Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/01/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]i stole it--cannot remember the source I think the author meant to have it passed along ric On Jan 16, 2013, at 8:29 PM, Bernard Quinn <bjq1 at mac.com> wrote: > > Ric, > > This is superb. Well said. Well written. Thanks for a really useful > reminder. > > Barney > > Barney Quinn, WK3Z > C: (301) 775-1386 > H: (301) 654-0938 > > On Jan 16, 2013, at 8:19 PM, Ric Carter <ricc at embarqmail.com> wrote: > >> What is a Troll? >> >> An Internet ?troll? is a person who delights in sowing discord on the >> Internet. He (and it is usually he) tries to start arguments and upset >> people. >> >> Trolls see Internet communications services as convenient venues for >> their bizarre game. For some reason, they don?t ?get? that they are >> hurting real people. To them, other Internet users are not quite human >> but are a kind of digital abstraction. As a result, they feel no sorrow >> whatsoever for the pain they inflict. Indeed, the greater the suffering >> they cause, the greater their ?achievement? (as they see it). >> >> Trolls are utterly impervious to criticism (constructive or otherwise). >> You cannot negotiate with them; you cannot cause them to feel shame or >> compassion; you cannot reason with them. They cannot be made to feel >> remorse. For some reason, trolls do not feel they are bound by the rules >> of courtesy or social responsibility. >> >> Why Do They Do It? >> >> Affirmation. >> >> Trolls crave attention, and they care not whether it is positive or >> negative. They see the Internet as a mirror into which they can gaze in >> narcissistic rapture. >> >> If you want a deeper analysis than that, perhaps a psychologist can shed >> some additional light on the matter. >> >> Why Does it Matter? >> >> The sad fact is that trolls discourage people. Established posters may >> leave a message board because of the arguments that trolls ignite, and >> lurkers may decide that they do not want to expose themselves to abuse >> and thus never get involved. >> >> Another problem is that the negative emotions stirred up by trolls leak >> over into other discussions. Normally affable people can become bitter >> after reading an angry interchange between a troll and his victims, and >> this can poison previously friendly interactions between long-time users. >> >> Finally, trolls create a paranoid environment, such that a casual >> criticism by a new arrival can elicit a ferocious and inappropriate >> backlash. >> >> What Can be Done about Trolls? >> >> ??The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding >> others not to respond to trolls.?? >> >> When you try to reason with a troll, he wins. When you insult a troll, he >> wins. When you scream at a troll, he wins. The only thing that trolls >> can?t handle is being ignored. >> >> What Not to Do >> >> It is futile to try to ?cure? a troll of his obsession. But perhaps you >> simply cannot bear the hostile environment that the troll is creating and >> want to go away for a while. >> >> If you do that, then for the sake of the others on the system, do not >> post a dramatic ?Goodbye!? message. This convinces the troll that he is >> winning the battle. There is, perhaps, no message you can write that is >> as damaging as an announcement that you are leaving because of the >> hostility that the troll has kindled. >> >> If you feel you must say something, a discreet message to the system >> operator (and some of the others users, if you have their email >> addresses) is the best course of action. If you are writing the letter in >> an agitated state, it is a good idea to wait an hour and then give it one >> last review before you actually send it. That might spare you the pain of >> saying things that you don?t really mean to people you like. >> >> The Webmaster?s Challenge >> >> The moderator of a message board may not be able to delete a troll?s >> messages right away, but their job is made much harder if they also have >> to read numerous replies to trolls. They are also forced to decide >> whether or not to delete posts from well-meaning folks which have the >> unintended effect of encouraging the troll. >> >> Perhaps the most difficult challenge for a webmaster is deciding whether >> to take steps against a troll that a few people find entertaining. Some >> trolls do have a creative spark and have chosen to squander it on being >> disruptive. There is a certain perverse pleasure in watching some of >> them. Ultimately, though, the webmaster has to decide if the troll >> actually cares about putting on a good show for the regular participants, >> or is simply playing to an audience of one ? himself. >> >> What about Free Speech? >> >> When trolls find that their efforts are being successfully resisted, they >> often complain that their right to free speech is being infringed. >> >> While most people on the Internet are ardent defenders of free speech, it >> is not an absolute right; there are practical limitations. For example, >> you may not scream out ?Fire!? in a crowded theatre, and you may not make >> jokes about bombs while waiting to board an airplane. We accept these >> limitations because we recognize that they serve a greater good. >> >> The ultimate response to the ?free speech? argument is this: while we may >> have the right to say more or less whatever we want, we do not have the >> right to say it wherever we want. You may feel strongly about the fact >> that your neighbour has not mowed his lawn for two months, but you do not >> have the right to berate him in his own living room. Similarly, if a >> webmaster tells a troll that he is not welcome, the troll has no ?right? >> to remain. This is particularly true on the numerous free communications >> services offered on the net. (On pay systems, the troll might be >> justified in asking for a refund.) >> >> >> Conclusion >> >> Next time you are on a message board and you see a post by somebody whom >> you think is a troll, and you feel you must reply, simply write a >> follow-up message entitled ?Troll Alert? and type only this: >> >> The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding >> others not to respond to trolls. >> >> By posting such a message, you let the troll know that you know what he >> is, and that you are not going to get dragged into his twisted little >> hobby. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information