Wordie: Troll: Comments

Comment by VanishedOne, 5 months ago

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:44:18 +0000

I hope John is being paid handsomely for the advanced training.

Comment by sionnach, 5 months ago

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:57:58 +0000

Uranus.
I've been eyeballing the google ads this morning and have come to the conclusion that the often highly nonlinear thinking of many Wordie users and the resulting eclectic page content may be posing a bit of a challenge for google.

I like that. On the other hand, it may be that we are just providing the beast with advanced training, thereby accelerating the move toward world domination.

Comment by sionnach, 5 months ago

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:49:41 +0000

Uranus.
Pro: You realize that you have more or less invited everyone to open all future comments with the U-word, don't you?

Comment by chained_bear, 5 months ago

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:30:24 +0000

Pro, at the risk of flagrantly denying your eminently useful suggestion, and although your proposal is almost exactly one that I try to follow myself... Sometimes the answer isn't silence, but more speech.

A troll is just a troll, and probably won't stay long or come back. But there's not really a way to tell if a new user is a troll or just trying to figure stuff out. In the case of new users, those who hang out on this site owe it to them to try to be reasonable and explain our (sometimes bizarre) reactions.

In the case of actual trolls, ignoring them does work. But so does merciless teasing (and if nothing else, it entertains those of us indulging in it).

But in the case of hateful speech or flagrantly offensive speech... the answer is not censorship, nor is it letting the comment lie on the site like a time-bomb ready to destroy a casual user's day--it's talking them to death.

But I love your comment, and I love that you chose this page to post it on. :)

Comment by Prolagus, 5 months ago

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:20:02 +0000

I'm so happy we don't have trolls in Wordie. But just in case anyone of us happened to see one of them,
DON'T FEED TROLLS.
If we don't like a discussion, let's just ignore it.

(Personally, I won't open two of the pages anymore - unless the first line of the comment contains the word uranus.)

Comment by uselessness, 11 months ago

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:02:08 +0000

Right, hence the modifier sadistic. I enjoy being a devil's advocate myself quite often, as it plays a valuable role in the Socratic method (a way I frequently converse with people). I assure you, my motives are always pure. :-P Trolls, however, are just rabblerousers and have no motives beyond their own epicaricous entertainment.

Comment by sionnach, 11 months ago

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:51:03 +0000

I think this does an injustice to devil's advocates, many of whom have honorable motives.

Comment by uselessness, 11 months ago

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:57:04 +0000

Someone who finds pleasure in starting flame wars on the internet. Sort of a sadistic devil's advocate.