Repost:What is a troll?
Don Patrol
mean, I hope this article is helpful. I forget where I found it.
Consider this a public service message.
Please not respond to this message. This message will be cross-posted.
I hope this will help you out. (Print this out and put it on file)
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> > What is a troll?
> >
> > The term "troll" has several meanings on usenet. You have the
> > Real Life[tm] meanings as given to us by Merriam Webster:
> >
> > troll (trol) v. 1.To fish for by running a baited line behind a
> > slowly moving boat n 1. A creature of Scandinavian folklore
> > variously portrayed as a dwarf or giant living in caves or under
> > bridges.
> >
> > And then there's the usenet meanings - which are actually rather
> > similar to those above. In the case of the verb, the definition
> > is close - with one small twist; _you_ are the thing that
> > someone is trying to catch - and catch you they will if you
> > aren't wary. For bait, the troll will often take the form of a
> > derogatory post - one that is designed to incite as much
> > reaction as possible. For each person who responds, the poster
> > will consider that person "caught". The troll is considered to
> > have been a complete success if it disrupts the normal traffic
> > on a newsgroup. In extreme cases, trolls are posted by groups of
> > people and crossposted to unrelated newsgroups in an attempt to
> > destroy those groups by flooding them with flames and off-topic
> > ranting. Then, there is the noun, which again is nearly dead on,
> > but this type of troll has an e-mail account, a global bridge to
> > hide under, and a fishing pole to match - beware, for the hills
> > are full of 'em.
> >
> > How can I spot a troll?
> >
> > Most trolls take the form of blanket statements designed solely
> > to generate as many irate responses as possible. Posts with
> > subject lines such as: "Macs suck Worse than Amiga's!" or "Mac
> > Users are pathetic losers" Are most likely trolls.
> >
> > Also, trolls love to generate mayhem by crossposting derogatory
> > statements to two rival groups and watching the sparks fly as
> > the groups flame each other into oblivion. That being the case,
> > it is usually a good idea to think _very_ long and hard before
> > responding to anything that is crossposted. If you must reply to
> > a crossposted message - edit the header to only include one
> > newsgroup; otherwise, take it to e-mail - or risk being branded
> > a weenie for life. Trolls can also pop up in existing threads.
> > These are usually the most distressing as they are unsuspected.
> > Suddenly, you are confronted with someone you believe to be a
> > mac user , who has taken a ridiculous position which just pisses
> > you off from here to hades. Remember, if you find yourself
> > thinking, "I can't believe this guy", it's a good chance that
> > the post is a troll. You'll know for sure if the same person is
> > consistently stupid and infuriating throughout the majority of
> > his posts to the newsgroup.
> >
> > Are trolls made by real people?
> >
> > Nope. Trolls are made by nasty little people who crave far more
> > attention than they deserve. Most of them are inadequate losers
> > with absolutely_no_lives_what_so_ever! Remember that, a troll,
> > by virtue of their lack of a life, will always have more time on
> > his hands than you - it's part of the inhuman nature of the
> > beast. Also, be advised that trolls will also band together.
> > There is a group of people known as alt.syntax.tactical who make
> > it their life's work to destroy as many groups as they can. They
> > consider a group destroyed when more than three quarters of the
> > threads on a group have been started by them; and the group is
> > unusable for normal traffic.
> >
> > Why do trolls troll?
> >
> > Ah, good question. While there is no way of knowing why all
> > trolls troll, there are some good theories. The general
> > concensus is that the troll is trying to build up a flaccid ego;
> > the troll sees himself as superior to anyone who responds to the
> > bait. The worst thing you can do, in the eyes of the troll, is
> > not respond at all - to absolutely ignore them. By not reacting,
> > you have completely defeated their purpose in life. In other
> > words, the troll sees his self-worth in how much of a reaction
> > he can inspire - ignore him, and you confirm his worthlessness.
> > It's your best weapon.
> >
> > What's the best way to deal with a troll?
