The Internet Troll As The Trickster Archetype

[L. Coyote]

The Internet Troll As The Trickster Archetype
http://trollpolice.com/?p=1

Author and Source: http://www.drewspeak.com/

...........

Internet trolls can have real power. They can alter your emotional landscape, insert their presence very tangibly into your life. Being trolled can be a harrowing experience. Because of the implicit anonymity built into Internet dialogue, the user often has no clear idea who is harassing him/her - they are confronted only by an adversary who might be represented only by an alphanumeric “name” and a barrage of abuse. There is often little recourse against the offending party. ................

[WillyT]

1. Been There... Seen That...

:shrug:

[Skink]

2. Howard Dean was a troll magnet.

[L. Coyote]

5. I can tell already, this will be a fun thread.

I'm wondering, what is the Missionary Troll's position?? :rofl:

[L. Coyote]

3. The Psychopathological Troll, The Missionary, The Apprentice

Don’t Feed the Trolls

I found this article written by Adam Reed to be worthy of it’s own page…

Please Don’t Feed The Trolls
by Adam Reed http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Reed


In Scandinavian folk tales, a troll is a scary thing that lives under a bridge, and dedicates its life to preventing the bridge from being used for the purpose for which it was built. In internet fora, a “troll” is a participant whose participation is counterproductive to the purpose of the forum she intrudes on. Trolls may be classified, first, by motivation: the psychopathological troll and the missionary troll.

2. The Psychopathological Troll

The psychopathological troll is motivated to participate in an internet forum by psychotic delusions or compulsions, or by a neurotic seeking of false self-esteem. The postings of a psychotic troll are unlikely to make any recognizable sense at all.

........

3. The Missionary Troll

The missionary troll is motivated to participate in an internet forum by a desire to win others to his favorite belief system, .... Missionary trolls are pervasive, persistent, and above all numerous. They are the vast majority of active trolls.

4. Identification: The Apprentice Troll

The apprentice troll is one who has not yet achieved mastery of trollcraft, and lacks the habits of stealth that delay the identification of a master troll. Thus, the apprentice troll will often let her mask slip .....



MORE: http://trollpolice.com/dont-feed-the-trolls/

[mitchtv]

4. nothing like hot troll

on the grill; with a nice chianti

[villager]

6. But someone screen-named "L. Coyote" should also know that tricksters...

...can be positive, "fooling" us into confronting the deeper self, etc...

[L. Coyote]

14. "All the better to eat you my dears." Close relative of the wolf, you know!

"Children, would you like to see my kitchen?"

:rofl:

[villager]

22. But Coyote, and Raven, and Pan, and Anansi, and whichever tricksters you care to name...

...shouldn't be compared to rightwing trolls.

The noble-yet-unauthorized "trickster" has a deeper calling...

Look at the roll of the "fools," for example, in Shakespeare...

[Warpy]

19. Yeah, which is why I questioned the term

Trolls are just annoying. They are also narcissists and the worst thing you can do to a narcissist is ignore him.

The opposite of love isn't hate. It's indifference.

[Blue-Jay]

7. "I'm offended by all the Larry Craig threads."

[Demeter]

8. Bad As It Is to Be Attacked In Cyberspace

it's much worse done to your face, either in private or public. I eat trolls for breakfast! Bring them on!

[Blue-Jay]

9. "If you eat chicken nuggets, you are as guilty as Michael Vick"

[Blue-Jay]

10. Check out my balls!

Tee hee hee! I was talking about TENNIS! Ain't I clever?

[L. Coyote]

11. So, You Want to Learn About Trolls…

Reading this makes me conclude that political trolls are a unique genre, more in the trickster class.

===========
So, You Want to Learn About Trolls…
http://trollpolice.com/2007/08/29/so-you-want-to-learn-about-trolls/

How can I tell someone is a troll?

