Before you meet one read this: SC Tip: Do not feed the trolls DNFTT
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/t...ucks/troll.png
Never feed the trolls. DNFTT
Trolls visit lots of message boards and their goal pure and simple is to disrupt.
What's a troll?
"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion." (wikipedia)
Here's a few excerpts from an interview with Andrew Heenan, and his site www.flayme.com/troll. about trolls posted on lefora labs blog.
Quote:
Your site reveals an interesting fact, that the term ‘troll’ does *not* in fact come from slimy creatures living under bridges – so where did it come from?
The anglers among your readers will know that trolling is the art of trailing a bait, hoping that a fish will bite; for the internet troll, it’s all about the response. Just as many anglers will put the fish back after the catch, so the Internet troll has no real interest in the issues being discussed; they are simply entertaining themselves by causing frustration in others. It’s about power – trolls create the illusion of power by manipulating others
Why trolls are so difficult to spot/control?
Well they can look "innocuous" at first. And once you nibble on the bait they real you in and your emotions kick in.
Try telling someone to NOT post about an attack or offensive remark or rudeness .... it can ruin a thread and damage a forum.
Quote:
What are some steps to get rid of a troll?
The most effective method of troll management is ‘Don’t Feed The Troll’; if it does not get a response, it will move off and try elsewhere; any response is validation of its sad existence, so should be avoided. But we’ve all been taken in; the skilled troll may start with a question or comment that may seem odd, but is not rude, wrong or particularly inappropriate. Once it has you hooked, then it attempts to manipulate you into anger or humiliation. One of the most effective troll tricks is to cause group members to disagree – often ‘planting’ a new member to defend them, with a plea to members to ‘give him another chance’. The resulting dispute allows the troll to leave the members fighting, with no further effort required. [my emphasis]
Read more about trolls and how mods/admins keep our community safe by taking care of them.
How can we help keep Smart Canucks on track and good place for conversation?
Well we can DNFTT. And there's a special icon beside each post near the rep button.
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/t...cktoreport.jpg
Use the button to "spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts. "
http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/t...reportform.jpg
..