I’ve seen some terminology here that I’ve got to plead ignorance on. Can someone please enlighten us newbies as to what a troll and the other unusual terms found here are, or point us toward an explaining thread?
Many thanks in advance.
A “troll” is someone who posts solely to yank someone’s chain or otherwise cause trouble – in other words, someone “trolling” for responses.
I bet you’d find lots of threads on it if you did a search on “troll” in “About This Message Board.” Therein all the Great Mysteries of Cecilism are revealed.
From Cecil’s Mailbag: What is a troll?
Bah. Five minutes to reply, and Jodi beat me to it. I’m getting slow in my old age.
A few other notes for ya, lieu.
First: another term that gets used quite a bit around here is “sock puppet” or “sock”. That refers to having a second screen name that you occasionally use. The etymology comes from the general usage of it on the internet- most of the original ‘socks’ were used to help bolster arguments. Poster A would make some argument. Poster B would rip said argument to shreads with wit and logic. Poster A, feeling lonely and defensive, would create another persona- Poster C- and Poster C would come in to join the argument and talk about how right Poster A was. To the people watching, Poster A seemed to be gaining supporters and friends, and therefore was “winning” the debate.
The term has broadened in meaning, such that it now covers all second (or more) screen names, even if it’s just using one for work and one for home, or having an amusing puppet to bring out (Zette would occasionally post as “Santa” during the winter, and someone would bring out “Dead Equine” to shout “Stop beating me!” when a topic had been debated for far too long).
Socks are not allowed on this board; you get one screen name, and that’s it.
Second: Any thread in which “what is a troll?” or “what is a sock puppet?” is asked usually ends up flooded by trolls and sock puppets, all looking for validation and wishing to explain how, even though they break the rules by having an extra screen name, it doesn’t mean they’re bad people, or even wrong in any way, shape, or form.
But then, I’m pretty jaded and cynical on the whole thing.
Well, since somebody started this thread, I kind of have a troll question.
I know we have had sock puppets come in to support their trolls, but have we ever had a troll use their sock puppet to start shit with themselves?
Woohoo! :: Jodi high steps it around John in a victory dance ::
Better luck next time, Gramps. 
Eh, you young whippersnappers. Back when I was a kid…
As for Kricket’s question- hard to say. I’ve no specific knowledge of such a case, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.
Thank you, John and all.
I’ll try and steer clear of both. I’d seen a sock puppet as y’all call them on another site (yes, I think they still exist although I’ve not been there as of late) and another poster said there was a way to determine the address someone was posting from and, therefore, if they just had multiple names.
I’d usually found that most people write with a pretty distinctive style or display a pretty distinctive brilliance or stupidity that is fairly recognizable, ie. the Ramsey ransom note. Hopefully, one sock will in that manner match the other.
Anyway, thanks for the 'splanations. I’ll try and avoid them and applause like the clap.
Well, there WAS that time I got into with…OOOPS!!!
An addition: It also inevitably brings out the anti-mod whiners (I shan’t mention names, but, in the interests of enlightenment, I shall give two anagrams: Map Arrot, and M umu. I never said they were hard anagrams!) who have nothing better to do then snivel about how [ul]
[li]The mods are EEEEeeeEEee-vil ('specially Uncle Beer and Coldie, for some reason)[/li][li]Ed Zotti is Satan[/li][li]Lynn and Tuba are also Satan![/li][li]Despite Ed, Lynn and Tuba’s vast SATANIC powers, there are THOUSANDS (thousands!!!) of posters who are really returned sock-puppets. Revanents, some call 'em. But not me. I call 'em: fictional.[/li][/ul]
These individuals aren’t trolls, exactly, but they are like worms that come out from under rocks following a rainstorm.
Fenris
Do a search in the Pit for the poster name The Finder.
FORMERAGENT was a hoot too. Came on pretending to be in the CIA (or the Rangers, or something else vaguely covert-ish). Then came on as his own boss to warn himself for national security violations. Laugh, I nearly did.
“Hey, Boo-Boo - let’s go steal us some pick-i-nick baskets!”
“But Yogi, won’t the Ranger be mad?”
“Fuck the Ranger, Boo-Boo! We’re bears - we’ll eat 'im!”
[sub](Although I do appreciate the Babylon 5 reference…)[/sub]
Esprix
I once had an argument with myself on the Excite message boards. I started a thread, and people stayed away in droves. Disappointed, I switched screen names (multiple screen names are actually encouraged there) and posted a contradictory reply. I then continued to argue with myself for about 30 total posts before a third party finally decided to join the thread. She apparently thought one of me was being unfair to the other me. We ganged up on me, and I got more and more hostile as we proceeded to rip all my arguments to shreds.
It was fun that one time, but I never felt like doing it again.
Hmmm… this has made me think of a few questions for the Mods and Admins:
Hypothetical situation coming…
Astrogirl does not have a computer at her house, so she uses mine to check her e-mail, surf, etc. when she’s here… suppose she decided to register on the SDMB (not going to happen probably, because she gets tired of asking me “What does it mean ‘Pig-fucking piece of shit marmot-felcher’?”)… now, she has a username that corresponds to MY IP address. Suppose she starts trolling… do we BOTH get banned? Does only SHE get banned? Will someone come to my dorm-room and intercept the whining (Please??)?
I know this happens (two usernames posting from the same IP address), so how is it handled?
Just curious…
I wish one of the mods would change Cecil’s “Perfect Master” to “Banned”. Just for a day. Even just for five minutes. Then change it back again. Just so I could say I’d seen it.
Many thanks Uncle Beer.
Astroboy- BANNING occurs at a log-in level; therefore, should Astrogirl become banned, your account would still work fine, even if you’re connecting to us from the same IP.
Now, should Astrogirl decide that after being banned she needs to keep hitting us with trolls, at some point we may decide to block said IP, with you as an unfortunate casualty. So keep her in line, okay? 