10 thoughts on “Cleanup On Aisle Three”

  1. Rand,

    [[[[[[ That’s the problem with having a comments section. ]]]]]]

    Good thing you don’t have that problem here!

  2. When I first started blogging, I was unhappy that my software didn’t allow comments. As I moved along, I realized that I wouldn’t have to deal with trolls AND I wouldn’t have to be reminded of the fact that very few people read my blog anyway…;)

  3. I prefer comment sections because they more involve the reader. And I wonder how some writings would have fared with near instant criticism.

    For example, I was reading some of the stuff by Plato and thinking, “This would have made a fairly weak blog post.” Socrates, at least as spun by Plato, would probably have been impressive in any era (and perhaps a notorious troll) and Aristotle was a pretty good scientist who probably would have done well these days, but Plato doesn’t fare so well. Some of his philosophical discussions such as the Cave, which is pretty much the fantasy of a lot of people who think they’re smarter than everyone else, or the ideal space, where perfect things exist is pure cloud castle. And of course, his assertion that only people who bought into his philosophy had the wisdom to rule the rest of us would be a howler.

    Sometimes you wonder how ideas would turn out, if the criticism for the ideas were placed permanently along with the initial advocacy.

  4. Here’s what I don’t understand. Why do trolls seek out sites just to be as disrupting, insulting, and unwelcome as possible, then immediately whine about the “intolerance” they receive? They are only being treated in the manner in which they desired. They should be celebrating their success.

  5. That looks like the sort of troll whose comments I would delete. He contributes nothing to the conversation — IRL what sort of person bursts into a room and starts calling someone names and isn’t thrown out? I might leave his first one or two comments as an example of what I was deleting and why, with a proviso that if Mr. Troll wants to calm down and actually post something substantial and non-insulting I would let his comment again. But I don’t let my comments section run free and wild any more than I would let raw sewage run across my living room floor.

    That’s just my personal method, anyway. Some people complain that this makes a comments section bland and dull — well all I can say is we have differing opinions on what “bland and dull” vs. “lively and informative” means. Rarely is a troll entertaining enough to leave alone; usually all they do is say the same ugly things over and over, and they drag the comment thread down.

  6. I was amused at the reference to “Teabaggers”, which points to the political affiliation of the comentor. He or she is obviously unware that the Tea Party, at least in Texas and Florida, takes a dim view of Mr. Obama’s space policy.

  7. Why do trolls seek out sites just to be as disrupting, insulting, and unwelcome as possible, then immediately whine about the “intolerance” they receive?

    Trolls were probably abused or neglected by their parents, thus as adults they seek out the same abusive attention. They may also be trying to take revenge or justify their own damage.

    IRL what sort of person bursts into a room and starts calling someone names and isn’t thrown out?

    No one — that’s why it doesn’t happen. Once again, what makes for a polite society is that which runs counter to Leftist dogma…

  8. The first rule of trolling is not admitting you are a troll.

    A troll has to walk a fine line between someone who actually believes what they are saying and is argumentative and coming across as taking a position where the only intent is to get a rise out of the audience.

    A professional troll is subtle in the way they work insults into their prose and raise controversial points of view like a flower budding in spring time.

    Once the troll admits to being a troll or is exposed as one by their arguments jumping the shark, the exercise is over.

    A professional troll is fun to watch but amateurs tend not be aware of their craft. This troll was very amateurish. She showed a total lack of knowledge of what it means to be a troll and the philosophy of history’s greatest trolls impact on the craft.

    If the troll is serious about being a troll and wishes to improve their craft, I recommend they study the comments section over at http://www.fark.com/

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