> >
> > Contrary to most people's natural instincts, the best tactic is
> > to do absolutely nothing. In other words, _DO_NOT_ respond to a
> > troll. To do so is to play entirely into the trolls hands. I
> > cannot stress this enough. If left alone, the troll will usually
> > get bored and go away - leaving many happy Mac Users to ride off
> > into the sunset doing various backwards and forwards victory
> > dances. Read that last paragraph carefully. It is of the highest
> > importance if we are to keep trolls at bay. So, remember, a
> > troll's greatest joy is to piss _YOU_ off. Unless you deny him
> > what he wants, he will stay around for more - gleefully feasting
> > off your frustration, anger, indignation and vain attempts to
> > reason with him. If you look right through him like everyone
> > else in his miserable stinking life has, then he will usually
> > slither back into his cave and/or find his prey elsewhere.
> >
> > I can flame with the best of 'em - shouldn't I just drive them
> > off?
> >
> > Unfortuantely, no. The above assumption is based on the premise
> > that trolls are actually like real people. They are not; they
> > thrive off of negative input. Input in any form makes them feel
> > more important and will only cause them to stay. Sure, you may
> > be able to successfully spank a troll here or there if you are
> > good - and we mean DAMN good. Flaming is an art that many, many,
> > try, few master, and nearly all think they are good at. As a
> > rule, DON'T flame 'em, it does NOT work and will only prolong
> > the agony for everybody else.
> >
> > But they make me so mad I want to scream - can I?
> >
> > By all means no! If you must scream, do so at your neighbors cat
> > or the PC at work. It will be much more effective than screaming
> > at the troll. If you absolutely must respond due to some
> > personal neurological disorder, please do so in email and not on
> > the group. Admitedly screaming at the troll via e-mail isn't
> > always possible because of certian troll tactics, but it is your
> > only recourse. To respond to the troll on the newsgroup will
> > only invite alt.mac members to flame you and beat you about the
> > head, - and not necessarily in that order.
> >
> > The troll won't go away - there must be *something* I can do?
> >
> > YES! Some trolls just don't know when to give up. These can be
> > referred to as "klingons" - as they keep "clinging on" to the
> > notion that their continued presence his going to eventually
> > make somebody snap. You have several lines of defense at your
> > disposal. The first, and possibly the best, thing that you can
> > do is learn how to use a killfile. A killfile is a list of
> > people and places that you want your newsbrowser to ignore.
> > Thus, if you add the troll to your killfile, you'll barely know
> > they exist. It's like magic (amazing, eh?). The second major
> > thing you can do is complain to their postmaster. The postmaster
> > is the person who has the job of making sure that everything
> > runs smoothly at a given news/internet provider. Since a
> > postmaster is often overworked, the last thing he wants to deal
> > with is some weenie on his site causing all kinds of problems.
> > Thus, the only way to fix the problem is to get rid of the
> > source. That's right, enough complaints to the postmaster, and
> > the nasty little trolls are gone - tossed onto the streets and
> > looking for another cave to be miserable in. -BUT- and this is a
> > big but, if the troll is using a forged account, your complaints
> > either won't mean a thing, or will get someone else (other than
> > the troll) in hot water. So, be careful and don't do try it
> > unless you know what you're doing.
> >
> > Okay, then how do I contact a postmaster?
> >
> > It's easy! Just send e-mail to:
> > postmaster@troll's_originating_orginization Let's say some guy,
> > who's e-mail address is klingon@flaccid_manhood.com, really
> > pissed you off for the last time and you feel it's time to
> > complain. To complain to his postmaster you would end it to:
> > postmaster@flaccid_manhood.com. It's that simple! One problem
> > with this, though, is many trolls use fake addresses or anon.
> > remailers; so getting the trolls real address is impossible. If
> > the address is fake (rather than a remailer), checking the
> > header can often give you the originating site Also, a good
> > letter to a postmaster should start with a brief and polite
> > comment, saying that the troll in question is causing trouble on
> > the newsgroup with his off-topic rantings. Most postmasters will
> > not yank accounts just for offensive behaviour (thank goodness,
> > since anything you say has the potential to offend -someone-);
> > but they will yank accounts for persistent off-topic posting.
