O/T - Trolls

Discussion in 'Justice for JonBenet Discussion - Public Forum' started by Jayelles, Dec 18, 2006.

  1. Jayelles

    Jayelles Alert Viewer in Scotland

    I found this link posted by Indigo at Topix:-

    http://www.jfo.org.uk/info/new/troll.htm

    It's a great analysis of forum trolls! What particularly excited me (sad little person that I am) was the discussion of troll tactics and one in particular - the invention of a persona with the OPPOSITE POV to the one the troll is really trying to promote. The invented persona will be stupid and hateful and demonstrate a comple lack of understanding of the topic under discussion and the objective is to discredit the opposing group!

    I have long thought that jameson herself has made up some of her own "BORG bull".

    Read the webpage - it's really interesting. I think we'll all recognise some of the tactics.

    Similar article:-

    http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/troll-tactics.html
     
  2. Jayelles

    Jayelles Alert Viewer in Scotland

    Lol

    (this has got me started!).

    Here is a list of "troll tactics"!

    This is a list of the tactics that trolls commonly employ in newsgroups
    (especially those with a devoted readership). This list has been worded as
    though you are one of them, so that you can better see through their eyes
    how they contemplate these tactics. Be forewarned, putting yourself in the
    mind of a troll can be a disturbing experience.

    1. Act offended or claim that opposing viewpoints are incredible and/or
    unbelievable. When you are unable to offer a valid argument to refute your
    opponent's position, use empty statements such as:
    * "OH PULEEEZE!"
    * "Only a (fill-in-the-blank) would say that"
    * "And they wonder why no one takes you seriously!"
    * "How dare you say that!"
    * "That's the way to offend thousands!"

    2. Distract your opponent from the issues at hand by accusing your
    opponents of being "petty", "pathetic", "childish" or any number of other
    such terms.

    3. Put your opponent off guard by insulting him. The liberal use of
    profanity and vulgarisms can be very effective, particularly when used
    against your more dignified opponents. Your experience as a schoolyard
    bully (or passive-aggressive pansy) can be handy here.

    4. Be patronizing, condescending and present an air of superiority. It may
    hide your inferiority to the casual reader. Use phrases like "kid" or "son" (or
    "dear"), to elevate your relative apparent authority by attempting to diminish
    that of the group's advocates you are addressing.

    **Jayelles note about #4 - Uhm, scratching my head and trying to remember which RST poster it is who starts calling people "dear" when she is on the losing end of an argument...... ***

    5. Discredit your opponent or his position through the use of inappropriate
    laughter and other non-verbal grunts.

    6. When your tactics are turned on you, call your opponents trolls. Do not
    accept the fact that by calling someone using your tactics a troll that
    makes you the real troll.

    7. Keep posting non-stop. Flood the group with your idiocy and nonsense.
    Some readers may equate your volume with proof of quality. You will tie the
    newsgroup regulars in knots trying to refute you and they won't have time
    for posting on-topic.

    8. Brag about destroying other newsgroups and threaten to do the same to
    theirs.

    9. Drive as many good newsgroup members out of the group as possible, then
    attempt #8 with regard to that newsgroup.

    10. Refuse to admit your errors.
    Never ever admit your errors no matter how blatant they are. If you find no
    way out and have to admit that you are wrong, phrase it so that you can
    accuse your opponent of being wrong.

    11. Never apologize for your misbehavior.
    Never ever apologize no matter how out of line you have been behaving. If
    you should ever find it to your advantage to apologize, phrase it as a slap
    in the face of the person whom you have already wronged.

    12. Blame your stupidity and lies on your opponent.
    Blame your own stupidity on the newsgroup regular you are dealing with. For
    example: when you have made an unsupportable claim that suggests a list of
    details and you are asked to present your non-existent list, reply with, "I
    don't have to list them for you; you aren't bright enough to know what
    you're missing by using X instead of a real Y, I'm not going to explain it
    to you." Then hope that nobody reading the thread realizes that your
    statement translates as, "I lack the knowledge or facts needed to counter
    your position or your position is too complete and accurate to be refuted.
    So, I will say things to sound superior to avoid admitting you are right."

