A question about trolls....

[Dolphin]

Can they be someone who has been a member for a long time and have a higher post count?

 

I have just noticed this one person since being away and, well, they seem really out there and controversial. However, they have been a member of the forum longer than me and have more posts than I do. Could this person still be a troll?

 

They do have A LOT of stuff on the for sale board, and started selling stuff really soon after joining.

 

If you really think something is off, who do you contact?

[5kidsforME]

Can they be someone who has been a member for a long time and have a higher post count?

 

I have just noticed this one person since being away and, well, they seem really out there and controversial. However, they have been a member of the forum longer than me and have more posts than I do. Could this person still be a troll?

 

They do have A LOT of stuff on the for sale board, and started selling stuff really soon after joining.

 

If you really think something is off, who do you contact?

 

 

Yes I think longtime members can be trolls. I really don't think you can do much about it. I mean if they are selling but not following through I guess you could but...other than that. I don't think they do much until it becomes a big issue. Now PM me and tell me who you suspect!! :tongue_smilie:

Edited April 23, 2012 by Momto4kids

[gardening momma]

They could just be really out there and controversial. ;)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Depends on your definition of a troll. If you mean someone who is just trying to stir up trouble, then some people are pot-stirrers, even long term posters.

[Tohru]

They could just be really out there and controversial. ;)

 

Depends on your definition of a troll. If you mean someone who is just trying to stir up trouble, then some people are pot-stirrers, even long term posters.

 

:iagree: to both of these.

 

And being controversial can be subjective :)

 

Or maybe they're just having a bad day. Happens to us all.

[Tap]

Some people go through phases where they censor themselves better that other times.

 

But, yes, I do believe there are some posters that walk a thin line between troll and viable member. I suspect a few of not being who they say they are (and no I won't say who) and/or are not honest about their family circumstance/logistics/homeschool situation.

[mommybee]

Some people go through phases where they censor themselves better that other times.

 

But, yes, I do believe there are some posters that walk a thin line between troll and viable member. I suspect a few of not being who they say they are (and no I won't say who) and/or are not honest about their family circumstance/logistics/homeschool situation.

 

:iagree:

[aggieamy]

Some people go through phases where they censor themselves better that other times.

 

But, yes, I do believe there are some posters that walk a thin line between troll and viable member. I suspect a few of not being who they say they are (and no I won't say who) and/or are not honest about their family circumstance/logistics/homeschool situation.

 

:iagree:. There are some posts/threads that I skip because I just know what it's going to be and I'm not in the mood for any of the non-sense.

[Amy in NH]

:iagree:. There are some posts/threads that I skip because I just know what it's going to be and I'm not in the mood for any of the non-sense.

 

:iagree:

[nansk]

LOL :)

There is a member here who has a huge post count. But if you see her posts, most of them are this: :bigear:

 

I figure it's not worth my time going after them. Just ignore and move on. And don't buy from them. :-)

[TXBeth]

There is a certain member here who has a similar post count to mine, and every time she starts a thread I wonder if this will be the one where someone publicly doubts her story. But it hasn't happened yet. I just hang back and watch because I am almost sure she is . . . Not fake exactly, but misrepresenting herself or exaggerating her story. Time will tell, and as long as she isn't hurting anyone or asking people for donations I won't call her out.

[SunnyDays]

Wow... I'm missing all the good threads, apparently!! ;)

 

I'm sure, though, that it's perfectly possible for someone to have a large number of posts, but be... shall we say, disingenuous. :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

And now is the time that I say what I say on every one of these troll threads. I dislike troll hunters almost as much as I do genuine trolls. If there is too much drama for you, then ignore it. Actual trolls do seem to get found out soon enough.

[Dolphin]

I guess that is what is getting me. This is a place we come for support. One of her posts was just WAY off bass. Everyone said she was wrong, but I bet the OP was feeling a little hurt that someone was saying those things.

 

The other post was just plain, looking down one's nose mean. No other reason to post than to put the OP down.

 

That is why I was wondering. Is that troll behavior, or just a really rude board member?

 

I am going to support people around her. I guess I won't out and out call her out unless she does it to me. I don't want to hijack someone else's thread, but I will hijack mine if she makes an appearance.

 

Nicole

[Jean in Newcastle]

There are board rules against rude and mean posts. If you see one, hit the red exclamation point to report the post to the mods. I've seen posts that the mods have removed because of rudeness.

 

(I've also seen rude board members come back and apologize on occasion.)

