

Science confirms: Internet trolls are terrible people - Shenglong
http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/02/science-confirms-online-trolls-are-horrible-people-also-sadists/

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elliotz
Robert Graham (ErrataRob) pointed out some problems with this study:
[http://blog.erratasec.com/2014/02/that-trollers-are-
sadists-...](http://blog.erratasec.com/2014/02/that-trollers-are-sadists-
story-is-bogus.html)

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Ntrails
To me the fact that "trolling" means different things to different people
should be enough to render questions on it moot. What I call trolling is
playing devils advocate and taking extreme counter-positions to make someone
"bite", and isn't really harassment or bullying.

But it's a fine line, and in the end you have to decide whether you're ok
under free speech with someone taking the "Hitler was a net positive" position
[on a Jewish dating site] or if that's a form of harassment.

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lutusp
> Science confirms: Internet trolls are terrible people

Wait, what? "Science confirms"? Mainstream psychology isn't scientific, and
this is social psychology, which doesn't even make good fiction.

As usual in psychology articles, even the title contradicts itself -- science
doesn't confirm (prove) anything, it can only support theories with evidence,
while disproving a few theories along the way.

More here:
[http://arachnoid.com/building_science](http://arachnoid.com/building_science)

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transitionality
> Trolls turn out to be extroverts -- but extroverts with "disagreeable"
> personality traits.

I seriously doubt that extroverts waste their time trolling others online.
They probably have much better things to do in real life.

~~~
Tohhou
It's interesting that only introverts waste time using computers, phones, and
other devices to access networked communication methods. Quite astonishing
that everyone I see online is an introvert. Extroverts have no use for these
things, instead going outside and never touching anything electronic. When
writing letters was more popular it was probably only ever done by introverts
too. An extrovert, as a personality type, is far less likely to use every form
of communication possible, instead relying on only face to face, real life
dialog for their needs to tell other people what is going on in their heads.

~~~
transitionality
Extroverts will tend to use computers to the extent that they help their real
life activities, and won't invest significant amounts of time, energy, and
psychological engagement into online activities, particularly interaction with
online communities.

~~~
sentenza
Uhm no? I'm easily the most extroverted person wherever I go, but still manage
to waste quite some time on HN and reddit.

But now, let me tell you about meeeeeeeeeeeee...

~~~
transitionality
Keyword is "tend to".

