Trolling and the Effects on People.

[Abstract Debauchery]

Ah, trolling. For some it's a great annoyance, for others, a fun past time. I believe that at one point in their lives, most people can think of a time they trolled someone. Whether it's by prank, or by something you've done on the internet.

For example, I made a troll post in the spam section that I knew might upset some people. (And it did, which I do apologize for, I enjoy being childish at times.) I tried to troll a little bit longer, but quickly got bored, and I haven't posted in the spam section since.

However, I digress. Most of my trolling occurs in real life. I don't troll for the sake of trolling, I troll to see the kind of reaction that I can get out of different people. In other words, I'm a bastard, or an asshole if that makes you feel any better about it. Yet I just can't help it, the types of different reactions I get amaze me! The only type of pleasure that I can get out of people in general is the pleasure that I get from monitoring their responses from different situations.

(Which is why my major is Psychology.)

I'm actually working on a major essay for my college course about peoples reaction to different situations according to their upbringing/financial status/religion. It's a lot of work, yet I don't care because I'm intrigued.

Yet... I digress again.

The point of this post is to ask a few questions. The questions being: Have you ever trolled? Have you ever trolled on purpose? To see the reaction? Do you enjoy it? How often have you experienced "Trolls Remorse"?

Please post experiences you have had in trolling, or in being trolled. I'm very much interested in what everyone else has experienced.

If this needs to be moved, or deleted, please feel free to do so, as I'm not sure how people will take to this kind of discussion.

 

[Serah]

It honestly depends on the type of trolling you're talking about. Some trolling can be really childish, ridiculous and/or completely harmless. Like the trolling you did in the spam section. It was just silly and harmless. You were just looking for a reaction and you hardly said anything that would hurt or break someone down. There is also another kind of trolling that could completely tear a person apart. That type of trolling has happened to me quite a few times. I've had somebody I thought was a friend make false accounts on DeviantArt just so he could troll me, insult every piece of artwork I've ever done to the point that it ruined my inspiration and I couldn't draw for the longest time. Then he insulted my modeling, the way I look, my poses and then it went so far that he delved into my personal life and insulted my family. He actually drew a picture and put it up on DeviantArt (it's gone now) of my family.

At that time we were having some financial struggles and he drew my son and my animals all thin and starving to death and drew me (mind you this was all a poorly done drawing that looked like a child had done it) and then my husband and said some very cruel things about us all. It got really bad for awhile until he finally stopped. Another one is a member of this forum who actually used to come here a lot and was on staff. Back when I had left staff for a time and then came back not long after, a congratulations thread was made for me. This guy came back only just to troll me when I came back to staff, insulting me personally, publicly on the forums. Anyway, I'm not posting this just to get attention or sympathy. I'm posting this because there are different forms of trolling. Some harmless and some that honestly does affect people, so much to the point that it nearly breaks them. That is all.

And to answer one of your questions, have you ever trolled? No, I have not and I do not ever intend on it either. It's wrong, it's cruel, and if it's done to the extremes it hurts people and I don't like hurting people.

Also, I've moved this to The Sleeping Forest because I feel this more a topic for deep, in depth discussion.

 

[Davey Gaga]

I probably have been trolled but I've never thought that much of it...minus being 14 and bullied by RoseDincht and Tana...they accused me of raping cheerleaders xDD

I've probably done more myself actually, namely having a hand in the site being converted to a picture of goatse and staging an uprising to get rid of Darkblade and, at a separate time, Aztec

I like stupid trolling, like folk taking the piss for the sake of taking the piss as long as they can draw a fair line. Stuff like Decado just fucked me off though and I hope a honey badger violently strips his manhood away from him <_<

 

[Shu]

Trolling is like arguing on the internet, what's the point of it? To compensate for things you don't have in your own life and to correct people for things you think should be right by you?

There is trolling where it can be 1 word responses and there can be full out flaming of the worst kind. I have seen people been slandered with personal attacks. I have seen quite a bit, and to what point does one realize that all they are is a bitter little prick?

To answer your 2nd question, No I have never trolled. I will never troll. If someone wants to go out of their way to sound like a badass, then go right ahead. This is the internet. I applaud you for being the way you are. Now you might get the sarcastic ass hole of me every now and again... but I'm a mans man.. I don't think about things to in depth sometimes.. I'll give it to you straight and to the point. If you don't like it.. grow a pair and move on.

