Dear blujayne:
Use this board but dont let various and sundry types mess with your head.
Here is a post from a recent discussion.
[
forum.culteducation.com]
You've disclosed some information about yourself that is potentially sensitive. Most of the visitors we have here are great. But some have not been so nice.
So dont let anyone like that toy with you. You have dignity as a human being. You are not an object to be toyed with.
Here is some information to help you become savvy in the ways of the internet, especially discussion forums where controversial matters are discussed--and where attempts are often made to disrupt these discussions.
David Wong, wrote an article
Five Ways to Stop Trolls from Killing the Internet[www.cracked.com]
Quote:
"Right now if you have a blog or forum or anything else with open comments, and you don't have a human moderator to watch it, you're going to wind up with a wasteland.
"As soon as more than one troll shows up, they will feed off each other until everyone else is gone. You have to control them.
"And don't start talking about free speech; the troll's goal is to shut down speech, to either fill the channel with noise until no one can talk to each other, or to get everyone talking about him instead of the subject at hand. He's a guy in a coffee shop screaming nonsense over a bullhorn."
In this case, 'the subject at hand' are groups RR.com members have concerns about.
Since this discussion is attracting so many disruptive visitors, here is some additional reading matter on trolls:
Beware the Troll
[www.teamtechnology.co.uk]
A much more specific article on Troll Tactics
[www.teamtechnology.co.uk]
**This is epecially important for those of us on RR.com using the Private Message (PM) system. Someone may try to game you through the PM system.
Dont fall for itHere are just one or two items
from the list:
Tactical TrollsQuote:
.(quoted excerpt from a longer article at theURL listed above)
Quote
They engage in off list email dialogues to gain the confidence and trust of influential individuals on the list.
They are friendly and humorous in the posts, to put you at ease with their persona.
They have a well-thought-through story such that the persona seems to be very real. They will give apparently personal and intimate information, particularly in off list emails.
They win trust by giving trust. For example, they may hint at something confidential on-list, but then only reveal the full story to someone off-list. By bringing someone into their confidence, they create a feeling of confidence towards them by the individual's concerned
In off-list emails, (eg which correspond to RR.coms PM)they use techniques borrowed from NLP and Speed-Seduction to make people have a great deal of affection for them. This naturally suppresses any suspicion there might be.
They use gimmicks that win sympathy and bring out the 'nurturing parent' in other list members, which also suppresses any feelings of suspicion. E.g.: being blind, handicapped, an orphan, rejected, bullied etc..
They use language that is carefully constructed to be subtly invidious. This language is designed to identify two or more separate groups of people, and encourage list members to identify the negative traits of those groups. This creates argument and dissent between list members. Note that subtlety is often their main objective, so this language is difficult to spot.
They don't enter into the argument directly, but facilitate an argument between list members, e.g.: by highlighting points that one list member has made, perhaps in a way that is more confrontational than the original intention.
They sometimes create a fictitious persona supported by a web-site, photographs and apparently personal data
If you are very tempted to get involved with someone by the PM function, or if you feel just "off" or cant figure out the motives of someone on RR.com, here is a tip:
Audit that persons posts and read them in aggregate. You can spot trends that way. Do this by going to the 'Search' button on the upper right hand corner. Go and do an 'author search' put the persons handle into the slot and then select 'all forums' and 'all dates'
If someone is charming with you but not nice to others, that alone is worth knowing. And if read in aggregate, one can see if the person is overall contributing in a good way to discussions or is just being a pest.
Another Tip:
If someone demands that you prove your point and in effect tells you to convince them--be wary.
Mr Ross has a tried and true technique. He lists items for people to read--gives homework.
If they refuse to read it, that right away tags them as a troll.
**No one can convince a person of anything. Its up to them to face the radicalizing information here on the board.
Its also important to see if visitors show a basic respect and courtesy.
People use this forum to bear witness as you are doing. Some have suffered terribly.
This is not a place for entertainment or tintillation.
If someone comes along and seems to treat all this as entertainment---you have no obligation to respond to their demands.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2009 10:47PM by corboy.