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According to storybooks, Trolls are disgusting, smelly creatures that live under bridges. Trolls eat goats and small children. Growing up surrounded by fairy tales, what they didn't explore was a new breed of troll. The Internet Troll. Equally vile and disgusting, if Internet trolls smell, we can't vouch for that. Nor can we attest that they eat goats or small children. We don't believe those items appear on their menu. But, we could be wrong.
Moderating a popular forum, we have had to deal with several types of trolls. We would like to introduce you to them now. They are in a class by themselves.
Shock Patroll- Disgusting, and vile, he may just eat goats and small children; we are not convinced he doesn't. In his resident trashcan he has a vast selection of smut (heavy emphasis on graphic images).
Using popular search engines, he surfs for forums frequented by women and children. Before you can circle the wagons to protect the "wimmenfolk" he attacks.
With deep deception, he opens up countless subjects using innocuous and compelling subject lines; "Help! My 5-year old just swallowed all my medication...!"
Or- "I feel so bad. I just ran-over a dog!"
When the well-meaning folk go running with cyber- Kleenex and support, they are confronted with pornographic images capable of making them heave their cookies.
Dazed and confused they quickly leave, reporting the intruder to the moderators. Worst yet, some folk begin posting on the board: "Eeek! There's a Troll!" causing the troll to heighten his attack, posting countless porn on the forums. His MO... Target the posts with the most hits. Go in and destroy the thread with smut.
Even the well-seasoned member is sickened by his evil intent. The only fitting punishment is banishment from the community. Or, as Lorena Bobbitt would say: "Off with his head!"
Master of Illusion Troll- Pulling countless white lies out of his hat, this Master of Deceit plays his tricks on the trusting eyes of an established internet community. Targeting those who still believe in the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, his slight of hand in posting can be very deceptive to those members.
Some of the well-seasoned posters are privy to this game of cards. However, trusting souls are sucked quickly into his mind games. The point of controlling his act is, find the weak link in his house of cards, knocking them flat, thus ending his performance.
The Master of Illusion does have a motive. He is looking for personal gain. Either, money for a "sick mother," or some personal form of satisfaction from manipulation techniques he employs. Perhaps he is searching for those he considers "beneath him," so he can effectively saw their souls in half with the stroke of a few keys.
The key to defeating him is to discover his bag of tricks and expose the Ace up his sleeve.
The Combat-Ready Troll- This warmonger likes to fight. Hand-to-hand combat, early morning air-strikes, fully armored vehicles, he launches all the weapons at hand with lethal intent. Invincible in his own mind, he spars with an extensive and exhaustive verbal arsenal targeting members and moderators alike.
If the forum has a stated position, he will lock-and-load on that issue, certain that he can change the "enemy's mind" and alter their Constitution by bending their will, screaming all the while about his inalienable rights.
In this battle of will versus won't – take no prisoners and show no mercy. The bill of rights only applies with the members who follow the proper rules of engagement.
Hit-and-Run- Troll: An out-of-control Troll his posts can be the speed-bumps of cyber life, His sudden appearance can put the most placid member into a skid as he goes for personal injury and summons up emotional outbursts by all who read his posts. He applies the pressure before fleeing the scene.
Off- road -recovery is to stamp his ticket. Don't bother pursuing him. He is gone before you can take down his number. His posts have the same effect as stop strips. Once he has posted, his victims leave the scene of the crime stunned that anyone could cause such a wreck. You then are left with the looky-loos who stop to study the debris left by the side of the cyber highway.
The Tonya Harding Troll- In true freestyle fashion, this troll skates on thin ice. Jumping from topic to topic stirring up enough heat to melt a glacier, he glides along effortlessly.
He studies the rule book carefully looking for the judges comments. Knowing that a "back flip" is illegal, he performs it anyway calling it a "lay-out single." He'll argue till he's blue in the face that it really wasn't a "back flip" after all.
Carefully studying his competition, he brings them to their knees. His footwork may be fancy, but he does trip up occasionally.
Give this skater a low score and spiral him right out of the community courtesy of the banning option.
Toddler Troll- It is elementary when dealing with this primitive troll. He appears needy, wanting to be pacified. His "splinter" in his finger, can turn into a major medical disaster. Not only has the splinter festered for days, but the wood had lead paint on it. Now he has lead poisoning. His "mother" is typing a quick informational post, as the ambulance is screaming its way to the house to rush him to the ER before he dies.
If Toddler Troll doesn't get the attention he needs, he pitches a classic tantrum posting his fits in UPPER CASE to make a point- though the only points appear to be growing out of the top of his head. Many gullible members rush in to soothe him, pat him on the back and tell him he is a wonderful person.
Moderators in the know however, will simply make this "boo boo" go away by activating the banning option.
Continued...
Moderating a popular forum, we have had to deal with several types of trolls. We would like to introduce you to them now. They are in a class by themselves.
Shock Patroll- Disgusting, and vile, he may just eat goats and small children; we are not convinced he doesn't. In his resident trashcan he has a vast selection of smut (heavy emphasis on graphic images).
Using popular search engines, he surfs for forums frequented by women and children. Before you can circle the wagons to protect the "wimmenfolk" he attacks.
With deep deception, he opens up countless subjects using innocuous and compelling subject lines; "Help! My 5-year old just swallowed all my medication...!"
Or- "I feel so bad. I just ran-over a dog!"
When the well-meaning folk go running with cyber- Kleenex and support, they are confronted with pornographic images capable of making them heave their cookies.
Dazed and confused they quickly leave, reporting the intruder to the moderators. Worst yet, some folk begin posting on the board: "Eeek! There's a Troll!" causing the troll to heighten his attack, posting countless porn on the forums. His MO... Target the posts with the most hits. Go in and destroy the thread with smut.
Even the well-seasoned member is sickened by his evil intent. The only fitting punishment is banishment from the community. Or, as Lorena Bobbitt would say: "Off with his head!"
Master of Illusion Troll- Pulling countless white lies out of his hat, this Master of Deceit plays his tricks on the trusting eyes of an established internet community. Targeting those who still believe in the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, his slight of hand in posting can be very deceptive to those members.
Some of the well-seasoned posters are privy to this game of cards. However, trusting souls are sucked quickly into his mind games. The point of controlling his act is, find the weak link in his house of cards, knocking them flat, thus ending his performance.
The Master of Illusion does have a motive. He is looking for personal gain. Either, money for a "sick mother," or some personal form of satisfaction from manipulation techniques he employs. Perhaps he is searching for those he considers "beneath him," so he can effectively saw their souls in half with the stroke of a few keys.
The key to defeating him is to discover his bag of tricks and expose the Ace up his sleeve.
The Combat-Ready Troll- This warmonger likes to fight. Hand-to-hand combat, early morning air-strikes, fully armored vehicles, he launches all the weapons at hand with lethal intent. Invincible in his own mind, he spars with an extensive and exhaustive verbal arsenal targeting members and moderators alike.
If the forum has a stated position, he will lock-and-load on that issue, certain that he can change the "enemy's mind" and alter their Constitution by bending their will, screaming all the while about his inalienable rights.
In this battle of will versus won't – take no prisoners and show no mercy. The bill of rights only applies with the members who follow the proper rules of engagement.
Hit-and-Run- Troll: An out-of-control Troll his posts can be the speed-bumps of cyber life, His sudden appearance can put the most placid member into a skid as he goes for personal injury and summons up emotional outbursts by all who read his posts. He applies the pressure before fleeing the scene.
Off- road -recovery is to stamp his ticket. Don't bother pursuing him. He is gone before you can take down his number. His posts have the same effect as stop strips. Once he has posted, his victims leave the scene of the crime stunned that anyone could cause such a wreck. You then are left with the looky-loos who stop to study the debris left by the side of the cyber highway.
The Tonya Harding Troll- In true freestyle fashion, this troll skates on thin ice. Jumping from topic to topic stirring up enough heat to melt a glacier, he glides along effortlessly.
He studies the rule book carefully looking for the judges comments. Knowing that a "back flip" is illegal, he performs it anyway calling it a "lay-out single." He'll argue till he's blue in the face that it really wasn't a "back flip" after all.
Carefully studying his competition, he brings them to their knees. His footwork may be fancy, but he does trip up occasionally.
Give this skater a low score and spiral him right out of the community courtesy of the banning option.
Toddler Troll- It is elementary when dealing with this primitive troll. He appears needy, wanting to be pacified. His "splinter" in his finger, can turn into a major medical disaster. Not only has the splinter festered for days, but the wood had lead paint on it. Now he has lead poisoning. His "mother" is typing a quick informational post, as the ambulance is screaming its way to the house to rush him to the ER before he dies.
If Toddler Troll doesn't get the attention he needs, he pitches a classic tantrum posting his fits in UPPER CASE to make a point- though the only points appear to be growing out of the top of his head. Many gullible members rush in to soothe him, pat him on the back and tell him he is a wonderful person.
Moderators in the know however, will simply make this "boo boo" go away by activating the banning option.
Continued...