 

[Dee]

The main reason I troll/trolled is simply because I know that it pisses people off and I know I can get a rise out of them. I guess you could say I was trying to prove a point, mainly because the people I do troll are a bunch of hypocrites who say one thing and do another. Though I'm not really doing it to teach them a lesson per se as I know that would just be a waste of time. It's really more in that I do it because it's funny to ruffle certain people's feathers. Many of the people I know and do or have trolled in the past are very predictable. I guess you can tell I only target a certain group and not just an entire forum for the hell of it. My trolling has a purpose; when I've been driven to the point of revenge, most of the time.

I don't think trolling is bad, personally. Yeah, it can be slightly irritating, but most of the time it's just downright funny. It really depends on the individual, though and how they view the concept. Some people are going to abhor it and others won't give a shit. I take the side of the latter.

 

[SapphireStar]

Ive been trolled twice on 2 different FF forums. I was a member of one for ages and got on well with the members. But 2 members just trolled me nonstop and even joined my own forum and trashed it so much I had to close it down. They cyber stalked me to a point. Ive left that forum and wont ever go back.

The other time was by young forum members who ganged up on me cause I had a disagreement with one of their friends. I stuck up for myself and was actually banned from the forum!!! It was so upsetting as I made friends there and these trolls are still on there as far as Im aware!

It can be harmless in some cases, but Ive not expericned the nice sorta trolling.

 

[blakstang98]

Whether you're face to face with someone or hiding behind a monitor, people do have feelings. A small level of trolling or a large one is unacceptable in my opinion. Maybe it's just my old man mentality showing up, but that's how I feel. Sure, in real life I'm quite a ball-buster, but I wouldn't go as far as saying I trolled anyone.

I mean, what is really the point in trolling anyways? Is it really necessary to make a valid effort to piss someone off? Again, maybe it's my being an old man and all, but people have enough problems and stresses in their life. Nobody needs to go on the internet to browse forums and have someone trying to piss them off or humiliate them there too. I know that I'm pretty good with taking things in good nature and letting jokes about me slide off my back, but not everyone is as patient as I am.

Bottom line is, there is no good reason to troll someone. Even if it makes the troll happy that they piss someone off, what did it accomplish really? Hence the reason I have never, and will never troll someone.

 

[Shu]

Another point I wanted to add is this.. and don't take this as a "goody" "goody" thing..

But seriously, why troll period? Why criticize period? What's the point in talking down to someone who gets on your nerves? What does it prove? Why piss people off, unless of course it is something relative to what you feel, in which in my opinion that is not considered trolling. Trolling is just spam to me. It is egging someone on to see how they react.

If you are doing this at your own expense.. then consider this.. how bored are you?

 

[Dee]

I guess, from my standpoint (and this is me trying to rationalize my bouts of troll activity), I trolled those who treated me badly in the first place. I'm like this in person as well; a very spiteful individual when you get on my bad side. It was a means of revenge, which I am known for, but only against whoever wronged me. If you stay on my good side, you've got nothing to worry about.

This, however, doesn't always happen. I pick and choose my battles. In some cases, it would be a complete waste of my time and others I feel as though it is necessary.

 

[Serah]

It's actually relieving to hear that you're not the type of troll that just trolls random people for the hell of it, only to watch them get upset or get a rise out of them for your pure amusement. I can understand why you'd troll people who wronged you, but honestly why stoop to their level? I mean if they wronged you just forget about them and move on. Be the bigger person. I'm not saying what you're doing is bad, just kinda silly and childish. Now if you were doing it just to be a bitch and upset people who've done nothing to you in particular, then I'd have to question your motives.

 

[Dee]

It's actually relieving to hear that you're not the type of troll that just trolls random people for the hell of it, only to watch them get upset or get a rise out of them for your pure amusement. I can understand why you'd troll people who wronged you, but honestly why stoop to their level? I mean if they wronged you just forget about them and move on. Be the bigger person. I'm not saying what you're doing is bad, just kinda silly and childish. Now if you were doing it just to be a bitch and upset people who've done nothing to you in particular, then I'd have to question your motives.

There are times when I do walk away, which is when I feel there's no satisfaction to be had out of it.

However, that's not always the case. It's kind of hard to explain. If you're not a vengeful person, then the concept is rather difficult to understand. All I can say is that it's ingrained in me, but that I do know how and when to control it.