 

I've also seen people being straight forward and rather blunt but not actually rude. The thing about asking for advice is that you have to take a wide variety of opinions, shift through them and choose the ones that fit your own circumstance. Or if someone wants to just vent and be supported, say so up front.

[Dolphin]

And now is the time that I say what I say on every one of these troll threads. I dislike troll hunters almost as much as I do genuine trolls. If there is too much drama for you, then ignore it. Actual trolls do seem to get found out soon enough.

 

ouch. What makes a troll hunter?

 

I was just planning on being supportive of the people I see her being rude to. If she comes onto one of my threads and is rude to me, I would probably call her out as a rude person.

 

I am not planning on following her around and posting after everything she says on the board. That would be annoying and a waste of time.

 

This is my first forum, I am still learning what constitutes a troll, vs a rude board member. It sounds like this one falls in the later category.

[Jean in Newcastle]

ouch. What makes a troll hunter?

 

I was just planning on being supportive of the people I see her being rude to. If she comes onto one of my threads and is rude to me, I would probably call her out as a rude person.

 

I am not planning on following her around and posting after everything she says on the board. That would be annoying and a waste of time.

 

This is my first forum, I am still learning what constitutes a troll, vs a rude board member. It sounds like this one falls in the later category.

 

No reason to feel an ouch. I didn't say that you were a troll hunter. There have been people here who have started to bait a new member, trying to call them out as a troll. On occasion they have been right and the troll has been banned. But there have been more than one occasion where they just jumped on an innocent person who might not have been totally forum savvy.

[Dolphin]

There are board rules against rude and mean posts. If you see one, hit the red exclamation point to report the post to the mods. I've seen posts that the mods have removed because of rudeness.

 

(I've also seen rude board members come back and apologize on occasion.)

 

I've also seen people being straight forward and rather blunt but not actually rude. The thing about asking for advice is that you have to take a wide variety of opinions, shift through them and choose the ones that fit your own circumstance. Or if someone wants to just vent and be supported, say so up front.

 

Ok, this helps. I really am trying to learn how the boards work.

 

Where do you find the red exclamation point? I haven't heard about that before. There is one post I think I should do that for.

 

Thanks, sorry I am such a techie weakling:001_smile:

[Dolphin]

No reason to feel an ouch. I didn't say that you were a troll hunter. There have been people here who have started to bait a new member, trying to call them out as a troll. On occasion they have been right and the troll has been banned. But there have been more than one occasion where they just jumped on an innocent person who might not have been totally forum savvy.

 

Thanks, I don't think I want to be a troll hunter. I just want to know what to do when rudeness is apparent.

[Jean in Newcastle]

 

Where do you find the red exclamation point? I haven't heard about that before. There is one post I think I should do that for.

 

 

Upper right hand corner of someone's post. If you click it, a window will open up where you can send a message to the mods. Type in why you think it breaks a board rule. The mods will decide if they agree.

[Free]

And now is the time that I say what I say on every one of these troll threads. I dislike troll hunters almost as much as I do genuine trolls. If there is too much drama for you, then ignore it. Actual trolls do seem to get found out soon enough.

:iagree: This is the internet. I appreciate the diversity of thoughts and ideas and the pot stirrers and the controversy seekers. They keep the forums interesting and challenge my way of thinking.

[Dolphin]

Upper right hand corner of someone's post. If you click it, a window will open up where you can send a message to the mods. Type in why you think it breaks a board rule. The mods will decide if they agree.

 

Thank you Jean. I have done that and I will leave it in the Mods hands and go about my day, or night as it might be.

 

Thank you again for your help.

 

Nicole

[PrincessMommy]

I think there's a difference between trolls and rude or strongly opinionated posters.

 

Here's an example. I belong to another forum associated with the Orthodox faith. From time to time someone will join - then post a long diatribe against either Christianity or the Orthodox faith. Members will immediately get defensive and start arguing (board rules are different). This new poster will be completely unwilling to debate or converse about the topic - they just want to hit and hit again to the point of being belligerent and ridiculously off base (have no idea what they are talking about). At this point people will tire of the person and after being ignored they will go away or The mods will ban them. Sometimes they'll try to come back under another screename too. They're usually fly-by-nights and never stick around.

 

To me that is a troll.

 

This other forum also has grumpy contrarions. They're part of the forum and often have been for a long time, but you can bet money that whatever you say - they will take the opposite side and sometimes be forceful or rude about it too. They'll often be on the "warned" or "moderated" list on that forum. It's like they enjoy a pushing people's buttons and/or playing devil's advocate. Sometimes it's helpful because they are trying to get people to ask important questions or see things differently - but usually they're just a pain in the a.... Sometimes I want to write "it's not what you say but how you say it." But, then they'd want to start an argument with me (ask me how I know :glare:).

