I'll be honest, I didn't know much about trolling. I don't usually scroll through any comments anywhere, so I had to do a little bit of research. If I understand correctly, it's when someone posts a comment that's seemingly bashing whatever the subject of the webpage is. And then, if they're successful, people will reply and a "comment war" commences, leaving at least one person really ticked off.
I loved the picture one of my classmates used, about the "internet tough guy" because that's exactly what it seems like to me. Being anonymous enables these people to say and do whatever they want, and not care at all for the feelings or well-being of others. (It's a stretch, but it's like Brad Paisley's song "Online"!) You can become anyone online!
It's very easy to say things when you don't know who's reading them. And it's not just online... when you can be anonymous in any situation, you're more likely to be "honest" or say things you'd be afraid to say in person. And if you see (or hear) someone else being mean, you're more likely to join in.
The best way to tell if you're being tricked is to do your research. If someone tries to tell you a date has changed, for example, check out other resources and see if it's true, before you panic (*cough*BordersBankruptcy*cough*). And in general, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
How do you stop this from happening? My best guess would be to ignore those 'trolls'. Don't comment or acknowledge them in any way. It's tough to do, especially if you want to respond to a legitimate comment, but unless you have the power to block someone, you just have to ignore any unwanted posts!
Or Trick-Rolled depending on who you are talking to on the other side!
ReplyDeleteRudy
I see we have a lot of the same views on trolling. I agree with you that if we just let the trolls be and not let them affect us that they won't be getting the attention they're looking for and this may cause them to post less. And I love the cartoons you found.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder how 4chan still exists seeing as it is just a nest of trolls. Maybe the best and most satisfying trolling that a troll can do is to out troll another troll in troll-on-troll combat. A troll cannot ignore another of its kind.
ReplyDeleteGreat song drop! Brad Paisley is the man!
ReplyDeleteAlso, great point about doing some legitimate research to avoid being tricked or mislead by faulty information
Nice! I agree w/ yu on a lot of points. Its hard to pick out a troll sometimes, but when its obvious, we should ignore them even if its hard to do. It saves us a lot of frustration. I like your comics by the way.:)
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