    13. Embarrass your opponent.
    Locate or create apparently embarrassing information and utilize it out of
    all proportion, in an attempt to create a scandal around it, hijack a thread
    or drive everyone to distraction.

    14. Blackmail your opponent.
    Locate or create apparently embarrassing information, then threaten your
    opponent with exposure to force his hand (i.e. keep quiet about your true
    motives). This tactic can be combined with the "Embarrass your opponent"
    tactic if you can no longer get your way though blackmail.

    15. Avoid answering direct questions.
    Avoid answering a direct question that you fear may expose you by claiming
    to not have seen the question, and then refuse to address it for other
    reasons. Keep it up along with other tactics until your opponent is
    distracted from the question.

    16. Turn a question asked of you back on your opponent.
    Better yet, turn the question back on your opponent with a question like:
    "What do you think is the 'correct' answer, lamer?" You have now taken the
    heat off your ignorance and have cast doubt on the credibility of your
    opponent.

    17. Don't substantiate your claims.
    Refuse to present evidence to support your invalid claims. Repeat your
    invalid claims and have your troll comrades do the same. Do the same for
    any invalid claims that you notice your troll comrades have made.

    ***Jayelles note - #17 is for Toth/DonBradley who point blank refuses to substantiate any of his occasionally ludicrous claims. Instead he does his "silent act" ****


    18. Don't discuss evidence that counters your position.
    Avoid examining or discussing evidence counter to your position. This is
    especially effective when combined with 3.2.8, Dancing Fool, wherein you
    change your position with every post.

    19. Ignore documented facts when they don't support you.
    Rage against the use of such documents, their use can only hurt you and
    expose your ignorance.

    20. Use invalid statistics.
    Introduce statistics to try to hurt your opponents, the "on-topic"
    advocates, and/or the newsgroup's community at large. Don't worry about
    them being valid or real. It would be nice if you can find valid statistics
    online, but if you can't, invent them out of a whole cloth. If they are
    discredited, don't let that bother you, keep citing them. If you see a
    fellow troll using statistics, cite them as well, no matter their lack of
    validity.

    21. Lie, Lie, lie, lie, lie.
    If you do it often enough you may create the appearance of truth (this also
    applies to life in general).

    22. Present multiple personalities.
    Create throwaway identities to enter the newsgroup to spread discord and,
    after a few days or weeks, stop using that identity. Change your identity
    with every few articles you post to their newsgroup. Appear to be
    supporting all sides of the issues. If things are getting slow, you can
    even get into an argument with yourself. If you are losing an argument,
    start a n-on-1 argument with your primary identity being outnumbered. Then
    have each of your new identities be convinced by your primary identity to
    the error of their ways. This could also cause readers to dismiss the
    subject of the thread.

    23. Narrow the scope of threads so that you can handle it.
    Narrow the scope of the issues that are being addressed in a thread to
    details you feel that you can refute, ridicule, or dismiss while leaving the
    main issues unaddressed.

    24. Widen the scope of threads to swamp out the original issue.
    Widen the scope of the issues discussed in a thread to the point at which
    the original issues are buried away and hopefully soon forgotten.

    25. Attack new posters who favor your opponent.
    Some of these posters may be new to the group. Show no mercy. Pounce upon
    their innocence with every single one of these tactics. If you are lucky you
    might turn them to your side; at the very least you might drive them out of
    the newsgroup and neutralize them as a threat.

    26. Attack typos and ignore the content of the message.
    Point out your opponent's grammatical flaws and spelling errors. By doing
    this you can concentrate on form while ignoring substance. This is a very
    handy method to discredit your opponent and by extension his position,
    without once again exposing your ignorance of the issues begin discussed in
    the thread.