You really can’t, and that is usually the biggest problem. However, with time, you can learn certain indicators that can help identify a possible troll. I should note that one or two “odd” things does not mean someone is a troll. Truth is, some people have led unusual lives and sometimes life can be crazier than fiction. It is usually after an extended period, and after a significant number of “red flags”, when you can truly suspect a troll.

There are several types of trolls.

Fake trolls — These are people who are outright liars. They make up stories and fabricate a history so they can slip into a group and join them .......

The “real” troll. — This is a real person who is probably completely honest about who they are and their family status. However, they are very needy people and tend to dominate conversations. They embellish their lives, exaggerating real stories to get sympathy and to make people like or love them. They seem to one-up everyone .......

A sub-set of the real troll is what I call the “vague troll.” They are real people, but just so happen to be troublemakers. .......

Destroyers — The last type of troll really needs a totally different category. While their numbers represent a small fraction of the people on the Internet, this group is the most dangerous. They have one purpose, to break-up a site, group, etc. They start debates on controversial subjects for no other reason than to stir up trouble. .........

[Forkboy]

28. I think we have some definite Destroyers about.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K. :)

[L. Coyote]

29. Destroyers is a good choice of terms. Political fora have way worst than trolls

operating there dirty tricks. Just read the "unmentionable" underground posts, where they brag of raising hell on DU. I think there are lock-step gangs working the political fora, trying to suppress, disrupt, divert, bash, malign, and more. We need a new vocabulary to help everyone understand this new phenomena. They are clever to invisible, but they still stink!

[leeroysphitz]

33. Strange things indeed

Most peculiar Forkboy.

[Blue-Jay]

12. _______ is a RWeffort to distract us from _____!!11!1!one!

[EFerrari]

13. I can't think of any tricksters that are malicious?

Mischievous but not malicious. :shrug:

[L. Coyote]

20. Indeed, the classic trickster is a teacher, albeit with alternate methods

and no real restrictions on what behavior is proper, with mischief and humor almost mandatory. But benign in motive. So the troll really does not fit very well into the trickster mould.

Trolls on political websites are dirty tricksters, not tricksters in the Coyote sense. We need a neologism for political trolls. I proposed "blemmings" before, here on DU, for the blog lemmings that want to lead the herd over a cliff.

----------------
Blemming, noun, a blog lemming, a nuisance person or thread calling attention to and enthusiastic about a distracting topic

Blemming, verb. to distract from an important issue with irrelevancies, to blemish or inundate a reasonable discussion with extraeous issues

Usage: Blemmings often lead the herd over a cliff to drown in a sea of irrelevancy.

Synonym: Online ratf*cker.
----------------

But more vocabulary is in order. Blemmings are not the only type of political disruption on forums. Suggestions? Scatologists smear the place with filth. Who pounds away at wedges? etc. etc.???

[CoffeeCat]

15. I'd rather deal with one hundred trolls...

...than one paid blogger.

[L. Coyote]

17. Good point. How many trolls are paid to disrupt political discourse today?

This is a real serious question. Are we getting e-wedgied?

[L. Coyote]

16. Ready for this: A thesis on Trolls = Psycho-Sociological Discourse on Internet Trolls

Simple Vandals or a Unique Social Movement?
A Psycho-Sociological Discourse on Internet Trolls
http://www.io.com/~zikzak/troll_thesis.html

Amy Dhala, 1999
University of Texas School of Sociology, Post-Graduate Studies

Abstract

Internet trolling has been around since the earliest days of Usenet, ......

....

troll v.,n.
1. To utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable responses or flames; or, the post itself. Derives from the phrase "trolling for newbies" which in turn comes from mainstream "trolling", a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite. The well-constructed troll is a post that induces lots of newbies and flamers to make themselves look even more clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to the more savvy and experienced that it is in fact a deliberate troll. If you don't fall for the joke, you get to be in on it. See also YHBT.

