Since this is a message board, this is a discussion that I feel is probably fitting.

As with many others who have been on the net and have used message boards, I have encountered trolls. Some of them have been pretty mid and have been open to reason and have either calmed down or simply left after a short period of time. But others are very persistant and seem determined to 'take down' a message board and 'owning' and/or 'controlling' the people that frequent the message board.

Some of them are so nasty that they act as the "thought police" and if someone oposses anything they say they will 'flame' that person and will do everything in their power to make that person look bad in order to destroy people's opinion of them in order to more or less cencor them.

What I don't get is why people do this? I udnerstand that a part of it is for the attention, but wanting attention is one thing, cencoring, harassing and slandering is a whole diffrent thing. Some of them go as far as to use thing the person said years ago on the board (assuming the person has been arround that long) against them!

I guess what I am asking/saying is, I understand people's need for attention. At one time or another, I'm sure most of us have gotten into an argument or done something weird or just plain •••••• on a messageboard just for the sake of having some attention, but why is it what some people feel the need to control others? Why is it they feel they can tell others how to act and how to think and what gives them the right to harass others who don't obey everything they say and want?

Just as a little note, I'm not 'picking on' or talking about anyone here, I'm just using 'in general' examples and situations that seem to develop on most if not all messageboards sooner or later.

Lord knows Nitcentral has seen its share of trolls. They never last too terribly long, fortunately. And they are often given a chance to change their ways before being kicked out.

I think along with the need for attention, there is the sense of power that comes with being a troll that motivates them. It might be that these guys get picked on in real life and this is their way of getting back at their oppressors (although through surrogates). It might also be that they are natural born bullies and trolling is an extension of bullying for them.

Some may do it for laughs. It may be that they think it's pretty funny getting a messageboard in an uproar over the things the trolls post.

It might also give the troll a sense of superiority: 'I'm better than these nerds because I can make them react to my posts."

In the end, the only way you're really going to know why a troll does what he or she does is to ask one.

If only Peter or Digger were still around, you could ask them.

Anonymous,

If I may; The reasons for trolling are very similar to "posting". The reason people do anything has to with their desire to have sex with their mother and kill their father.

I hope that quoting something someone said years ago isn't Trollish behavior..... I do that sometimes....

So, Merat, vas your Mother very domanering?

Uhm..dumb question but what's an internet troll?
What is trolling in other words and how does it differ from say simply lurking?

Trolls post deliberately inflammatory material, and then pretend to be hurt when called on it. They then sit back and enjoy the ensuing flamewar.

Do a Nitcentral search on "Peter".

A troll is a mythical animal that eats gruff billy goats and lives under bridges. No, seriously, what ScottN said.

One thing that bothers me BIG TIME about trolls. They really do poison the internet. Lets face it, I'm sure most of us have more then enough stress to deal with in our lives. The last thing we need are trolls to cause problems for us in the virtual world.

Many people go to sites like this and other sites based on fantasy roleplaying type concepts. Sometimes its just to escape reality even if only for a few minutes. Trolls really ruin it.

Unfortunatly, trolls often forgot that they are hurting real people. They see other posters on the net not as other people but as 'bots', and that's sad. Unfortunatly, it seems that in all aspects of life there are trolls. Wether it be on the school playground (except there we call them bullies), at work (except there we call them power trippers) or anywhere in public. It's a sad fact that so many people feel the need to destroy the sanity and peace of others.

It's sort of like how we watch TV (at least some of us) to forget about reality for an hour or two. Darker TV shows may be more realistic but I watch TV to be entertained, no to be angered or upset. I'll never understand why people watch movies and TV shows that make them cry. Theres more then enough things in the real world to cry about, the last thing we need is something else.

Anonymous,

There is one sure fire way to let them bother you. Ignore them. (It really works too.) If no one feeds the troll he dies of starvation. Sure he might post the most imflamatory stuff imaginable (Anon is a donkey and FRENCH!!) but you should always consider the source and decide if it is worth your time to respond.

Too many posters believe you should confront the troll. Wrong. The troll wants attention, either good or bad.

Or as I always say, "Please do not feed the Trolls".

What really gets me is when the troll is told to stop or leave, they cry foul, saying "freedom of speech! I have the right!".

I have found that, a good way to tell if a troll is a 'hard core' troll is if they say something like that. A troll who says that is most likley someone that has been 'trolling' for years to the point where trolling is practically a lifestyle for them.

Boredom is another factor.

Now in its new home here in Internet More or Less...

Anyone remember when a group of posters from the Guardian talkboard invaded the Femail websites. Something about a spoof tale of Chinese cat eating!! Sheer class

Everyone is a bully on the internet. Mostly because, it's not anyone you know.

Mommy! Make Matt Pesti stop picking on me! He's bullying me!