    27. Use Spelling and Grammatical Errors to Distract.
    You can also employ the inverse of #26, making statements like, "Why do you
    nea d to dfrug the durv? Is WienDuz not working agen!" When this tactic
    works, you have disarmed the posters who have chosen to ignore you because
    of your idiot act. Others may react to your style and fail to refute your
    disinformation. Meanwhile, you have posted more disinformation in support
    of your cause.

    28. Start trolling threads.
    Start threads with subjects like "(fill-in-blank) Sux", "Why (newsgroup
    poster's name) is a (expletive)", "(any completely off-topic political
    jab)", etc. All that is important is: 1) that you consume the efforts and
    resources of the newsgroup's advocates as they try to refute your trolling
    threads; and 2) that you scare the new and casual readership of the group.

    29. Unreasonably proclaim your reasonableness.
    If your method to deliver misinformation is not among the more articulate,
    you can try to claim to be reasonable. Of course if you really were
    reasonable, you would not be a troll in the first place; however, compared
    to your more radical comrades you might seem to be more reasonable. You
    cannot be certain what the readership of the newsgroup will accept as
    reasonable without your prompting them to think of you that way. Therefore
    you need frequently mention how reasonable you are.

    30. Expose yourself on the newsgroup.
    Post articles containing ASCII art depicting your anatomy including your
    genitals, either in the message body or in the sig. Discuss your bodily
    functions and your bodily wastes, the more disgusting the better. This will
    tend to drive away more of the casual and new readers. The group's
    advocates who are frequent posters may become disgusted enough to avoid
    threads that you involve yourself in.

    31. Never let your opponents have the last word.
    Always get the last word, even if your last "word" is merely a "The sound of
    a weasel sneezing!" or a disturbing picture, which has the added bonus of
    inflaming the regulars of a non-binaries group. With this goal in mind keep
    posting replies to the thread until you have clearly been ignored; keep
    checking occasionally just to be sure. Sometimes it helps to post your
    reply as a new thread.

    32. Claim false alignment.
    Remind everyone that you are a long-time poster to and advocate of the
    newsgroup. Of course this is not true, so you will inevitably be accused of
    being what you really are. When that happens and you are accused of being a
    troll... Deny! Deny! Deny!

    33. When things get too hot, go away.
    When all else fails and things get too hot, disappear from the group. This
    is not as drastic as it sounds. You might stay away for a few months and
    then return hoping that other trolls have softened up the field a bit. If
    you don't want to stay away at all, create a new primary identity and drop
    the use of the other one.

    34. Enter the newsgroup as a lurker.
    If you are a new troll, or at least your current false identity is new, then
    make your entrance as a dedicated advocate of the newsgroup's subject.
    After a little while, spot a promising flame thread and join an attack on
    the poster. Then you can post all you want for a while, before your true
    nature is commonly known. Sometimes this works for several hours before you
    are shouted down and have to move on to a new identity or continue on as
    "normal" troll.

    35. Enter the newsgroup as a false disgruntled reader.
    Create a throwaway false identity to enter the newsgroup in order claim to
    be a short or long-term poster who has "had enough of (newsgroup subject)
    and am leaving." Stir things up for a day or two and disappear forever
    (this makes for as close to a "graceful exit" as is possible in the realm of
    trolling -- hardcore trolls will scoff at this notion).

    36. Never leave a positive thread unchallenged.
    If there is a thread developing that is positive with regard to a topic or a
    past opponent, hijack that thread at all cost -- even if it means
    sacrificing your current identity. One approach is to ramble on about other
    topics, with or without the use embedded insults. Even if you fail to
    hijack the thread, you may be able to derail it enough to cancel the
    positive impact that it could have had.