2. An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1; regularly posts specious arguments, flames or personal attacks to a newsgroup, discussion list, or in email for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by the fact that the have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand - they simply want to utter flame bait. Like the ugly creatures they are named after, they exhibit no redeeming characteristics, and as such, they are recognized as a lower form of life on the net, as in, "Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll."

[L. Coyote]

18. "I really, really hate to admit this but I was once a "paid poster." "

Re: Paid Posters?
UrbanEnnui UrbanEnnui
Member
From: http://www.capitolgrilling.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=76687&page=1&fpart=3&PHPSESSID=41fab60e19ff353c6872b51d015a5f41

I really, really hate to admit this but I was once a "paid poster." (Not here -- this was years ago, and on a totally different kind of board.)

It was like Zero suggested, meaning that it was related to business. To make a long story short: this crappy company that I worked for as a "researcher" (OK, to be fair, I did actually do legitimate research for them from time-to-time) had this little problem with a woman who was pulling a whistle-blower number on them in various arenas, but particularly on a site devoted to the stock market. So, my bosses suggested that I get online and ferret her out. See, she was causing them a lot of problems, but they didn't know who she was. So, I signed up, posted some long fake-ass sob story akin to hers, made sure to kiss butt like mad at every point (tip: to really ingratiate yourself you want to always seem like you're asking advise, looking up to someone, etc…. Coming off as a know-it-all or a strong-willed person will not get you anywhere), and then I waited. She responded, I wrote back, and so on. Sure enough, after a bit, she contacted me privately…. She didn't give me her full name, but she gave me enough to figure out who she was via the company files.

I know it sucks, but I was only a 20-year-old idiot at the time and I didn't know better. Yes, I still feel like shit about it (especially since her grievances were legit), and no, I have never, ever done anything like that again.

But it does happen.

On the plus side, my little diatribes on the site were apparently a bit too convincing: the crappy company's owner called an emergency meeting, which turned out to be rather expensive since they had to fly in various execs, all in response to my "potentially damaging" posts. Finally my immediate boss showed up at the meeting and said, "Umm, she's one of ours…." How did Shakespeare put it? …when first we practice to deceive….

[canetoad]

21. Oh man, have you ever frequented Usenet

there, you will learn the true meaning of trolling.

[cgrindley]

27. Something Awful, Fark etc

it's not trolling, it's more like the Algonquin Club on acid. If you can't take the heat of the internet, stay out of its hottest kitchens.

[Jed Dilligan]

23. If troll is an archetype, that would mean

all of us are a little bit troll--some more than others.

Makes sense to me.

[L. Coyote]

24. Trickster is the archetype, and seemingly misused here.

The trickster is not evil. The troll won't let you cross the bridge, or tries to bait you with their hook.

So, while a clever writing hook, the title is a bit trollish!

[Jed Dilligan]

30. The first thing I did when I discovered the political internet

was troll on a Repug board. I posed as an ignorant person wanting to be convinced of whom to vote for in 2000. It was a lot of fun!

I think in a sense trolling is a human universal because it is an instinctual reaction to these particular conditions of communication. I'm sure if Huehuecoyotl Himself was (is?) online, the first thing he would do is troll (after trying to get laid, of course).

on edit: I forgot about online gambling. That's definitely the first thing Coyote would get himself into.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. Pure trolling I don't get too upset about it.

Done properly it's just a sort of practical joke.

You trick people into saying something stupid, everybody has a laugh, and people go on their merry way.

Now that's a big difference from what it's devolved into- disruption, harassment, and so on.

The good news is, the point of trolling is to make somebody else look stupid, and trolls around here just end up making themselves look stupid. They're self-marginalizing, and there's really no point in making a fuss about them.

[cgrindley]

26. The example the article gave was a shitty one

The comment at Case Western wasn't a troll at all. It was a fairly astute observation that the guy who went fucking nuts and started shooting shit was fucking nuts and should be avoided.

Is it still a troll if it's true? I think not.

[porphyrian]

31. What do you call the people who accuse everyone they disagree with of being trolls?

Maybe we should make trolls wear armbands or something for easy identification.

