Mon Feb 24, 2014 8:28 am
Trolling has its own eco-system... its's the only way it can be sustained as it is a zero sum negotiation between at least two parties. Here is how I see it over the last decade, there are, of course, many other characters, but the subject is trolling. Also, many people change personalities, so the character isn't static. No description is intended to allude to any specific persons real or imaginary:
1) bravado poster~ likely full of b.s., but it's the internet, so WGAF
2) literal retort guy~ typically responds with some illogical expectation that all things posted on internet are true
3) almost pathological guy~ seen it all, done it all, knows it all.... often missing witnesses, facts, logic
4) Truth teller guy~ thinks he has unique perspective on pathological guy, only one that can see through "lies"
Here's how the troll works:
Bravado guy~ "birds were cupped and committed! Two of us whacked a 4 man limit of bluebills in 20 mins!"
Literal guy~ "You can't do that, it's against the law. I'm telling on you."
Pathological guy~ "I remember in '52 when the limit on bluebills was 10 and we shot that in 15 mins..."
Truth guy~ "No you didn't Pathological guy. Your dad maybe did, and told you the story. Liar. Pics or it didn't happen..."
After that, it takes about 4 pages of thread for everyone to pic sides, argue, bicker, defend themselves, change sides, and get so far off topic the thread dies because no one remembers why everyone was mad in the first place.
Now, it can start other ways, too:
Literal Retort Guy~ "Liberal regulations are why duck hunting will be dead by 2020...."
Bravado guy~ "Actually, I'm why duck hunting will be dead by 2020... can't kill duck hunting if you don't kill all the ducks!"
Truth Teller Guy~ "Wouldn't it be great if you were right Literal Retort Guy, but since it's WETLANDS you are a moron..."
Pathological Guy~ "In '92 I talked to John Wingduck, Phd at USFWS and he said botulism would likely be the end...."
Then it escalates from there to 4 pages of made up facts, debunked myths, and waxing about "the good ol' days", while team Bill Crusher starts posting pics of snow geese positioned to make a number like "208".