User:Brendon111/Experience/Anti-trolling trolls

Stop abusing the word “troll”, trolls

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by Brendon

20:59, 24 May 2012 (UTC)

I've been lurking on some discussions here for quite awhile and I've noticed a weird trend occurring on Wiki community and also the rest of the internet community for that matter. It's the misuse — or rather abuse — of the word troll! So I've taken it upon myself to inform what it is and is not.

Literal meaning

No trolls please!

Troll can literally mean any of the following noun: spook, wraith, monster, ogre, a grotesque humanoid (In Scandinavian mythology, trolls are creatures who look like ugly people and dwell in caves or mountains.) verb: fish by drawing bait along in the water. [perhaps related to French troller to run about] verb: To saunter, or trundle. verb: to entice, to lure as if with trailing bait in order to draw someone or something out. Hence it should be absolutely clear by now that labeling people as "troll" can be considered offensive by some.

What "troll" insinuates

Presently, in online discussions of various communities, troll implies someone who attempts to lure others into combative argument for purposes of personal entertainment and/or gratuitous disruption.
In common sense, trolling means needless focus on inflammatory, extraneous, disruptive or off-topic discussions.

What "troll" doesn't mean

Troll is not necessarily someone

1. who is asking for honest advice on an appropriate page (e.g. talk page of a relevant article, user talk page of an associated editor)
2. who is persistent, or passionate about certain topics.
3. who is asking hard questions or making retorts to your jibes.
4. whose opinions you consider to be trash or nonsense.
5. who you think is a troll.

Find the odd one out

Then why do people abuse it?

• Honestly, sometimes I think people don't really understand certain slang/lingo/insults but they use them in order fit in.
• Maybe troll has just become that "cool" word to use when people can't constructively contribute to a discussion or can't rebut certain points that are being raised (not to mention - stridently).
• It's possible that some people disagree with their opponent and then spout “omg troll!!” because they have nothing else to say. It's extremely fallacious (i.e. ad hominem, red herring) to belittle a person in stead of politely refuting his/her claims.
• Perhaps those who misuse the word "troll", do so because they know deep down inside they are themselves quintessential examples of "trolls" that they are so ostentatiously ruthless in loathing.

Troll and assuming good faith

As is probably evident that trolling has something to do with insincerity and malevolent intentions. But the thing is, we are not a psychic-pedia. Hence, we should not accuse someone of being a troll based on our own conjectures and preconceptions. If anything, that's a serious violation of WP:AGF. Now, we might already be feeding ourselves many ideas to circumvent what this essay has delivered so far and justify our inherent penchant for being abrasive to others, but it's futile to show others how big a dick we can be when met with witty retorts.

A smile can be much more effective in conveying intent

Not every unusual thing is a troll

Effects of calling somebody a troll

As mentioned above, not all unhelpful edits are intentional or equivalent to trolling. Caution should be used before making assumptions. And since the judgment that someone is a troll is subjective, it is always possible that someone will be misidentified as a troll due to his/her behavior.

You may irk or antagonize other editors with your unnecessary personal attacks and that's not constructive approach in itself, or is it? Wikipedia is a collaborative process and not an inherently eliminative one.
It may be considered biting or baiting and you may be regarded with contempt, who knows?

Am I a Troll?

I know I might have just set myself up for the “LOL UR A TROLL” thread, but I've already braced myself for it.

Watch your back first

So next time you just wanna blurt out troll whenever there is a post you just don't like, think twice before you make a spectacle of yourself. Anything that is non-constructive in the discussion doesn't necessarily make your opponent a troll, sometimes it's you.

See also

My other essays

• DICKERY and its effect
• Welcoming New editors
• Biting in good-faith?
• Lessons from my past experience

Policies and guidelines

• WP:BAIT
• WP:NPA
• WP:CIVIL
• meta:Troll

Reference and notes

Note

Reference

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Must say, while reading this essay, I was thinking to myself: He knows quite alot about how trolls and people who claim others trolls, could he be one?

Though you bring up great info and make quite alot of statements I can agree on, most people will still label you as a troll but, I've noticed that most people who are right are claimed to be trolls. I'm quite disgusted with most people but can normally get along with some, have a good day and may you stay safe.