# HOW is this NOT trolling? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 5, 2018, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790 "2018-09-05T10:26:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/21 "2018-09-07T03:01:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > “As a man of science, I assure you we did, in fact, evolve from filthy monkey-men.” Supplementary motivational speech for biologists, from today’s almost-the-same-initials-as-SDMB: > [@](#): > > We are not here for wisdom, although we must acquire it. > > We are not here for experiment, although we must perform it. > > We are not here for love, although we possess it. > > We are here for one beautiful reason alone: every advance in our understanding of evolution, no matter how small, makes creationists look just a little more stupid. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/22 "2018-09-07T04:39:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > “As a man of science, I assure you we did, in fact, evolve from filthy monkey-men.” I feel sorry for you. I evolved from filthy monkey-women as well. Having lived 28 years now in Asia, this just is never discussed because everyone just knows and accepts it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/23 "2018-09-07T06:02:56Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Hmmm…thank you all for your input, you made some solid points, for sure. > > I guess I wrongly thought a mod would stop by to answer why this isn’t trolling, it looks to me to be on the ragged fringes of trolling. > > Guess I’ll never know, shrug. Oh well, I guess what makes one thing trolling and not this is the kind of knowledge you have to be born with! One thing that might inspire a mod to weigh in on the question is whether they have received a report accusing the OP of trolling. The fact that you do not mention having submitted such a report yourself suggests that you have not. That a moderator took action on the issue of placement in the incorrect forum is not proof that the question of trollery was considered. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/24 "2018-09-07T14:37:09Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > I evolved from filthy monkey-women as well. Pics or it didn’t happen! What? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/25 "2018-09-07T18:31:14Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Hmmm…thank you all for your input, you made some solid points, for sure. > > I guess I wrongly thought a mod would stop by to answer why this isn’t trolling, it looks to me to be on the ragged fringes of trolling. > > Guess I’ll never know, shrug. Oh well, I guess what makes one thing trolling and not this is the kind of knowledge you have to be born with! Yep, they ignore you when they don’t have an answer for you. But hey, here’s to improving this board moving forward!! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/26 "2018-09-07T19:02:49Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Hmmm…thank you all for your input, you made some solid points, for sure. > > I guess I wrongly thought a mod would stop by to answer why this isn’t trolling, it looks to me to be on the ragged fringes of trolling. > > Guess I’ll never know, shrug. Oh well, I guess what makes one thing trolling and not this is the kind of knowledge you have to be born with! Sorry, didn’t notice this thread until last night, and haven’t had time to reply until now. But I think the other posters have mostly covered it: Having an opinion you don’t like isn’t trolling. Having an opinion that’s not very smart isn’t trolling. Not being able to articulately defend an opinion isn’t trolling. Posting only once to a thread isn’t trolling, although it can be moderated if it gets excessive. Deliberately ignoring significant context can sometimes be trolling, but having a different idea about what constitutes significant context is not. I hope that clears things up for you. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/27 "2018-09-07T21:39:03Z")
I might add that just because a post makes you mad, doesn’t mean it’s trolling. With regard to the question of not returning to the thread, I would just note that the OP of that thread has only ever made three posts in the Pit, all in the same thread. Some people just don’t want to post in the Pit. He may have dropped out because it was sent there. You may not approve of this, but we don’t require anyone to post in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/28 "2018-09-08T15:46:15Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > One thing that might inspire a mod to weigh in on the question is whether they have received a report accusing the OP of trolling. The fact that you do not mention having submitted such a report yourself suggests that you have not. > > That a moderator took action on the issue of placement in the incorrect forum is not proof that the question of trollery was considered. I moved it. I saw it as a rant in the wrong forum but the idea of it being a troll post did not enter my mind. I did not see any reports. I’ll have to go back and see if there were any. I saw the thread and moved it without seeing a report. Someone posting something that is too ranty for MPSIMS is relatively common. It’s not something I would even note unless it becomes a habit for that poster. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/29 "2018-09-08T17:35:36Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I might add that just because a post makes you mad, doesn’t mean it’s trolling. And _I_ might add that, just because a post makes you mad doesn’t mean you have to respond to it. Under no circumstances are you required to rise to the bait. Don’t be this guy. > **[Duty Calls](https://xkcd.com/386/)** > > What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/30 "2018-09-08T21:37:42Z")
Just to be clear, I didn’t report it because I wasn’t looking for it to be moderated. Whether I agree with the sentiments expressed also has no bearing on why I thought it bordered on trolling. My point was it was purposely misrepresentative and inflammatory, the poster never returns. That seems to rub right up against trolling to me. I was hoping for a mod to explain why it would be trolling if it were a new poster, as I think it might have been, but was not for an existing poster. Clearly though I alone think that distinction is worth having delineated. Don’t be so surprised when people don’t get the nuance of your rules and calls if you’re not willing to honestly explore sincere questions, and just want to be condescending. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790/31 "2018-09-08T22:45:20Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Just to be clear, > > I didn’t report it because I wasn’t looking for it to be moderated. Whether I agree with the sentiments expressed also has no bearing on why I thought it bordered on trolling. > > My point was it was purposely misrepresentative and inflammatory, the poster never returns. That seems to rub right up against trolling to me. > > I was hoping for a mod to explain why it would be trolling if it were a new poster, as I think it might have been, but was not for an existing poster. > > Clearly though I alone think that distinction is worth having delineated. > > Don’t be so surprised when people don’t get the nuance of your rules and calls if you’re not willing to honestly explore sincere questions, and just want to be condescending. Take the poster name away and I wouldn’t call it trolling either. Misplaced in MPSIMS but not trolling. Actually pretty mild for the Pit. Other mods might see it different. As for not returning, we have modded posters for excessively starting threads with no thought of returning and responding. We are not going to mod a poster for not returning one time to a thread they started. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-not-trolling/820790.md?page=1)