In my experience, ignoring the idiots is easy. They’re not only transparently yapping for attention; they’re boring. Not posting to their topics is like declining a rancid McD fish sandwich: banal to begin with and disgusting to boot.
Point of consideration: actually, “troll”, as hackneyed as it is, may actually dignify these bores too much. Perhaps “putz” would be more appropriate for the nuisances who are too boring to even provoke anger, save by their existence? Putz=contentless troll?
I know, they are only typos but I still got a cheap laugh.
Regarding the trolls - It also makes me laugh to see how many posts and new threads such as this one people write asking that others don’t post or make threads to feed the trolls.
:::Giggle:::
Yes, I am easy to amuse.
(Shit, I hope I didn’t misspell anything.)
You turn me on. But maybe it’s because I just spent 20 years in the jungle, getting it on with anything I could attract with a piece of fruit.
I dunno. I posted twice to the “Who’s your favorite President?” thread because I thought it was a reasonable topic and, sure enough, it looks like it’s going to get some discussion going. On the other hand, I thought most of M2Lepton’s threads looked pretty dumb from the get-go so I didn’t even bother opening them.
Hey, folks, be selective. You can pretty much tell whether or not a thread is going to be a piece of crap by the title. If it’s obviously a piece of crap, or if it just doesn’t interest you, don’t open it.
If you feel that you absolutely must respond to the trolls in some way to express your discontent, why not just hijack the thread?
Example:
Topic: Why do black people like fried chicken.
First Reply: Did any one else watch the X-Files last night? I noticed something weird in the background of some of the scenes and wondered if anyone else saw it . . .
This would:
*Frustrate the intent of the troll, which is to get everyone mad and upset.
*Deprive him/her of the food/abuse he/she expects and craves.
*Make our point without depriving anyone of their need to respond to these assholes in some manner, and do so without raising our blood pressure through the roof.
*Save our revered board gods/goddesses some headaches.
*Might actually suck the troll into an actual conversation and turn him/her into a real human being.
*Be a lot of fun.
We wouldn’t have to worry about newbies being offended by seeing such obnoxious topics go unchallenged - our contempt should be perfectly obvious by the nature of our replies.
I think this would also be a much more effective curb on multiple topics started by these losers. If they get the same response to two or three different tries, I doubt that they will continue on for 4 or 5 more - they’ll get disgusted and move on in search of better fishin’.
In order for this to be effective, however, no one, absolutely no one, can make any post whatsoever that directly addresses or responds to any provocative post made by the troll.
Could be an interesting game - just how subtle can you be in making fun of the troll without ever directly or even obliquely referring to him/her?
And would make the board a much more relaxed and entertaining place!
Some days you’re the dog, some days you’re the hydrant.
Might I suggest an alternate explanation Mr. Bone?
There are certainly a number of posters on this board who could be termed “regulars,” and they do post quite frequently. But I disagree with your badly worded assertion that they wish to keep newcomers away from the SDMB.
I have been a member of this board for only 12 days, and as you can see from my post count, I have not been shy about jumping into the discussion.
No one has made me feel the slightest bit unwelcome. Quite the contrary, in fact.
Perhaps you have been made to feel unwelcome because you have been behaving like an idiot.
I implore you, where can I procure one of those “putzrifles” ? I need one. I could spend hours a day picking off co-workers.
For MM and Bonehead, I question the intelligence of anyone who jumps onto a BB and starts off by attacking someone who (as far as I can tell) is one of the more popular posters. Is this going to endear you to the rest of the MB ? Likely not.
M2Lepton, burn in hell. We were all glad to hear that Kelli’s mom was okay. Sorry it doesn’t make your little twig all hard.
“His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard,
I wish he was mine, he’s really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.”
While I do not dismiss M2Lepton’s threads as moronic, troll-created pieces of supreme putz-dom, I would like to say that Kelli: by attacking fellow board members, you are doing exactly what you are accusing the PutzTroll of doing: posting inappropriately. Put it in the Pitt.
I attempted to hyjack the stupid clown thread , and agree with coosa. He’s gonna KEEP posting regardless of whether or not we post to the threads. So lets take them over! [the sounds of the fife and drum slowly get louder, as SwimmingRiddles climbs on her chair and puts one foot on her desk, then raises her fist.] FIGHT!
DON PEDRO: Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best becomes you; for, out of question, you were born in a merry hour.
BEATRICE: No, sure, my lord, my mother cried; but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born. -Much Ado About Nothing, Act II, Sc: i
We’ve been asked by the moderators not to hijack the threads, to simply let the threads die. It’s funny to watch because the very people that get irritated and pissed at the trolls, telling everyone else not to feed the trolls—are the very people feeding them. Ignore them and they will get tired and disappear.
I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
Okay guys, I am still fairly new here, and I grasp the concept of trolls and trolling.
What I don’t understand is why they do it? Who wants to come up with stupid topics so everybody can berate them into nothingness, or post to topics with mindless drivel and interupt the flow of a thread?
Someone mentioned masochism, is that it? Are they looking for someone to belittle them? Didn’t they get enuff of that in school, or their homelife? I guess the moral of the story then would be, when you come from a nice home, you have to go to the streets for your abuse? LOL
Maybe I should start early on my heathens so they don’t grow up like this. Nevermind, I guess I just did! LOL
Anyway, anybody who can enlighten me on why they are what they are would have my many thanks!
And please, I know that I have the thread kiss of death, but would somebody help me here?
It’s quite simple. Their mother didn’t love them, they weren’t breastfed, the kids down the street took their bike, and they honestly don’t like Froot Loops (in my mind, the recipe for inner peace). In short, they like the attention. And don’t like Froot Loops. Which is all entirely…
Past experiments have proven that Trolls are not deterred by this manuver, and what is worse, it keeps their moronic threads high on the list where they take up valuable real estate.
There were a few M2Lepton threads yesterday that nobody was posting to, and it was my great satisfaction to see them sink slowly but surely down the list due to the lack of interest. Within an hour, those threads were half way down the list with zero replies.