 

Just my measly two-cents.

[momma2three]

I know that it's a huge character flaw, but I'm so curious... I wish I know who everyone here was talking about! Especially the people being suspected of having fake stories. :lol:

[Joanne]

Can they be someone who has been a member for a long time and have a higher post count?

 

I have just noticed this one person since being away and, well, they seem really out there and controversial. However, they have been a member of the forum longer than me and have more posts than I do. Could this person still be a troll?

 

They do have A LOT of stuff on the for sale board, and started selling stuff really soon after joining.

 

If you really think something is off, who do you contact?

 

I know this one isn't me, because I do not have anything for sale. ;)

 

 

 

Some people go through phases where they censor themselves better that other times.

 

But, yes, I do believe there are some posters that walk a thin line between troll and viable member. I suspect a few of not being who they say they are (and no I won't say who) and/or are not honest about their family circumstance/logistics/homeschool situation.

 

As a concise, sometimes blunt poster with non-conforming ideas and an absolutely outrageous personal story.............

 

I've observed that people's capacity for arguement and discussion and "tone" varies widely. What some consider clearly rude may not be the same for others. I'm very, very careful about what I report for "rude" - of course, I have a high tolerance for it.

 

I am also inclined to believe personal narratives, especially of long timers. I've been here over a decade, nearly a decade and a half. I could verify the elements of my story with in real life, homeschooling people across the stages, many of whom I have met personally. But my story is outrageous.

 

Sometimes, *life* is outrageous. Diseases that change spouses. Mortgage "help" systems that are so bizarre that there will be reparation programs and lawsuits.

 

Trolls, IMO and IME, typically have newish user names and predictable topics. We *have* been fooled - for a while - by some legend posters. But not often.

 

One of my students did a presentation for Communications on trolls. It was well done, and :lol:. Made me wonder if he had been here. I then realized that internet trolls do the same thing, different content, all over the net on forums.

[Guest submarines]

There is a certain member here who has a similar post count to mine, and every time she starts a thread I wonder if this will be the one where someone publicly doubts her story. But it hasn't happened yet. I just hang back and watch because I am almost sure she is . . . Not fake exactly, but misrepresenting herself or exaggerating her story. Time will tell, and as long as she isn't hurting anyone or asking people for donations I won't call her out.

 

I've been wondering exactly the same thing in the last couple of weeks. :tongue_smilie:

[Lovedtodeath]

I know this one isn't me, because I do not have anything for sale. ;)

LOL! Whew! Thanks for clearing that up.:tongue_smilie:

[kalanamak]

Some people go through phases where they censor themselves better that other times.

 

:iagree: 'Nuff said.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The whole "there is someone here who I won't name but is a troll" thing bothers me. People have different personalities and different ways of coping with things. Some people are "just the facts, Ma'am" kind of posters and only post recipes or curriculum questions. Some react to relatively small things (from my perspective) and post an SOS for that. Some people are in situations (like with NPD parents) that are very hard for people without that experience to understand. Some people make a lot of little decisions that open themselves up to drama and then wonder where it came from. Some people have just had one thing after another pile up on them at different times in their life.

 

If someone is asking for prayer or sympathy and you don't feel it, then don't give it to them. I doubt they would want it from someone who isn't sincere. Same for advice. I do appreciate those who let us know when it is a JAWM thread and when they actually want advice, btw. If someone is hinting for money then don't give it to them. If you need a break from drama, then read the posts of the "just the facts" people.

[Joanne]

The whole "there is someone here who I won't name but is a troll" thing bothers me.

 

Me, too. Almost as much as "I am right because I have a bunch of PMs from people who agree with me but are afraid to post."

[Jennifer3141]

And now is the time that I say what I say on every one of these troll threads. I dislike troll hunters almost as much as I do genuine trolls. If there is too much drama for you, then ignore it. Actual trolls do seem to get found out soon enough.

 

:iagree::iagree: Thank you so much for saying this, Jean.

[butterflymommy]

On another board I used to post on, it was against the user agreement to even discuss the topic of trolls, or to imply publicly that someone was a troll. I'm not much into troll hunting because how can you verify everything people post? At a certain point you just have to believe that at least most of what you're reading is true. I do tend to be very cautious, here, when a person has very few posts and a wild personal narrative to share. Beyond that "I want to believe." :001_smile:

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Night Elf]

Some people simply need drama in their lives. They can be real pills even IRL.

