

Conversation Hackers: How Trolls Work - dwwoelfel
http://www.cognitionandculture.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=559:conversation-hackers-trolls-argumentation&catid=32:oliviers-blog&Itemid=34

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ejames
"Apparently, the 'Flat-Earthers' who created the site were really Trolls who
planned to attract Round-earthers, and confound them with silly arguments.
Instead, other Trolls showed up and began arguing for both positions."

Wow... I've long been aware of trolls, and of websites frequently visited by
trolls, and of subjects that only really serve to attract trolls, but I had
never thought of the wheels-within-wheels situation of trolls creating a
website on a trollbait topic specifically for the purpose of trolling it
themselves.

Truly, the Internet is a monument to human perversity.

~~~
epochwolf
_Truly, the Internet is a monument to human perversity._

I figured this out years ago when I discovered most of the internet is porn.

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phaedrus
At the risk of being downvoted, I'd like to point out that there's no possible
remark or continuation of this line of discussion that will not be downvoted.

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phaedrus
Was anyone else reminded of the ancient Greek philosopher Gorgias? Quote from
the article:

"The conclusion of your argument is blatantly absurd, but every premise is
correct, except one. The trick is to hide that wrong premise under an
intricate discussion."

Gorgias on wikipedia: "“How can anyone communicate the idea of color by means
of words since the ear does not hear colors but only sounds?” This quote,
written by the Sicilian philosopher Gorgias, was used to show his theory that
‘there is nothing’, ‘if there were anything no one would know it’, ‘and if
anyone did know it, no one could communicate it’."

I do not mean to say that Gorgias == Troll, but that I recognize in Gorgias's
arguments the same love of the challenge of arguing an insane position that
the article introduces as part of the motivation of Trolls.

~~~
epochwolf
I haven't heard of Gorgias before but I was reminded of my Philosophy 101
class. The arguments we discussed do seem very trollish to me right now.

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tung
From what I've seen, trolling is about power. Trolls act to make a mark on
people similar to how graffiti artists make their mark on blank spaces.

If you suspect somebody is a troll, you shouldn't call them out on it.
Trolling is about intent, and unless you're a mind-reader, nobody knows that
but the troll themselves.

Trolls are not legitimate contributors to a conversation. You gain no
information from them, so it's not worth engaging them. Suppress your desire
to "correct" them, and suppress the urge to publicly inform the troll's
victims that they are a troll. That's exactly what they're after.

I could be missing some subtleties, but these seem like the running themes.

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sli
This article is just begging to be trolled. Just sayin'.

~~~
crpatino
No, it is not! It shreds new light over the inner life of trolls of all times
and trades.

Sorry... so much temptation ;)

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julius_geezer
If I ride down the street blowing a dog whistle and encouraging all the
neighbors' dogs to bark, am I an X hacker, and if so for what value of X?

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phaedrus
This article should be required reading for anyone creating a forum account
anywhere.

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snissn
i wonder how many comments on this page have been and will be written and then
deleted as their author decided that they knew better

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chasingsparks
This article actually convinced me to start trolling sites to learn how to
argue better and recognize bad arguments. (I will not do so here.)

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revoltingx
Trolling can make an otherwise dull day, more.... entertaining.