    37. Lie about what you know.
    Claim credit for experience, knowledge, or education that you do not have.
    It will impress readers who are not knowledgeable about the topic of the
    moment. Be careful to not engage someone who is truly knowledgeable on the
    subject or your actual ignorance will be exposed.

    38. Avoid providing any help.
    Because you claim to be such an expert so often, you may from time to time
    be asked for assistance. Don't provide it, lest you destroy the image you
    have lied so long to create. Treat an honest request based on a real
    situation as an argument: restate the request for real assistance as a
    hypothetical situation that you can argue against.

    39. Use of Undefined Terminology.
    Use terms such as "indoctrinated" as a substitute for "educated" or
    "experienced" when referring to another poster. Use "pedantic" in place of
    "correct", "precise", or "accurate" when referring to a given posting.
    Create and use personal definitions such as "commercial quality," as
    impressive sounding terms mislead the unwary -- but never share your
    definitions for your inappropriate terminology. This is commonly known as
    Troll-speak.

    40. Use fake email addresses.
    Use a fake email address, not just a de-spammed address like real newsgroup
    regulars use, but a completely fake and artificial one. If you feel the
    need for the appearance of normality use a credible looking email address --
    maybe not one of yours, but you can later try to explain your act of
    identity theft as an accident.

    41. Cite vapor postings.
    Cite the statements that you had "intended" to include, but never actually
    wrote in your prior postings. Gamble on the possibility that nobody will
    remember what you posted and that nobody will do the research to determine
    what you have posted. If you loose that bet, use another disinformation
    tactic to deflect the results of your using this tactic. If you find that
    regulars of the newsgroup are particularly adept at using Google searches to
    refute such tactics, be prepared for tough times ahead.

    42. Use being an idiot as an excuse.
    When you are criticized for using disinformation tactics, claim ignorance of
    the disinformation tactics and use your apparent idiocy as an excuse for
    your actions. Do the same for your comrades, such as when a regular poster
    corners one of your fellow trolls tell that person something like "What are
    you doing? It's only John Doe for goodness sake!"

    43. Criticize the group's regulars, but ignore troll transgressions.
    Always criticize the behavior of the regular posters, but ignore the same
    and even worse transgressions that are being committed by your fellow
    trolls.

    44. Accept the claims of other trolls at face value.
    Always treat other troll's statements as being true. Accept their
    interpretations without question, don't bother verifying their statements.
    If they claim something against an advocate of the group, always side with
    the trolls.

    45. Don't do your own homework.
    Make your opponent do your research for you. How much credibility you still
    have will determine how successful you will be at this tactic.

    47. The devil made me do it.
    When you are caught in a situation for which you cannot explain your actions
    without a confession of your dishonesty and your alignment, blame it on
    someone else. Create a bogeyman to take the blame.

    http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t261721-ot-or-is-it-the-troll-bible.html
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2006
  3. Little

    Little Member

    Love it Jayelles!

    I found when I first started posting that being a new kid on the block raised a few flags, so I try to be sensitive to someone who really may be new to the subject, however, it doesn't take long to figure out if it's a scam. I have to laugh when someone claims to be "new to the forums", or "just recently interested in the topic" and after a few posts it's clear they want #45 (you to waste your time looking up sources they could do themselves if they really were interested). Or, they suddenly have a profound opinion no newbie would come up with.

    Little
     
  4. Jayelles

    Jayelles Alert Viewer in Scotland

    They are excellent Little! Very astutely observed.
     
  5. heymom

    heymom Member

    Some of these have been experienced right here, haven't they? I can point to a few "hats" that have disappeared lately...

    :troll:
     
  6. Elle

    Elle Member

    Good morning Kid. How are you Dear Jay. :) :rolling: This is fantastic.

    My Scottish sister-in-law makes me feel ancient when she replies with "Yes my dear." However, she calls everyone "Dear" ... so I don't feel so bad. :)

    Methinks I iz a rotten little troll meeself. :) Not a nice person. :-(

    P.S. I haven't read all of them yet, but I know I iz.
     