 

Anyone else wondering if they are the person with the high post count that people don't trust? :tongue_smilie:

[Danielle1746]

I do appreciate those who let us know when it is a JAWM thread....

 

What does JAWM mean? I've seen it several times here lately, but I've never heard it before.

[Dolphin]

Whenever this topic comes up, I wonder why folks are so afraid of using the "Ignore" feature. If you really think someone is a troll, or if someone just is too much of a Drama Queen for you to stomach, well ... that's what the Ignore setting is for, right?

 

You bring up a great point. I can answer it for me (the OP). What is the ignore feature and how do you do it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first and only forum I have ever belonged to. At 37 I am pretty good at looking up info, checking e-mail etc... There are parts of this whole WWW that still escape me.

 

Because people won't talk about trolls other than when a troll hunt is going on, a lot of us just plain old don't know about it. I have learnt a lot. The person I suspected of being a troll may or may not be. Most likely is just more active and really rude. I now know how to report a post when I come across one that is just really rude and pointless. If I hadn't of asked, I wouldn't have known.

 

As for not listing who you suspect, then I would be being rude to them. I wanted to find out if what they were doing was troll behavior. It is not. So although they are rude, I am glad I did not put there name here as a troll.

 

Last thing. I have been staying out of the emotional and controversial threads. These posts that bothered me popped up on pretty low key threads, and one a really mild curriculum chat.

 

I HAVE:blushing: I have received a few messages from this post. Some people wanting to know who I suspect (I usually do that too:D) A lot from people just saying thank you and that they understand the whole troll thing better now.

 

To clear up.

 

I was wrong, the poster in question does not fall under the troll definition.

 

Thank you for the definition

 

Thank you for teaching me how to report a post

 

Please how do you use the ignore feature?

 

I am sorry for those who are annoyed for the discussion on trolls, but I am very grateful for the information that I have learnt about navigating the world of forums.

 

Oh, and no one who posted on this thread was the person I suspected:001_smile:

[Danielle1746]

Just Agree With Me. Not looking for advice, just a cyberhug and a "there, there".

 

Thanks!

[stripe]

I have reported posts for being spam or mean/rude.

 

I have also reported suspicious posts, and I write in the comments that I just want to bring this up or am not sure if it's wrong.

 

I wouldn't worry about trolls or not. If you think they're weird, don't buy their used stuff.

[ocelotmom]

They do have A LOT of stuff on the for sale board, and started selling stuff really soon after joining.

 

Trolls come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of dedication :)

 

Someone legitimately selling things with good feedback could still be a troll. How many threads are there about really good deals people found at thrift stores/garage sales? Trolls can find these too, and then sell for a profit. Or they could be legitimate homeschoolers with their own used curriculum to sell, but still misrepresenting themselves somehow.

 

There have been internet trolls where people actually met the person and their supposed kid, who it turned out they were actually just babysitting (works better with pre-verbal kids...).

 

Be kind to everyone and skeptical of everyone and you can't go wrong :)

[LaxMom]

I know this one isn't me, because I do not have anything for sale. ;)

 

I did a self-inventory and came up with the same. :D

 

 

 

As a concise, sometimes blunt poster with non-conforming ideas and an absolutely outrageous personal story.............

 

I've observed that people's capacity for arguement and discussion and "tone" varies widely. What some consider clearly rude may not be the same for others. I'm very, very careful about what I report for "rude" - of course, I have a high tolerance for it.

 

I am also inclined to believe personal narratives, especially of long timers. I've been here over a decade, nearly a decade and a half. I could verify the elements of my story with in real life, homeschooling people across the stages, many of whom I have met personally. But my story is outrageous.

 

Sometimes, *life* is outrageous. Diseases that change spouses. Mortgage "help" systems that are so bizarre that there will be reparation programs and lawsuits.

 

Trolls, IMO and IME, typically have newish user names and predictable topics. We *have* been fooled - for a while - by some legend posters. But not often.

 

One of my students did a presentation for Communications on trolls. It was well done, and :lol:. Made me wonder if he had been here. I then realized that internet trolls do the same thing, different content, all over the net on forums.

 

That must have been an interesting paper.

 

(and I, for one, hope your life becomes extremely pedestrian soon!)

[Lisa R.]

I think oftentimes there are longtime posters who are known for dramatic, often hard to believe situations. I don't think they're trolls, but they do seem to be people that I'd not have much in common with IRL. I don't use the ignore feature because I find it fascinating. When certain posters post, I invariably know it will be some sort of high drama.

