Why do people troll?
What is it that makes someone go on a website and be the troll? What pleasure would someone get from that?
by
jeffrjohn
asked 4 months ago
Technical napoleon complex aka TNC. Their computers/phones are slow so they try to make up for it by trolling.
Guess for the same reason Why Are People bullies? Or for that matter, why does anyone act on the internet different from what they would do in real life. Because they can and they would probably do so in real life if they could get away with it. There is no price to be paid on the internet.
+1 to klozitshoper. Here's a short article on the psychology of trolling.
http://techcrunch.com/2007/11/20/comment-trolling-has-a-psychological-explanation/
personally, I have to deal with stupid people on a regular basis, and I'm sick of people making excuses for them or being polite and letting them go on with their stupidity. So, sometimes I feel that a whack to the ol' noggin with a 2x4 may just knock the stupid out of them. After all, you're not really doing them any favors by not pointing out how stupid they are... their feelings may get hurt, but perhaps they'll think a bit next time. Some may call that trolling, I guess.
People troll because it's easier than elfing.
Mostly, those individuals are just letting their d-bag flag fly.
I've noticed that someone throws the troll flag simply because a poster disagrees with them on most sites.
This also seems to apply on deals.woot! if someone makes a comment about a deal that they feel isn't a deal. (Usually found in comments about downvoting).
Seems to me, and the article @rprebel provided backs that up, someone that disagrees isn't a troll. A measure of agressiveness is needed to qualify.
What is air?
It's been explained by the Unified Troll Theory of the Internet:
Normal Person + Anonymity of the Internet = Troll
Haters Gonna hate! Did we have a woot t-shirt with this saying yet?
@huachucac: The closest I could find was a Derby entry entitled Bukkit Love
Trolling can be fun, I'll admit it. I've never trolled anyone in a really mean way, mostly just a quick joke.
But for most people, it's because they have nothing better to do. They're either really bored and overentitled, or they have a sh*y homelife and discovered 4chan.
Most trolls suck at their job. They're really obvious and usually not even funny, but they get off on it. It's probably one of the few positive instances in their life, and the only way to deal with that is to be so narcissistic to find it funny regardless of fact or reaction. The best is when one goes "haha i trolled you! lolzzzone" When the first reply is the punchline.
Or, you know...maybe they're just jerks. Computers are pretty affordable these days.
@thedogma: I feel its worth noting that I didn't fit into any of the above, and that I have since ceased trolling. I'll play a joke on a friend every now and then, if you want to consider that trolling, but it's in the past.
THE OPINIONS OF INTERNET STRANGERS MATTER
Hmmm trolls my sister used to collect them!
I guess people troll because the like long lime green hair...
@captainsuperdawg: The picture and the byline "Bukkit Love" doesn't really go with "Hater's Gonna Hate", or I'm missing something?
Worst question ever.
For the lulz. Duh.
It's fun/funny to make people mad/fool them.
Because their parents didn't love them enough as a child. Or they spent too much time at /b/
A few friends and I used to troll in high school back in the day before the innerwebz. When someone asked a stupid question, we'd run with it. Every so often, one of us would make some off the wall statement and the others would back it up.
In my Woot lifetime, I have seen more troll complaint questions than actual trolls. The word troll is used too loosely in my opinion and lately, just about anyone with a smart ass response will be labeled a troll. I wish more people would grow a little bit thicker skin and stop being so sensitive to comments which have no credibility in the real world.
@luisibarra81: I wasn't complaining about anyone. It was just a question. I wasn't referring to Woot specifically either, so I'd say your a bit thinned when it comes to ambiguous questions.
@jeffrjohn: Like you, I was not directing my comment at anyone but more of a general observation. I never said you should grow thicker skin. Believe me, I don't beat around the bush, if I believe you need thicker skin, I'll post your name on it. My comments purpose is to point out that trolling is over generalized and the term troll is used to often and out of place.
But to partially answer your question, people don't always play nice. If you've hung around here long enough you might have heard the phrase "don't feed the troll." A troll is only created when you engage with it. Otherwise it's just a smart ass remark, which sometimes is funny.
Because it's too hard to catch fish when you are travelling at 15 knots.
Just wait 'til they are caught and exposed.
BBC rocks, they caught a racist troll, I don't mind seeing more of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kFNYuteAjA
@kamikazeken: u mad?
@dkalthoff: not right now. I just went to the movies for free and got laid after. Now I'm enjoying a double shot of maker's mark and getting ready to catch up on this season of "the walking dead".
thanks for asking though, it's nice to know the woot community cares enough to ask!
I'm confused. What does "trolling" mean? I've never heard of this before. Is it something I can do, or do I need a facebook page, or something?
@tehbronson: I see what you did there. WELL DONE!
If you want to see why people troll...
Press the following keys twice to have all your questions answered!
up up down down left right left right b a
@darkinc: Now that's a great use of the Konami code...
@joshaw: Heh yea woots pretty cool like that :>
@ganzhimself: My favorite (visual) explanation of the same:
NOTE: NSFW (Language)
they see me trollin'.... they hatin'.......
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- 4 months ago
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