Trolling is not an excuse

[Ilikemilkshake]

i guess the people who say they're just trolling are only doing it to preserve what little hope for humanity they have left... they'd rather live in denial that people cant be that stupid

 

[Zaik]

It does get thrown around and incorrectly identified a lot.

But I don't think WBC is a good example. Trolling more or less is harassing others for your amusement, anyone else who enjoys it is secondary. If you think they don't enjoy all the butthurt they cause, you're sorely mistaken.

 

[DanDeFool]

Heres something I've been musing on recently. Why do people seem to substitute the concept of trolling to cover up inexcusable behavior?

I enjoy the odd troll now and then as much as anyone else, but that doesn't mean it should be used a convenient smokescreen for genuine asshats. People who have behaved like morons seem to be able to get away with their stupidity by people assuming they are "trolling", when they are really just idiots.

My main point of frustration for this rises when people say that The Westboro Baptist Church "are the worlds most successful trolls". What the fuck is that supposed to mean? That one day they are going to suddenly stop and go "Fooled you! Oh man you should have seen the look on your face....." Is that supposed to be their endgame? Their punchline? Nobody is going to be that despicable (or put themselves in that much danger) for the purpose of a bad joke. Trolls create lies to trick people, and that horrible group of cretins are not lying when they say they believe all that rubbish.

I've seen people defend the horrid musical abortion "Friday" on the basis that Rebecca Black is "just trolling". I heard the same about Bieber, Charlie Sheen, and even about Micheal Jackson back when he dangled an infant out a window like a fat pink dog treat.

Maybe theres an interpretation of Trolling I'm not aware of. One that dictates a person can be inadvertently doing it without even realizing, but I'd like to think I've been on the internet long enough to know better.

Can anyone lend their brainwaves on this?

Agreed. In fact, this is the reason why trolling works: there's no reliable way to tell (on the Internet, anyway) whether a person is legitimately a horrible, stupid person, or just pretending to be a horrible, stupid person for the sake of starting an argument.

Generally, to say someone is "just trolling" on the Internet is a perfectly defensible strategy. Trolling is so common on the Internet that upon seeing someone who is being a total dickpiston, it's best to just assume they're a troll and ignore them.

This doesn't follow in real life though, because you can tell the difference between someone who is being a jerk to stir up controversy or get people at each others throats, and someone who is actually a jerk. Granted, the strategy of ignoring these people can work just as well, but in real life you have to make sure the real jerks aren't actually hurting anyone.