 

Here's how I can tell the difference between high drama and a person that has just plain hard luck:

High drama is when a poster typically uses extreme adjectives or descriptions even when dealing with normal, everyday things--grocery store, teaching math, dealing with a person over the phone, etc.

Plain hard luck is a person who's had job loss, medical issues, difficult teenagers and so on. They have real, significant issues by any standard. They have every right to complain and vent to us here.

 

Note: if you have difficulties with most of your personal relationships, many of your interactions with strangers, most of your relatives, and a few neighbors, it's important to look at the common denominator in all those relationships. If you have issues in one of those areas, it's perfectly normal. Issues in most of those areas...not so much.

 

(Just the humble opinion of a infrequent poster who reads this board every day.)

[butterflymommy]

Now that this topic has been brought up I'm brave enough to ask a question I've wanted to ask for a while... if a person is going to go to the effort to troll a board, wouldn't they choose something, well, "sexier" than a board full of homeschooling moms?? :tongue_smilie: Assuming they aren't selling stuff and have no profit motive.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[LG Gone Wild]

I think there's a difference between trolls and rude or strongly opinionated posters.

 

Here's an example. I belong to another forum associated with the Orthodox faith. From time to time someone will join - then post a long diatribe against either Christianity or the Orthodox faith. Members will immediately get defensive and start arguing (board rules are different). This new poster will be completely unwilling to debate or converse about the topic - they just want to hit and hit again to the point of being belligerent and ridiculously off base (have no idea what they are talking about). At this point people will tire of the person and after being ignored they will go away or The mods will ban them. Sometimes they'll try to come back under another screename too. They're usually fly-by-nights and never stick around.

 

To me that is a troll.

 

This other forum also has grumpy contrarions. They're part of the forum and often have been for a long time, but you can bet money that whatever you say - they will take the opposite side and sometimes be forceful or rude about it too. They'll often be on the "warned" or "moderated" list on that forum. It's like they enjoy a pushing people's buttons and/or playing devil's advocate. Sometimes it's helpful because they are trying to get people to ask important questions or see things differently - but usually they're just a pain in the a.... Sometimes I want to write "it's not what you say but how you say it." But, then they'd want to start an argument with me (ask me how I know :glare:).

 

Just my measly two-cents.

 

 

Oh, yeah.

 

:iagree:

[Mommy22alyns]

Me, too. Almost as much as "I am right because I have a bunch of PMs from people who agree with me but are afraid to post."

 

 

The silent PM army!!! :lol:

 

I can honestly say I've never reported a post here and don't consider myself qualified enough to be a troll hunter. There are some people here and on my other online home that I wonder about too. For example, on another board I visit, there's a member who's been there for about 5 years and has about 2k posts. Suddenly she's everywhere and has tons of highly improbable situations going on. Just makes me look askance.

 

And yes, BTDT with the highly opinionated people who don't seem to know how to say anything nicely. :glare:

[Onceuponatime]

Me, too. Almost as much as "I am right because I have a bunch of PMs from people who agree with me but are afraid to post."

 

The first thing I saw in this post was PMS. That's me right now. Splitting headache, irritable and hormonal.

 

I couldn't care less if any one is a troll or thinks I am a troll. Everyone has a little drama going somewhere in their life. If I don't want to engage in anyone else's drama, I don't. It is tempting to bare everything in what appears to be an anonymous setting, but I've noticed that usually has negative consequences with so many misunderstandings that multiply exponentially.

 

Where is Miss Manners for the internet? Surely someone has come up with something like that by now.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Onceuponatime
Could I or couldn't I, that was the problem.

[LibraryLover]

I was just thinking...I could be a troll because it seems I always say Yes! to Would You Eat This? Would a troll have the patience to systemactically take people out over several years by encouraging food posioning?

 

Or maybe I've seen too many high school performances of Arsenic and Old Lace...

[Excelsior! Academy]

I was just thinking...I could be a troll because it seems I always say Yes! to Would You Eat This? Would a troll have the patience to systemactically take people out over several years by encouraging food posioning?

 

Or maybe I've seen too many high school performances of Arsenic and Old Lace...

 

:lol:

[stripe]

There have been internet trolls where people actually met the person and their supposed kid, who it turned out they were actually just babysitting (works better with pre-verbal kids...).

 

oh my! Wow.

 

I am on another list about cooking related stuff and a long time member lost it first over glass vs. plastic blenders and then a cookbook and had to be removed after threatening other members. What on earth?

[KidsHappen]

I know this one isn't me, because I do not have anything for sale. ;)

 

This is how I eliminated myself as well. :001_smile: