Views adding to trolldom?

[BoBettie]

Is trolldom a word? Anyway, I'm posting this here since this is where a lot of trolls end up and troll bashers, too. Forgive me if this has been covered already.

Does anyone else think that the "Views" column on the forum page contributes to trolldom? It used to be the trolls weren't fed unless they were responded to. Now they get off (I think) on seeing how many people have viewed their thread as well. Any opinions? I can just see these twerpy little Brits jacking off while repeating out loud

"1,200 views! 1,200 views! 1,200 people have read my post! Aaaaaahhhh!"

Zette
(Upon re-reading, this post could be in the Pit,IMHO, About This Message Board OR MPSIMS. Do with it what you will, oh board Gods)

[BoBettie]

AAARRRGGHH! This is the THIRD time I've typed this. It's getting shorter every time.

Does anyone else think the "views" column adds to trolldom? I mean, it used to be the only attention the trolls got was responses. Now, they get off (probobly) on the "made ya look" concept. Now it's like "Wow, 10 people told me to fuck off, but 1,600 people read my post and know who I am. Wow!"

Opinions?
Zette
(PS- my other posts were chock full 'o humor and even a masturbation reference, but I'm tired of retyping. Sorry!)

[Duke]

I'm not sure that stopping posting views is such a good idea in the long run. Yes, it may stop trolls from getting excited at how many people are reading their drivel. On the other hand, if I've posted a serious question to, say, GQ, and I'm not getting any responses (of course it's happened to all of us! Right? er, right ) I'd like to know whether it was because no one was interested in the subject, or whether there was interest but nobody had an answer.

[ultress]

I really don't think the view column has anything to do with trolls. They came in well before the view column was added, with the same results. They hang around for a while and eventually get banned, or people finally realize their true nature and start to ignore them.
With so many new people coming on the board on an almost daily basis, they have no idea who or what a troll is, and so the troll gets the responses he desires. Then you also have posters on the board that will post to every thread ever started, as you can tell from the fast rise in post count, and they too continually feed the trolls. I think many posters don't realize that when they 'over post' that many of the dopers stop reading their threads and their posts simply out of boredom. You see the same names, basically the same threads only with the title worded a little different on the same topics. Doesn't take long nowadays to skim through the board.
At any rate, seems except for one or two, the trolls have calmed down for a bit.

[struuter]

Originally posted by ultress
Then you also have posters on the board that will post to every thread ever started, as you can tell from the fast rise in post count, and they too continually feed the trolls. I think many posters don't realize that when they 'over post' that many of the dopers stop reading their threads and their posts simply out of boredom.

This sounds like me. Do I qualify as I troll? I mean, I never feed them knowingly. But I feel bad now...crap.

[Fonz]

I does seem like the thing to do is erase the troll threads instead of locking them or letting them turn into the recent multi-page marathons. They did this for a while and things got quiet.

[Silver Fire]

This sounds like me. Do I qualify as I troll? I mean, I never feed them knowingly. But I feel bad now...crap.

No, struuter, you aren't a troll. No one thinks that. (At least, I don't.)

As for the view thing, yeah I think they probably get a kick out of knowing that people know of them and are reading whatever drivel they decide to post. Like Duke, I wouldn't vote to get rid of the column, but I do agree with Zette that the trolls probably find joy in knowing that people are paying attention to them.

[BoBettie]

Sorry about the original double post- there was some very odd stuff going on when I posted originally. Hmmmmmmm....
Zette

[SPOOFE]

I think, for the most part, the most "exciting" part of trolling (to a troll, that is) is just typing their responses.

"Man, I just made fun of one of the most respected board members... I rock!!! *squirt* Oops, I need to go change my pants..."

[Damhna]

Personnally I find the view column a great barometer for any threads I start. If its complete and utter rubbish Im talking itll quickly become apparent from the fact that after say 20 Views no-one decides it warrants a reply. If on the other hand I see that 1/2 the viewers deem it worthy of a response then it must be at least mildly interesting. Works for others' threads too.

[Hamadryad]

Tark didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned this thread, so I tried what he does: "view new posts." No views show up.

I've noticed that on a typical thread, the view: post ratio is about 10:1. If I see threads with a higher view/post ratio, they're either like the porn-shop thread wherein people keep reading just to read. Or, alternatively, it's a thread I've started which is so boring as to rate thirty views and one reply. Because I suck. But that's neither here nor there.

A high post/view ratio is always an, "I must read this!" situation, because the topic (or the way in which it was stated) is obviously so intriguing as to draw people in to posting. Or, alternatively, it's just the same people bumping their post count into the stratosphere with lame, "seen it yesterday" flirting attempts.

I don't think trolls care one way or the other, honestly.

[T G I F]

Hamadryad seems to be right. There was a thread in ATMB a week or so ago that tried to find a trend in Views vs. Posts and ended up with a dozen different interpretations in the meaning/lack of meaning in the ratios.

Greatest ratio of posts to views

[Feynn]

I also see the "views" as an indicator or people's interest in a topic, some people are readers and not talkers which is okay. The 1:10 ratio seems fairly accurate to me.

Sometimes I have seen posts with hardly a response but a very high number of views. I surmise that the OP has either had a title interesting enough to draw people's attention but suffers from quality content or the OP is so profound and so well written it cannot be disputed and people find they are at a loss to how to reply to such wisdom. At least that's what I like to think when I make a post that get's few responses and a whole bunch of views...

[aha]

Originally posted by SPOOFE Bo Diddly
I think, for the most part, the most "exciting" part of trolling (to a troll, that is) is just typing their responses.

"Man, I just made fun of one of the most respected board members... I rock!!! *squirt* Oops, I need to go change my pants..."

hahah spoofe I just blew a lemon drop clear across the room.

[Silo]

Trolls (as you refer to them), post for attention (how do I know this hmmm?). The view counter is definetely a indicator of whether topics are recieving attention. This feature does benefit in feeding the trolls. And of course when you feed the trolls (in any way, shape, or form) they become more of a problem. So this topic is a valid point. To be honest I never really cared for the views feature, or really payed any attention to it. If they hacked it out of the software tomorrow, I don't think I'd notice the change.

[Wooster]

Originally posted by Silo
If they hacked it out of the software tomorrow, I don't think I'd notice the change.

I would notice. The screen wouldn't scroll to the right when a person with a long name posts. That's a problem for me that would be eased with one less column to view.

[tbea925]

Maybe we need another board subdivision like MPSIMS and GD for locked trollbait messages. Call it Coventry, or Troll Heaven, or Putz Party or something.

[Jodi]

I think the "views" column is both amusing and informative, especially when you compare threads:

WHAT SHOULD I HAVE FOR DINNER? Views: 15 Answers: 13

WHY DO CATHOLIC PIX SHOW JESUS'S HEART OUTSIDE HIS BODY? Views: 22 Answers: 19

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD ORAL SEX TIPS: Views: 985 Answers: 50

HOW DO I TELL IF THIS RECTAL POLYP IS INFECTED? Views: 960 Answers: 2

I think it says alot about what we read, as opposed to what we say.