Much of it is because many people don’t actually read what is in front of them. See this post, or this, for a couple of recent examples.
As long as you have a consistent standard, sure. But if you pass over examples of liberals mocking conservatives in order to upset them but scream “trolling!” when it goes the other way, not so much.
There is hardly any distinction to be made. It is not possible to express some opinions in such a way that some Dopers will not go ballistic. If someone posts something even vaguely positive about Sarah Palin, for example, you are going to get the same kind of response no matter how it is phrased. And, as seen in the couple of examples above, the effort to be as clear and precise in expressing an idea is largely wasted on a substantial portion of the Dope. They aren’t listening anyway, and their biggest gripe is that not that you weren’t clear and non-confrontational, but that you were.
It is not possible to dissent even slightly from the group think hereabouts without triggering the usual assholery from some clown. The fact that I find a certain malicious amusement in it rather than (usually)blowing up and flaming back (so I can be banned) or finding it intimidating and leave is, I suspect, a good deal of the problem.
Like I said, none of this matters.
Regards,
Shodan
PS -
Bullshit. I started a thread asking, in general, if people found it irritating, and the consensus was that most didn’t care one way or the other. At one point, there was a ruling that it should be only done in a sig file, which I compiled with. Then there was an official ruling that signing your posts was OK. Yes, I know pseudo whatever the fuck it is kept claiming for a while that it was done to say “Fuck you” but he was making that up too.
So the notion that it is evidence of trolling is, as mentioned, bullshit.
So save it.