 

[Caedus]

Jimmeh and I troll each other all the time. (No homo dude, no homo.)
It's timing and tone. Like you could insult someone all day and as long as it's got humor and doesn't try to stab them in the heart or hit home, really, then it's all in good fun, imho.

But... Oh god but.. But when people troll your responses like flies on sugar with the intention of just being annoying, mean, or out right rude, that's bad trolling. That's when you just wanna punch your screen, hoping a portal opens upon impact that leads to the balls of the bastard who's trolling you. No, I'm not talking about you, Jack's Smirking Revenge... Not at all.

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

There is also another kind of trolling that could completely tear a person apart. That type of trolling has happened to me quite a few times. I've had somebody I thought was a friend make false accounts on DeviantArt just so he could troll me, insult every piece of artwork I've ever done to the point that it ruined my inspiration and I couldn't draw for the longest time. Then he insulted my modeling, the way I look, my poses and then it went so far that he delved into my personal life and insulted my family. He actually drew a picture and put it up on DeviantArt (it's gone now) of my family.

When trolling over the internet, I've never taken it anywhere near that far. I'm don't take part in the mob mentality that is associated with groups like Anonymous. In fact, if I knew someone that was doing that kind of thing to anyone, I'd make sure that they would get their just desserts. I'm a strong advocate of revenge and vindication. Over the internet, I make sure that's it harmless, and the most I get out of it is a small response. Even then, typically I just start making myself look like an idiot so everyone can have a little fun with it.

However, real life is different. When it comes to friends, I troll often. Still not to hard, basically just jokes at their expense. Yet, they all know it's just fun and games. Whenever I call them morons they know that I'm just kidding, and in fact just think that most people are morons. They've come to learn that I'm just an arrogant bastard, and any attempt that I have to let them know that I'm better than them, they'll know I take. However, in the end, its all fun and games.

Now, people I don't know are a different story. I associate most people into one category: tools. I don't troll them to just get an angry response. Hell, you can hardly call it trolling. It's just engaging in a conversation that they are not used to, then freaking them out. I get all sorts of responses, angry, funny, blissful, things like that. However, I do it because I enjoy watching their reactions. I just find it fascinating. I know that's weird, but I love getting to know how the average human mind works. It's just so damned interesting.

Now, people that have wronged me... That's where it gets interesting. I make sure I go after them to the fullest extent possible. When I was in high school, it was feeding them the wrong answers on tests. (Because a lot of people would cheat off of my papers.) I worked in the school library, and they would wonder where the $50 fines would come from for a late book. The worst that I had ever done was go so far out of my way to ensure that the person was expelled from school. That involved heavy amounts of manipulation on my part, along with careful timing and movements. However, I only go that far into the realm of trolling when I've been done very wrong.

In college, the worst that I've ever done was part of a psychological experiment. It was actually required. I had to measure amounts of anger in 5 different test subjects. It was interesting, and I really enjoyed it. The test subjects were very happy at the end when we told them that the situation that they were in was false.

Also, I've moved this to The Sleeping Forest because I feel this more a topic for deep, in depth discussion.

Thank you. I wasn't sure if I should have posted this here or not.

I've probably done more myself actually, namely having a hand in the site being converted to a picture of goatse

I'm guilty of this one. Only the page that they were linked to had Rick Astley playing in the back ground while the screen minimalized and moved around so you couldn't click the "X" in the corner.

Trolling is like arguing on the internet, what's the point of it? To compensate for things you don't have in your own life and to correct people for things you think should be right by you?

To be quite honest, there hardly is ever a real point to it. For myself, I don't do it to compensate, I do it for a reaction. As far as to correct people... I'm guilty of it. I've done my fair share of trolling pro-lifers and hardcore Christians. Yet, I've never once done it without them shoving their views in my face. I only did it to them back, on a much more massive scale.

I have seen quite a bit, and to what point does one realize that all they are is a bitter little prick?

While I can't speak for everyone else that had trolled, I can safely say that I am indeed bitter. I have my reasons to be, and if said reasons were ever revealed, I would be an idiot to expect to not be trolled by someone.

It's odd though... I've never really taken trolling seriously. It's all been fun and games, even when I am on the receiving end. Which is a reason I can respect people like Shu, and Kikyou. While there are the generally good people like you two, there are the equally bad people (like me) that simply don't care. Which is odd... I am aware that it's a bad thing on my part, yet I just can't find it in my reasoning to care.