> > Lastly, the letter should then include the -entire- text of the
> > offensive post, WITH HEADERS INTACT. Do not edit.
> >
> > But, I want to rip the troll's throat out so hard it makes his
> > whole family hurt for years - what else is there that I can do?
> >
> > Well, while I don't officially advocate it, you _can_ engage in
> > "A Slight Case of Overbombing." That is: The Mail Bomb- a nasty
> > weapon usually reserved for the nastiest of trolls and is best
> > when done by many people working in concert with one another.
> > Mailbombs _can_ blow up in your face, even if they are
> > successful. Once a "person's" mailbox is full, all mail sent is
> > often reflected back at the sender. There are also other
> > nastinesses that can transpire, but they are beyond the scope of
> > this.
> >
> > What's a flame?
> >
> > Well, the following is taken from the EFF's Guide to the
> > Internet, v.2.21 - it seems to sum it up the best:
> >
> > "A flame is a particularly nasty, personal attack on somebody
> > for something he or she has written. Periodically, an exchange
> > of flames erupts into a flame war that begins to take up all the
> > space in a given newsgroup (and sometimes several; flamers like
> > cross-posting to let the world know how they feel). These can go
> > on for weeks (sometimes they go on for years, in which case they
> > become "holy wars," [-usually on such groundbreaking topics as
> > the relative merits of Macintoshes vs. IBMs]. Often, just when
> > they're dying down, somebody new to the flame war reads all the
> > messages, gets upset and issues an urgent plea that the flame
> > war be taken to e-mail so everybody else can get back to
> > whatever the newsgroup's business is. All this usually does,
> > though, is start a brand new flame war, in which this poor
> > person comes under attack for daring to question the First
> > Amendment, prompting others to jump on the attackers for
> > impugning this poor soul... You get the idea." Just in case
> > you're thinking this might be agood idea: DO NOT FLAME TROLLS -
> > IT DOES NOT WORK.
> >
> > Some lame-headed Mac User is responding to this troll. What
> > should I do?
> >
> > Well, in a perfect world this would not happen, but with the
> > constant influx of newbies there will always be somebody who
> > will give the troll the satisfaction of a reply. If this
> > happens, the best course is education - i.e. kindly direct the
> > infractor towards this FAQ or alert them to the error of their
> > ways (then beat them). If the newbie persists, and is convinced
> > that he or she is a net.rambo who is up to any challenge, beat
> > them first, then ask yourself if the person is who they seem. In
> > such cases, there is the slight chance that the respondant is
> > not just a clueless newbie, but a fellow troller - or even the
> > troll himself in disguise. A favorite tactic of organized troll
> > groups is to plant a "mole" into the group - someone who looks
> > and acts like a regular. Often, the mole is planted a few weeks
> > to a month in advance of an attack. That way, it looks as though
> > the invaders were attacking "one of us." Be wary of it, as it
> > lends to the mischief as unsusspecting do-gooders are sucked
> > into the fray as they come to the defense of the the "attacked."
> >
> > What is all this talk about Spam?
> >
> > Spam is a message that has been needlessly crossposted to
> > several different groups or it is a message that is posted
> > multiple times to the same newsgroup. Both methods are
> > frequently used by trolls to overload a group and make it
> > unusable. A post is generally considered spamming if it is
> > posted more than two or three times, or if it is posted to more
> > than about 4 or 5 groups. Generally, spamming is considered very
> > rude because spams waste bandwidth in a big way, as they result
> > in a bunch of off-group posts from idiots who have yet to
> > discover the secrets of editing subject headers in their replys.
> > This usually degrades into morons throughout the country having
> > arguments about the Bee-Gees on multiple groups, while other
> > morons blather back and forth about how a discussion of the
> > Bee-Gees has nothing to do with alt.save_my.chickens_please and
> > alt.white_power. It's a vicious circle, and one which
> > sophisticated trolls love to use. The moral of this story? In
> > short, DON'T respond to the spam on the newsgroup - do so in
> > e-mail. And again, if you _must_ reply publicly to a crossposted
> > message due to weird hairs making their way through your anatomy
> > - edit the header to only include one newsgroup; otherwise, you
> > run the risk being banned to alt.fan.bill_gates for eternity.
