What Internet Trolls really are.

[Spendulus]

Interesting study.  What kind of people are internet trolls, actually?

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/10/02/and-climate-internet-trols-are-some-of-the-worst/

In this month’s issue of Personality and Individual Differences, a study was published that confirms what we all suspected: internet trolls are horrible people.Let’s start by getting our definitions straight. An internet troll is someone who comes into a discussion and posts comments designed to upset or disrupt the conversation. Often, it seems like there is no real purpose behind their comments except to upset everyone else involved. Trolls will lie, exaggerate, and offend to get a response.

[Balthazar]

What kind of people are internet trolls, actually?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD9FAOPBiDk

[Lethn]

The problem is as usual the people who don't use the internet just don't get it, trolls aren't these psychopaths and lunatics that internet stalk people and harass them, trolling is where you stir up shit sometimes justifiably and rile people up who are easily annoyed to begin with. It really is a fucking joke seeing people who barely use the internet on mainstream television comment on 'trolling', I for instance troll religious people on this board because I know they're going to get pissed off and I tend to only do it when they're being particularly homophobic or preachy which has been quite a bit lately but I would never go around internet stalking them or harassing them.

Too bad the people who write these articles will just ban, delete or ignore anyone that claims otherwise or doesn't go along with their stereotype of internet users, it's like going onto the flat earth society and posting and posting lots of photos of a spherical Earth, it pisses off people who are easily riled to begin with, no more.

For the record I do agree with the kind of data out there that shows that the people who start harassing and attacking particular people really are psychopaths because that's what psychopaths do, these people don't have anyone to pick on at school because they're all alone now so they go hunting on the internet instead. I get the feeling this is just another attempt at trying to curb internet freedom and stop people from posting whatever they like and is a precursor to something far more insidious than simply protecting someone's hurt feelings. By the way I can completely understand if somebody is having trouble with an internet stalker, never use software or websites that don't allow you to block certain users by I.P address, encrypt your messages and for fucks sake don't give out personal information unless you have the balls to live with the consequences.

Edit: Onion News Network would actually be what I define as internet trolls because they post completely fake news stories as if they're facts and stupid people completely fall for it.

[Spendulus]

....I get the feeling this is just another attempt at trying to curb internet freedom and stop people from posting whatever they like and is a precursor to something far more insidious than simply protecting someone's hurt feelings. By the way I can completely understand if somebody is having trouble with an internet stalker, never use software or websites that don't allow you to block certain users by I.P address, encrypt your messages and for fucks sake don't give out personal information unless you have the balls to live with the consequences.....

+1

[knight22]

What kind of people are internet trolls, actually?

[Justine]

Just a symptom of people having too much time at their hand.

[Lethn]

Yeah that's the kind of butthurt posts people who have been trolled make Knight22 still pissed I made your religion look so bad?

[Lethn]

By the way, found a brilliant article written by somebody on the subject, also points towards lots of media stupidity.

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/what-trolling-means-definition-UK-newspapers

[knight22]

Yeah that's the kind of butthurt posts people who have been trolled make Knight22 still pissed I made your religion look so bad?

My religion? Which one 

[a447513372]

Too bad the people who write these articles will just ban, delete or ignore anyone that claims otherwise or doesn't go along with their stereotype of internet users, it's like going onto the flat earth society and posting and posting lots of photos of a spherical Earth, it pisses off people who are easily riled to begin with, no more.

The OP has a much more concise definition of what a troll is, which I would agree with. Many/most people will define a troll as someone who gives an extreme view that they do not agree with, and therefore it is claimed that trolling happens much more often then it really does.

Edit: Onion News Network would actually be what I define as internet trolls because they post completely fake news stories as if they're facts and stupid people completely fall for it.

IMO the Onion is satire and meant to make people laugh and not meant to be believed.

[Lethn]

Fucking internet noobs