Don't feed the troll

[a nonny mouse]

Beware of the Troll!

If you've spent any time in chat rooms, bulletin boards or posting on Usenet you may have already come across one of these troublesome creatures.

Often suffering from a mutant strain of compulsive posting disorder, a troll's basic mission in life is to mischievously manufacture inflammatory opinions in an attempt to stir up disharmony and discord.

The most common breed of troll seeks attention by enthusiastically posting up a stream of off-topic drivel or by being clumsily provocative (like posting up, "PCs ROOL!" on an Apple Mac discussion board.)

Ignore them. The worst thing you can do is to try and engage them in rational debate as this only encourages them to hang around.

And once they find themselves the centre of attention, they inevitably become more and more 'controversial' before building up to a crescendo of abuse, followed by a theatrical flounce.

But these are mere bagatelle compared to the Nasty Troll. Like an unruly two year old in a perpetual temper tantrum, these destructive keyboard bullies want to break everything and spoil everyone's fun.



A Nasty Troll has no redeeming features whatsoever and they'll employ every dirty-no-good trick in the book in their tedious quest to wreck an online community.

This usually includes hurling around oceans of gratuitous abuse and defamatory comments, all delivered via a range of anonymous identities - with a few forged ones thrown in for good measure.

Sharp eyed bulletin board editors can usually ban 'bad bwoy' trolls before they can cause too much trouble, but on unmoderated newsgroups the damage can be terminal, with some communities giving up in the face of relentless attacks.

But not all trolls are quite so evil. A sophisticated, well researched troll can breathe much needed life into slumbering bulletin boards, turning soporific posters into turbo-charged Ian Paisleys with just a few carefully chosen posts.

Although an audacious and cunning troll can sometimes earn the begrudging respect of its target audience, such levels of sophistication are rarer than a Swansea City goal, and for most people trolls are an irritation they could live without.

[Keshet]

I applaud you both....

[EnglishLocal]

Well David you seem have a bit of time on your hands I would say. Well done though I particularly licked the bit about hopping up onto the wall to check for women drivers. Be careful though it might be sexist by our moderator.

[Bugfreik]

It seems to have resurfaced. I vote NO traffic lights at the bridge. Again. Let's be a wee bit different and give commonsense a chance. We've coped for over 200 years without them.

[Pentlandpirate]

Bugfreik........but you haven't coped 200 years without cars, though I must admit I haet the thought of traffic lights at the bridge. There are far too many signs and sticky up things spoiling our roads and countryside. Next you'll have big yellow reflector boards behind every sign to make every sign doubly obvious and blind you as you drive on a lonely road at night with undipped headlights.

The trouble so often in this world is that common sense is not allowed to prevail.

[EnglishLocal]

I think they should have a toll on the bridge. Only visitors pay full rate with locals paying nothing. It would not stop people visiting would it and at the same time a safety device for cars.

[Bugfreik]

>think they should have a toll on the bridge. Only visitors pay full rate with locals paying nothing. It would not stop people visiting would it and at the same time a safety device for cars<

Or a troll.
Tongue in cheek and apologising before I speak....if there was a toll the visitors from Yorkshire would turn back. Oh damn, I'm a racist.




Today's wee quote..'if you can laugh at yourself you'll understand other people better'

[moonraker]

hey bug boy watch what you say .big brother will curse you......on that point i hear the wooly has been sold. so if they are away at back end of the year if you have dinner this weekend you might get pudding by end of season .. .P.S YOU MAY GET IT HOT........forget the smile you have no chance wonder who will buy

[EnglishLocal]

Hey nonny mouse I just read ALL of your initial post there. I fell asleep after the first couple of lines before.

Your definition of a troll would indeed be someone like you. One who posts crap, boring non informative garbage. Yea that would be you. You even had the audacity to start a new thread. Ha

[Pentlandpirate]

Come on mate, we've just spent the last couple of days saying we're going to move on from slagging each other off. By all means have your opinion, but if you can't put it politely, I think most would prefer you don't bother.

[a nonny mouse]

Gosh, EnglishLocal, you have such a lovely way with words

My post obviously hit home.

Keep on keeping on, my boring friend. I might come and chew through the wires in your house, and then no internet for you. Then what will you do when you're unable to post more of your insane drivel?

I don't think they'll allow you to have a computer in your padded cell, because that's where you are obviously heading.