[L. Coyote]

35. That has to be a Trollmonger.

Troll·mon·ger

n. A person promoting the idea others are undesirable or discreditable.

From: to peddle, Middle English mongere, from Old English mangere, from Latin mang, dealer in slaves.
Combined with: Troll, one who posts deliberately provocative messages to cause maximum disruption and argument on electronic fora.

[hunter]

32. Trolls are boring and predictable, tricksters ain't.

This is just another trollish thread meant to smear the good names of tricksters by association.

...being trolled can be a "harrowing experience?" OMG, in what world?

Trolls generally stay under their own bridges, smelling bad and being a nuisance to travelers. They shouldn't be confused with stalkers, disruptors, and other miscreants.

[TenkaiKitsune]

34. There are also Teaching Trolls

There is a war going on. A war that has existed long before your birth, and may exist long after you are gone. A war among elites, who think they own the world, and how such a group may divide the world for their taking. A war that uses real, oardinary people as pawns to erradicate the motives and the intent of somebody.

These people are powerful, and they are very well hidden. They are capable of intermingling just among you, as one of you, saying everything you want to hear....those people? They may be your friends. Your neighbors. Maybe posters with thousands of posts, maybe even a moderator with an agenda no one could possibly imagine they had. As a moderator of some years in my teenage years, I was one of those moderators. I banned whoever I liked for personal reasons - and I got away with it.

Maybe it is karma, then, that I too am persecuted. Maybe, it's someone attempting to teach ME. I do not know. But I do know - that I have attempted to educate others. Hate and rage is a very real thing, I am thankful that I do not possess any real hate, but my rage is intense. It gets bad, yes, very. If I can teach people how disgusting a certain point of view looks, or how deep-seated rage can look, perhaps I can change a few minds. That was my hope anyway.

The trolls, then, may not be all your enemies. Atleast in my case I really hate no one...I simply vent some of my tactics on those I feel are no more than existing to mislead you all with 'popularity'. The salem witch hunts...they existed predominantly on the red flags. Metaphysical, fantasy red flags...but red flags nonetheless. Is it a road any would want to go down? But it is a real road, however.

I made some good points, here. SOme people read them. I actually got people to like me at some time...strange. Did it mean that my likability had shown, or that some people genuinely liked some of the stances I adopted for no more than a showing of ones opposite....what one can become with a large amount of hate, and going down the wrong path?

I never wanted attention. If I wanted that, there are places I am much more popular. This website - it isn't just a website. It is a tool, one which should be used responsibly. I know of many places who use it as a source of news, and the comments of people like you may have a sway on their judgement. People - sometimes they doubt themselves in hopes of finding another to justify their thoughts. Their actions.

Not every troll is out to annoy, or destroy. If I cannot be loved, then let me be hated...and if I can appear like everything I would like to hate...then I have succeeded in spreading my views. It is harder to disagree with that you agree with.

[L. Coyote]

36. New Troll Species. Homoferus inundatus

Homoferus inundatus, the inundation troll.

Genus (from the combined form)

homo hominis : human being, man + ferus : fierce, wild, savage, untamed.

species

inundatus : deluge, flood, inundate, swamp, submerge, (to fill beyond capacity)

This newly described species swamps fora with many posts, typically on an undesirable and negative topic that disrupts normal, productive discourse. Their object is to exceed the normal tolerance level of rational people and drive them to higher consciousness e-terrain. They lurk in the dark basements of human consciousness, awaiting scandalous moments to produce their divulgences.

Like many troll species, they function best in covert packs :rofl:

They are related to the Blemming Homoferus, but rather than lead bloggers over a cliff, inundatus seeks to flood participants from the premises with a flood of vile spittle.

(I thought this would be more fun than hiding all the Larry Craig threads.)

[ecstatic]

37. When a troll has that much power over you, it's time to log off

Seriously. :rofl: