Era of Trolling - the long term effect

[mizzou]

How did people troll in real life...before the internet? I don't remember people making outlandish comments or crazy theories in public before....at least en masse

It seems so common now for people to be racist, ignorant, and stupid when behind the anonymity of the internet.

Go to facebook, I don't see anyone on my list making idiotic statements. Sure, there are occasionally some political or ethical discussions, but rarely are they blatantly ignorant. Go to a teenagers facebook, sure maybe there is more ignorance.

I'll admit I've done my share fair of trolling, but that was in my teenage years and I thought that people would laugh at what would be an obviously stupid comment. I'm not sure what level of troll this is...but probably low.

So here we are, decades into the anonymous internet era which promotes craziness...I wonder what the long term effect of this trolling will be?

I think I'll write a book on this :hmm: Kickstarter?

 

[darkewaffle]

You never heard anyone say "psyche!" as a kid?

 

[z1ggy]

They were probably busy killing small creatures or beating up kids at school. Now they can get joy and pleasure by tricking/harassing people anonymously online.

 

[JManInPhoenix]

How did people troll in real life...before the internet? I don't remember people making outlandish comments or crazy theories in public before....at least en masse

Chain letters. You must copy & mail this letter to 50 more people or suffer the consequences :hmm:

 

[mizzou]

You never heard anyone say "psyche!" as a kid?

There's a difference between coming up with 9/11 conspiracy theories, manipulating video footage to prove a crazy perspective, just to fuck with people and telling your friend he's got birdshit in his hair and saying physche!

I guess you could say some trolls are indeed funny and a part of society.

Maybe we should come up with the different races of trolls and how they impact normal human life.

 

[KLin]

Watch the first episode of Fargo on FX. Billy Bob Thornton's character is a master troll.

 

[smackababy]

There's a difference between coming up with 9/11 conspiracy theories, manipulating video footage to prove a crazy perspective, just to fuck with people and telling your friend he's got birdshit in his hair and saying physche!

I guess you could say some trolls are indeed funny and a part of society.

Maybe we should come up with the different races of trolls and how they impact normal human life.

Do you really believe there were no conspiracy theories before the internet?

Want to know about some real life trolls? Look up Ted Kaczynski. He seems eerily similar to some of these internet hate machine people. Except, he actually hurt people not their websites.

 

[mizzou]

Do you really believe there were no conspiracy theories before the internet?

Want to know about some real life trolls? Look up Ted Kaczynski. He seems eerily similar to some of these internet hate machine people. Except, he actually hurt people not their websites.

No no, not saying trolling is anything new. I feel like many who come on here and say these things, they don't believe it or practice it themselves. They just say shit to get people riled up. In doing so, they also collect the support of actually deranged and unstable people like Kacyznski.

It's like, we have good people who just say stupid shit just to say it and it's really easy to do it now vs. being labeled a black sheep or intelligent outcast.

 

[Phoenix86]

 

[Brian Stirling]

People have been making up sh*t for ever ... the guy that discovered the crystal skull had purchased, at auction, not long before ... wait for it ... a crystal skull.

The guy that produced the famous bigfoot video had purchased, not long before ... wait for it ... a gorilla suit.

And that's even before we get to aliens...

But, the internet provides a platform like no other and these guys can make a fortune selling anything because there are a lot of gullible people that WANT to believe.

But, the modern internet troll is a different beast than anything we've seen before and in my observation this behaviour increased enormously in the last 5-8 years or so. Before that you had the occasional nasty comment on youtube etc, but now you can hardly see a single page of comments without several trollish comments.

There was a report just last week about the personality types that make up troll behaviour and the one that frightens me the most are the psychopaths that hunt for hurting people on FB or Twitter and then hound them with comments encouraging them to kill themselves. When they get the responses they want they ratchet up the trolling. It appears some have to fight to get recognized as many other trolls, looking for the same victims, join the fray. People have died and many more will as this is the perfect crime...


Brian

 

[Genx87]

How did people troll in real life...before the internet? I don't remember people making outlandish comments or crazy theories in public before....at least en masse

It seems so common now for people to be racist, ignorant, and stupid when behind the anonymity of the internet.

Go to facebook, I don't see anyone on my list making idiotic statements. Sure, there are occasionally some political or ethical discussions, but rarely are they blatantly ignorant. Go to a teenagers facebook, sure maybe there is more ignorance.

I'll admit I've done my share fair of trolling, but that was in my teenage years and I thought that people would laugh at what would be an obviously stupid comment. I'm not sure what level of troll this is...but probably low.

So here we are, decades into the anonymous internet era which promotes craziness...I wonder what the long term effect of this trolling will be?

I think I'll write a book on this :hmm: Kickstarter?

World wars. Nazis's and Communists were the ultimate trolls back in the day.

 

[Jaepheth]

How did people troll in real life...before the internet? ...

Trolling is not something that has come and gone; it is a constant in human history. Back in the day, it was called "vexing."

 

[dennilfloss]

They used the printed press, megaphones and podiums.

 

[angminas]

http://imgur.com/a/GLDrD

 

[HamburgerBoy]

You've obviously never been to a Klan rally before, op.

 

[KlokWyze]

How did people troll in real life...before the internet? I don't remember people making outlandish comments or crazy theories in public before....at least en masse

It seems so common now for people to be racist, ignorant, and stupid when behind the anonymity of the internet.

Go to facebook, I don't see anyone on my list making idiotic statements. Sure, there are occasionally some political or ethical discussions, but rarely are they blatantly ignorant. Go to a teenagers facebook, sure maybe there is more ignorance.

I'll admit I've done my share fair of trolling, but that was in my teenage years and I thought that people would laugh at what would be an obviously stupid comment. I'm not sure what level of troll this is...but probably low.

So here we are, decades into the anonymous internet era which promotes craziness...I wonder what the long term effect of this trolling will be?

I think I'll write a book on this :hmm: Kickstarter?

Some trolls aren't actually evil, but just sort of troubled and lashing out.

The anonymity provided by the internet allows people a medium to talk about things inappropriate in a normal social settings.

The internet did not create racism, bigotry or idiots. I'm not sure what your point is. You realize the internet allows trolls a medium to spew their vitriol? Your are so insightful. You SHOULD write a book!

 

[mizzou]

The internet did not create racism, bigotry or idiots. I'm not sure what your point is. You realize the internet allows trolls a medium to spew their vitriol? Your are so insightful. You SHOULD write a book!

I would wager that there is a higher % of people actively engaging in trollism due to the internet.

Because there is a higher % of people now trolling, I wonder if it will have a lasting effect in the future.

That's my point, take it for what its worth.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

For f***'s sake man, learn to take a joke OP.