Which is also why, people like you two have little to worry about little trolls like me. I tend to only troll people that are annoying, or that deserve it. However, most of the time I'm an asshole... However, that's just how I talk to most people. Luckily most people on this forum aren't annoying at all. (Only met one annoying person thus far, and I haven't seen him since our argument.)

Once again... I digress.

But seriously, why troll period? Why criticize period? What's the point in talking down to someone who gets on your nerves? What does it prove? Why piss people off, unless of course it is something relative to what you feel, in which in my opinion that is not considered trolling. Trolling is just spam to me. It is egging someone on to see how they react.

A world where everyone gets along together would be boring to me. People criticize everyday about many things. Sure, it proves little, and really only exists to get at the other person. (Which is why I typically only do it in real life.)

For example, I've gone to malls, seen a few Ambercrombie wearing d-bags, and I trolled them. I walked up to them, told them that they were a bunch of d-bags. (You see, they were actually going out of their way to look smug. I was feeling bad for a poor janitor that they were making fun of because he couldn't speak english.) I came in, made them look like a bunch of idiots to the point where one got mad and tried to hit me, I ducked, and a security guard came and had them escorted out. I enjoyed it so much it should have been a crime.

If you are doing this at your own expense.. then consider this.. how bored are you?

Very. I won't lie. I'm bored often. I could have millions in cash and somehow be immensely fucking bored. Just something about the human mind, and the reactions that you can get out of multiple situations, it's exciting. (I know I'm weird.)

I mean if they wronged you just forget about them and move on. Be the bigger person.

Oh how I wish I could do that. However, I just can't. I was always taught by my parents that if someone had done you wrong, it was only wrong to get them back tenfold. (Seriously, who teaches their kids that? My parents did.) I have a massive inferiority complex, so when someone does something wrong to me, I HAVE to get them back. Or else I just don't feel right until they get what's coming to them.

 

[L]

I actually used to troll quite a lot until I was promoted to a Moderator on a forum that was going pretty steady.

I would like, get banned from this one forum like three times a week and call their owner a dumb shithead because he is but yeah, I really only did it because I knew it would irritate people who pissed me off. There's nothing quite like being a one-man raid on someone's site and forcing them to turn on manual e-mail activation.

Normally, it's not something I'd be proud of saying, but those people were stupid as hell

 

[Thalia]

I remember I was being trolled at another forum by a very lonely chump who had nothing else better to do than harass the women of the forums. He was old enough to be my uncle and this man kept bothering me night and day in the forum and outside of the forum demanding for pictures of myself. Finding him to be grossly offensive, I stated to him several times to never contact me but he did so anyways. The harassing only got worse once he found my personal blog.

This sort of trolling escalated in such a way that he eventually got himself banned from the forums I was in, as well as earned a new reputation as a 'net predator' from others he harassed as well with his boorish tactics.

I personally think that trolling is pretty up there with harassment, unless its just harmless trolling or jiving among friends. That is of course different but from have seen, most of the internet bares this "4-chan-ish" personality, which means everyone online usually act worse than the anonymous jerks on /b/.

 

[SaShman]

I believe there is a fine line between trolling and harassment. I find trolling to be largely impersonal. As soon as trolling stoops to the level of stalking, personal attacks etc.. I see it as harassment. To be honest I find trolling to be healthy to some extent. Some people just need to be put in place, others need to get angry once in a while.

I'm sure the definition of trolling differs from person to person. But to me trolling is something like stirring up fanboys/fangirls or people who hold a strong belief of some sort. I see this kind of trolling as generally harmless. IRL trolling naturally differs and verges more on the idea of pulling pranks IMO.

The point of this post is to ask a few questions. The questions being: Have you ever trolled?

Yes. However, I have only trolled on relatively informal sites like /b/. Because /b/ is mostly anonymous and due to the large amount of activity; I know that whatever I say there will be quickly brushed aside and lost with the rest of responses which means it will have little effect.

Have you ever trolled on purpose? To see the reaction?

Yes. Really that is what trolling is all about.

Do you enjoy it? How often have you experienced "Trolls Remorse"?

I may have experienced it a few times IRL. I don't think I have online, however you could take the fact that I only troll places like /b/ as a way for me to try to justify it.

I think trolling is quite interesting in the sense that it reveals a side of people which is not usually seen. For example some people like to think that they are too mature to flame other people and dish out childish insults. But a good troll is able to get people to go against their preconceived notions of themselves.