# I've been warned for accusing another of trolling. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 4, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835 "2012-05-04T03:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/61 "2012-05-04T17:25:30Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > That’s not trolling, anyway. He wasn’t looking for political fireworks. He wanted zingers. This is worth saying again. The SDMB [glossary](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320298) gives this definition: [INDENT]Troll – This is general internet usage for "somebody who is posting just to be confrontational or to raise hackles…[/INDENT] And even though **Sick Ate** used the phrase “bait the hook” (which relates to literal fishing and maybe trolling) he wasn’t posting to raise hackles. In the OP he says, “I don’t have much more to say about it, but figured this would be good Dope fodder.” That’s a lazy way to post, but the topic isn’t controversial enough to think a fight is going to break out. It’s a MPSIMS post, and not a good one. Later in the thread **Sicks Ate** writes, “I wasn’t trying to start a fight or troll for inflammatory responses; it doesn’t appear that there’s actually that much to fight about. It’s more of a human interest story, as I see it. And yes, apparently I was mistaken as to how much ‘interest’ there would be in it.” So MWAG was not only junior modding and violating the the rules with an accusation of trolling, he was also wrong about it being trolling. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/62 "2012-05-04T17:26:15Z")
Junior modding doesn’t mean what everyone thinks it measn. It means what I want it to mean! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/63 "2012-05-04T17:55:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Junior modding doesn’t mean what everyone thinks it measn. It means what I want it to mean! Reported. Also, you should stop that because it’s against the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/64 "2012-05-04T18:01:18Z")
Avast! \*\*Vinyl Turnip \*\*is being clever again. Where’s that air-quote smiley when you need it?? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/65 "2012-05-04T18:06:10Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Personal insults are not permitted outside the Pit. There is a clear difference between “you are stupid” and “what you said is stupid.”\* Moderators in most forums and most cirucmstances recognize that there is (often) a slight difference between “you are an asshole” [insult] and “you are behaving like an asshole” [constructive criticism.] However, that’s a matter of degree. > > Note that neither elaborate hedging nor humour are excuses for personal insults. Thus, it is still a rules violation to say: “You sometimes have, under many circumstances, remarkable similarities (in part) to the creature known as a jackass.” > [@rachelellogram](#): > > Avast! \*\*Vinyl Turnip \*\*is being clever again. > > Where’s that air-quote smiley when you need it?? I don’t think you can say that…I think you have to say ' **Vinyl Turnip** is being _like_ a clever again. I’m so confused ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/66 "2012-05-04T18:06:55Z")
He’s sharp, like a meat clever. tea he! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/67 "2012-05-04T18:24:48Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > nope. [Trolling (fishing)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolling_%28fishing%29) Huh. Interesting. I never knew that there was a difference between the two, since they sound so familiar and are basically the same thing. Bad planning, that. To whom do I write in order to lodge a formal complaint? ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/68 "2012-05-04T18:31:34Z")
[QUOTE=A Monkey With A Gun] We dropped fishing lines out the back as we paddled. That type of fishing is called trolling. It is what the annoying internet behavior is named after. It means not doing anything except letting the fish in the lake do all the work. [/QUOTE] And as long as were discussing definitions, “trolling” doesn’t have much to do with letting the fish do all the work. Trolling for fish can also involve casting your line and reeling it slowly back in, which is a fairly active type of fishing – at least compared to watching a bobber. Internet trolls can be active participants in threads. “Letting the fish do all the work” really doesn’t have much to do with internet trolling, which is more an issue of (in fishing terms) getting strikes. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/69 "2012-05-04T18:52:03Z")
Suppose he had said “c’mon, you’re having us on, right?” or “ **Sicks Ate,** you’re such a wind-up merchant.” Would either of those be warning worthy? Really, the authorities should reduce the the charges for two reasons: 1) He was set-up with the “bait the hook” line and 2) The usage wasn’t intended as an insult. However, he is clearly guilty of junior-modding. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/70 "2012-05-04T18:59:21Z")
How can I stop being a guest and suck as a troll? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/71 "2012-05-04T19:08:51Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Really, the authorities should reduce the the charges for two reasons: 1) He was set-up with the “bait the hook” line and 2) The usage wasn’t intended as an insult. To use a tired analogy–"…but officer, there were other people passing me. Why did you cite _me_ for doing 70 in a 55 mph zone? #2–Intent isn’t relevant. He wasn’t cited for insulting someone. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/72 "2012-05-04T20:15:56Z")
Oh yeah, well, you are a wagoner and your post is clearly wagon-circling. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835/73 "2012-05-04T23:00:42Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Oh yeah, well, you are a wagoner and your post is clearly wagon-circling. I’m probably the [Ward Bond](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050073/) of anything to do with circling the wagons. That’s based on my age, of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-been-warned-for-accusing-another-of-trolling/620835.md?page=3)