trying to drive me out of Hub pages on my first day here have such a terrible ability to make friends on the outside that they deem these contacts here as way more important or prevalent than they might be.
    
    I don't know why Hub pages is filled with such nasty people. I do understand how oposing opinions upset those unable to think for themselves, and I guess I ruffled too many feathers, but I still don't know why.
    
    I spent my day trying to get you attackers to explain why you're doing it, but none of you have a reason.
    
    But a dog with rabbies doesn't need a reason to bite.
    
    hey, margie, or w/e your name is....the admin: take all my shit down, i want no part of interacting with such disgusting souls.

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    1. 61

       Eric Graudinsposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       That's not quite right. I asked you a question on this hub
       http://hubpages.com/hub/Stop-Feeding-the-Monsters
       
       It would have been nice to see your reply, and display some of the writing skills which you obviously have got.
       It's a shame that you place a higher priority on other types of posts.

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       1. 78

          Sally's Troveposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Good job, Eric, you are still feeding it (and so am I by this comment...but the message is still lost here on HP, for the most part).  Why don't you look into the psychology of a troll, which I posted to this thread a few minutes ago?

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             ProCWposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             The User No Longer Exists

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                Sally's Troveposted 15 years agoin reply to this

                Awesome, ProCW...You witnessed the great escape.

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             Eric Graudinsposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             Hi Sally,
             The post was made after the user had been deleted, but I'm sure he will still read it.
             It confirms several points of your analysis.
             I should have made this clear on the original post.

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34. 69

    Christoph Reillyposted 15 years ago

    How can troll posts be recognised?
    
    No Imagination - Most are frighteningly obvious; sexist comments on nurses' groups, blasphemy on religious groups .. I kid you not.
    
    Pedantic in the Extreme - Many trolls' preparation is so thorough, that while they waste time, they appear so ludicrous from the start that they elicit sympathetic mail - the danger is that once the group takes sides, the damage is done.
    
    False Identity - Because they are cowards, trolls virtually never write over their own name, and often reveal their trolliness (and lack of imagination) in the chosen ID. As so many folk these days use false ID, this is not a strong indicator on its own!
    
    Crossposting - Any post that is crossposted to several groups should be viewed as suspicious, particularly if unrelated or of opposing perspective. Why would someone do that?
    
    Off-topic posting - Often genuine errors, but, if from an 'outsider' they deserve matter-of-fact response; if genuine, a brief apposite response is simply netiquette; if it's a troll post, you have denied it its reward.
    
    Repetition of a question or statement is either a troll - or a pedant; either way, treatment as a troll is effective.
    
    Missing The Point - Trolls rarely answer a direct question - they cannot, if asked to justify their twaddle - so they develop a fine line in missing the point.
    T
    hick or Sad - Trolls are usually sad, lonely folk, with few social skills; they rarely make what most people would consider intelligent conversation. However, they frequently have an obsession with their IQ and feel the need to tell everyone. This is so frequent, that it is diagnostic! Somewhere on the web there must be an Intelligence Test for Trolls - rigged to always say "above 150"
    
    Habitat
    The Internet doesn't have ancient slimey stone bridges, but trolls lurk around in quiet corners of the internet; while they can pop up almost anywhere, they thrive in distant relatively uninhabited corners.
    
    Social Interaction
    Trolls don't have friends. On the internet, because they interact with human beings, they can convince themselves that they are important, the centre of the universe - that, to them, is better than any friendship. Don't foget, the troll thinks he is always right, and therefore better than other folk. In real life, exactly the opposite applies. the troll has no friends and virtually no interaction with other people.
    
    If he's a teen (many are), then he lives in his bedroom, trolling, playong computer games with 'friends' (who he doesn't know at all), and joining roleplay sites, where - of course - he is a hero, or a powerful villain, who is respected in an inverse ratio to the respect he feels for himself.
    
    If he's an adult, then he has serious social issues. He may work, where people think he's a weirdo, and avoid him, he may sponge off his parents or be 'looking for work', which means he blames everyone for his problems. Except himself.
    
    Most people who are out of work are nothing like the stereotype; most want to work, and gain their self respect through work and being part of the world; but the troll IS the stereotype whining scrounger, to whom the world owes a living.
    
    Sex Life
    Almost every troll is male; I don't know why this is.
    
    The troll has few social skills, and most have never had a girlfriend, many never will.
    
    There's a clear pattern among trolls; they are much more likely to ignore posts known to be from women. And when they do respond to women, they are much more likely to be brief, abusive, condescending and patronising.
    
    This is almost certainly more due to fear than misogyny - they just don't know any women. Except Mom. But their attitude rather reduces their chances of reproducing, which is probably a good thing.
    
    
    Awww. Poor little fella. Never been laid.

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    Uninvited Writerposted 15 years ago

    Oh well, I'm sure it stopped Maddie or whomever from having a boring Sunday evening

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    marisuewritesposted 15 years ago

    Whew, the room already smells better....he was mean.

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