> >
> > Are there other places that I can go to get info?
> >
> > Well, this is the internet, after all. Give these a try:
> >
> > Net Abuse FAQ:
> > http://www.cybernothing.org/faqs/net-abuse-faq.html and Bill's
> > WWW page "Everything You'd Rather Not Have To Know About
> > Net-Abuse" : http://www.tezcat.com/~haz1/netabuse/netabuse.html
> >
> > What's a killfile?
> >
> > A killfile is an "editing" device that allows you to essentially
> > shut out articles and people who you don't want to hear from or
> > about. That is to say, the killfile is a list of people and
> > places that you want your newsbrowser to ignore. Thus, if you
> > add a troll or spammer to your killfile, you have sort of
> > "rubbed them out" electronically - at least as far as you're
> > concerned. Think about it, the possiblities are nearly endless.
> > If you're having trouble setting up, read the help files and
> > documentation on your particular newsreader for more info; or
> > ask if anyone using the same newsreader can help you set up a
> > killfile for a specific troll.
> >
> > How can I spot a troll?
> >
> > 1. Off-topic. A large number of trolls are wildly off-topic and
> > have nothing to do with the newsgroup. 2. Highly inflammatory
> > language. Of course a non-troll can be inflammatory, but blatant
> > flamebaiting when combined with other tell-tale troll signs
> > should give you a clue. Be especially alert if the post targets
> > the entire group: "This is a stupid newsgroup" or "You are all
> > stupid. Get a Life!" are most likely trolls. 3. Obscene
> > language. A large number of trolls are sexual in nature. Think
> > before you respond to a post about people's sexuality or body
> > parts. 4. Claims of inside info from brand new posters whose
> > names you have never seen. Wait and see, especially if the info
> > seems too fantastic to be true. It probably is. 5. Fake
> > accounts.Many trolls are smart enough not to use their real
> > accounts .They may make up a fake account, or they usually get a
> > free one from hotmail. They may make up a new identity on an ISP
> > which allows for multiples, like AOL. This doesn't mean that all
> > people on those accounts are trolls!!! People may have many good
> > reasons for using a fake name, a free acount or a multiple AOL
> > id! But if a suspicious post comes from such an account, be
> > careful. Also be aware that the troll may be using somebody
> > else's account. 6. Crossposting to non-mac binary groups along
> > with mac-binary groups (especially to alt.flame, alt.bigfoot,
> > alt.syntax-tactical, alt.religion.kibology) and re-routed
> > messages. Sometimes a person has a good reason to crosspost; an
> > item may be of interest to more than one group (like the
> > different x-files groups, or maybe sci-fi groups.) But if the
> > crossposting seems to make NO sense, it may simply be for
> > trolling. Some groups are dedicated to trolls and flaming (see
> > the groups noted above) and posts crosslisted may be for
> > trolling purposes.
> >
> > Remember: None of these signs, in and of itself, makes a troll.,
> > But if you see several put together, you should be suspicious.
> > ---------------- Protocols for Safe Troll Handling:
> >
> > First, identify the troll from a safe distance. You may find
> > yourself tempted to respond, but do not. In most cases, Do
> > NOTHING!!! Remember the troll wants your attention and postings,
> > needs it, craves it. Some may appear cute, but most are rabid,
> > so you must be careful! If you do not feed it, it will not take
> > up residence. Most of the time, the best response is to IGNORE
> > the troll.
> >
> > Consider the needs of the newsgroup. Will your response add to
> > an already tense situation? A light-hearted joke might help more
> > than a flame. If the troll is tying up lots of space already,
> > you might actually do harm by adding to the confusion. Remember,
> > the troll is not after you personally; he/she has targeted the
> > whole group.