  7. koldkase

    koldkase FFJ Senior Member

    Yeah, we get trolls here from time to time. Too bad for them I ENJOY doing their homework for them. hehehe Keeps my info current and makes me refresh my own memory. It's also amazing how when I look at something again that I've not discussed for a long time, with new info available in that time, I see things I didn't see before, or missed in the mountain of evidence we have to sift through.

    Ellique was one troll who used the "endearing" terms so duplicitously. He/she finally went down in a WS battle, with gutter candy defending his crap for all she is worth...which ain't much, and so he finally expired as a forum "hat/troll."
     
  8. Elle

    Elle Member

    Ach! Admit it KK. You're just a dearie wee troll yourself. :)

    Just read the TROLL LIST, Don't think we're that bad KK. Feel better? :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 18, 2006
  9. koldkase

    koldkase FFJ Senior Member

    Nope, not a troll. I don't go to forums where I'm not wanted. I don't pretend to be someone I'm not. And I don't set out to bother people on purpose. (It just happens naturally with me. :poke: )

    I am, however, a guttah gossip groupie truth-murdering crack ho in good standing, and by just being here, the whole place goes to H E L L PDQ.... :hood:
     
  10. Jayelles

    Jayelles Alert Viewer in Scotland

    I admit that I've done some of the above so I guess that makes me a troll. I'm guilty of deliberately doing #13 - Embarass your opponent.

    The interesting thing is that although some of these are in the troll's bible, they are actually valid tactics which are employed in debating and by politicians!

    The difference I suppose is when there isn't a level playing field.
     
  11. Paradox

    Paradox Banned for Stupidity by RiverRat

    That list was taken from the rules to join websleuths wasn't it?
     
  12. Tez

    Tez Member

    KK,

    Do you remember the poster that used to go by the name of The Lighthouse? He was a troll deluxe. He used to PM me all the time about how I was so wrong about the Ramseys, it was the Goth Underworld in Boulder that killed JBR. He was a strange one. I think he was eventually booted from WS too.
     
  13. Jayelles

    Jayelles Alert Viewer in Scotland

    Yeah. That's right.
     
  14. Cherokee

    Cherokee FFJ Senior Member

    Do you mean Websleuths or Webbsleuths (aka "the Swamp")?
     
  15. Paradox

    Paradox Banned for Stupidity by RiverRat

    I've never read at webb, but I gather the only requirement is the ability to suck. Web went down hill with the Karr wreck, IMO. As it was, it had too many conspiracy theorists that will remain unmentioned [braCeulB, 1elgaE, repmaC et. al.] I'm above giving parting shots, but YOU had to ask!
     
  16. tylin

    tylin Banned

    Every one of those reminds me of an old JBR/Laci Peterson case follower, who will remain mostly nameless. ;) I M O N
    Honest to gosh, my blood pressure went up when she posted. ::shocked2
     
  17. koldkase

    koldkase FFJ Senior Member

    Yeah, Lighthouse is still around. You can see him post from time to time...guess...at the swamp.

    And he's still wacked.

    Was he the one trying to get people to MEET HIM in Boulder? Talk about RED FLAG RED FLAG RED FLAG! It was some PLAN he claimed he had to catch the killer or something like that. Cloak and dagger stuff. VERY CREEPY.
     
  18. Cherokee

    Cherokee FFJ Senior Member

    Yeah, that's Lighthouse. And if I remember right, didn't Camper contact him about a rendevous?
     
  19. koldkase

    koldkase FFJ Senior Member

    Sounds about right....

    :floor:
     
  20. Tez

    Tez Member

    OMG KK, he asked me to meet him in Boulder! Red Flags abounded after that. I cut off all communication with him and reported him to River. Camper (I previously posted "your old buddy," until I saw Chero named her!) communicated with him. :poke: She actually had numerous phone conversations with him!
     
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