> >
> > If you feel you must do something, consider doing it behind the
> > scenes. You can look up the troll's posting profile on Deja News
> > and see what other mischief it has been up to. You can e-mail
> > or post an alert to Troll Trackers on the newsgroup if you are
> > really concerned. You can E-mail the newservice provider of the
> > offending Troll. You can e-mail the troll if you feel you must,
> > but most trolls will not bother to respond in any helpful and/or
> > intelligent manner. This is not generally recommended, as it
> > might draw the troll's attention to you and your e-mail address.
> > (The troll may be using a fake address, or even someone else's
> > address, anyway.) Remember, the troll WANTS public attention.
> > Resist the urge to give it!
> >
> > Above all, keep your sense of humor. Or at least, your sense of
> > scientific detatchment. The troll can actually be a humourous
> > little entity, with its strange world view and its dim little
> > mind. You may learn to chuckle at its frantic attempts to draw
> > attention. You can also view the troll as an interesting
> > scientific specimen, a sort of study in Usenet psychology and
> > sociology. Whether it knows it or not, the troll walked into the
> > laboratory when it began its mischief. View it as an experiment,
> > if nothing else.
> >
> > Responded to a troll, eh? Don't feel bad. They are seductive,
> > for some reason. The best thing to do is to pull back, calm
> > down, and call the thing for what it is: A TROLL! Stop replying
> > IMMEDIATELY. Do not read any of the troll's responses to you. It
> > is trying to draw you further into its lair. Remember: your
> > ultimate weapon is your refusal to play the troll's game! Kill
> > file the troll if you can. Do NOT respond to its baits.
> >
> > The troll is usually a solitary creature, but gangs of trolls do
> > exist on Usenet. In fact, entire newsgroups are dedicated to
> > breeding trolls. Some troll invasions are carefully plotted by
> > more than one troll. You can learn more about trolls in general
> > at this excellent FAQ: regarding Trolls and Flames:
> > http://digital.net/%7Egandalf/trollfaq.html
> >
> > Your best weapon against Trolls is your refusal! (and don't
> > forget your laughter....)
>
Ok…couple of more questions?
What is the meaning when a Troll goes HA! HA! HA!? Or HE! HE! HE!
Answer: When a troll goes HE! HE! HE! , That is warning that he is on
the attack. You might call it a fair warning. When a troll goes, HA!
HA! HA!, that means he/she has got you caught.
What is a FAKE FLAME WAR?
When the troll is trying to create a flame war, he will fake one by
arguing with him self. He will change his identity and post messages
to himself. You think it’s two people going back and forth;
it’s actually just one person. Let’s say “Monkey
dung” has a flame war with “Boner-head” . Eventually
one of them will win the flame war, making one of them a hero.
That’s what the troll wants, to show the newsgroup that he is a
swell person.
What can a Troll do to you?
Some can do some basic computer hacking, and post your personnel
information on the newsgroup. Like posting your address or telephone
number. At worse, they can send you a virus to your E-Mail. Or do an
E-Mail bomb. Most like to accuse the victims of being Child Molesters
and spread the rumor all over usenet.
Anything else?
Yes there is: Trolls like to impersonate other posters. If a Troll is,
let’s say of a conservative bent, they like to pretend they are
Liberals. The reason for this is to the discredited their adversaries
by making outrageous statements. They choose names that are very
imaginative. Like characters from a Hollywood movies. There are times
they are so transparent. They do take time to research their
adversary’s rhetoric. One troll was trying to pass himself as an
American Conservative. He used British slang in his posts. Then there
are the “Gender Benders”. Most of the time, they are males
pretending to be Females. Some times it is vis-à-vis. Those Trolls are
found on chat rooms, message-boards or chat rooms. But you do find
them on newsgroups.
In conclusion, some trolls have a political agenda. Some are just
mental cases. It does not matter. A Troll is a Troll. Just ignore the
bastards. Do not let them intimidate you. They want to scare you off
newsgroups. That’s the whole idea. Newsgroups are a great place
to meet people and have interesting discussions.
Happy Posting.