Haven't seen an RD thread in a bit, so I reckon this should be good. So,
What is trolling?
Well, you might say: it's a very grey area.
Is it? Let's see some defintions.
- the act of leaving an insulting message on the internet in order to annoy someone
- post unkind or offensive messages on social media sites, and often tries to start arguments with other users
- to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content
- to harass, criticize, or antagonize (someone) especially by provocatively disparaging or mocking public statements, postings, or acts
- leave offensive or upsetting messages on the Internet, just in order to get a reaction
One could continue, but I guess we get the general idea. Now, you might say: those are just internet defintions. Well, yes and no. I did pluck those off the internet, but they're from Longman, Merriam-Webster, Collins and the Cambridge English didctionary.
So what are the common denominators? Since judging by the individual defintions it does seem to be a very grey area. We have
insult, unkind, offensive, antagonizing, inflammatory, irrelevant, harassment and upsetting.
If we get rid of unkind, upsetting and irrelevant (a joke can be highly irrelevant, but that would be the point) for being vague and/or too subjective we're left with
insult, offensive, antagonzing, inflammatory, harassment.
Now it seems things are looking a lot less grey. In fact, I'd say - except for the inherent inaccuracy - it looks fairly straightforward.
Of course, one can disagree. It's an opinion, after all.
How about we give an example? From reality, I mean. That should give some clarity, after all, who doesn't love an anekdote?
'Wait, wait, you're not going to discuss a moderator action are you?'
Well, actually, I am. But rest assured, it won't be from this site. In our anekdote we have several main characters. Let's call them Al, Bob and Chuck.
'Wait, are you assuming gender? They sound all male!'
Oh dear. Alright, we'll call them Alice, Bobby and Chuck.
True story. Alice, Bobby and Chuck are on a game site. (Now, before I continue I must tell you that Alice has a bit of s history. She's received several warnings and a number of 3-day bans for breaking posting rules.)
On the day in question someone starts a thread on the fascinating topic "Civ 6 isn't on Steam sale!"
Or something of that nature. Now, in the course of the thread Bobby points out Civ 6 is on sale on site X. (Very informative, except no price is mentioned.)
Next thing you know, Bobby's post disappears from the thread. (No biggy, it happens.)
A few posts on Chuck points out that Civ 6 is on sale on site Y. And lo and behold, Chuck's post also disappears. But before this happens, Alice posts she has a feeling another post will magically disappear from the thread again.
We're close to our denouement now, but again I must inform you of a previous incident involving Alice. she had started a thread on some technical issue. Some time later something occurs to her and she deides to post an update, only to find her thread has gone missing. someowhat bemused, she starts a new thread asking what happened to it?
Enter our moderator. He (or she, we don;t know and cannot assume gender either) informs Alice the thread was moved to the Technical section of the forum. (This is important, becasue Alice now posted a thread 'discussing a moderator action'.)
Back to our Civ 6 sale thread. Alice revisits the Discussion forum to check if anything new happened and lo and behold she now has a permanent ban. For repeatedly discusisng moderator actions.
Alice feels trolled.
And I'd say she hads every reason to. And this is how you discuss a moderator action without fear of violation.
Hope you all enjoyed it - even if you only got a chuckle out of it - and feel free to discuss.
What is trolling?
Well, you might say: it's a very grey area.
Is it? Let's see some defintions.
- the act of leaving an insulting message on the internet in order to annoy someone
- post unkind or offensive messages on social media sites, and often tries to start arguments with other users
- to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content
- to harass, criticize, or antagonize (someone) especially by provocatively disparaging or mocking public statements, postings, or acts
- leave offensive or upsetting messages on the Internet, just in order to get a reaction
One could continue, but I guess we get the general idea. Now, you might say: those are just internet defintions. Well, yes and no. I did pluck those off the internet, but they're from Longman, Merriam-Webster, Collins and the Cambridge English didctionary.
So what are the common denominators? Since judging by the individual defintions it does seem to be a very grey area. We have
insult, unkind, offensive, antagonizing, inflammatory, irrelevant, harassment and upsetting.
If we get rid of unkind, upsetting and irrelevant (a joke can be highly irrelevant, but that would be the point) for being vague and/or too subjective we're left with
insult, offensive, antagonzing, inflammatory, harassment.
Now it seems things are looking a lot less grey. In fact, I'd say - except for the inherent inaccuracy - it looks fairly straightforward.
Of course, one can disagree. It's an opinion, after all.
How about we give an example? From reality, I mean. That should give some clarity, after all, who doesn't love an anekdote?
'Wait, wait, you're not going to discuss a moderator action are you?'
Well, actually, I am. But rest assured, it won't be from this site. In our anekdote we have several main characters. Let's call them Al, Bob and Chuck.
'Wait, are you assuming gender? They sound all male!'
Oh dear. Alright, we'll call them Alice, Bobby and Chuck.
True story. Alice, Bobby and Chuck are on a game site. (Now, before I continue I must tell you that Alice has a bit of s history. She's received several warnings and a number of 3-day bans for breaking posting rules.)
On the day in question someone starts a thread on the fascinating topic "Civ 6 isn't on Steam sale!"
Or something of that nature. Now, in the course of the thread Bobby points out Civ 6 is on sale on site X. (Very informative, except no price is mentioned.)
Next thing you know, Bobby's post disappears from the thread. (No biggy, it happens.)
A few posts on Chuck points out that Civ 6 is on sale on site Y. And lo and behold, Chuck's post also disappears. But before this happens, Alice posts she has a feeling another post will magically disappear from the thread again.
We're close to our denouement now, but again I must inform you of a previous incident involving Alice. she had started a thread on some technical issue. Some time later something occurs to her and she deides to post an update, only to find her thread has gone missing. someowhat bemused, she starts a new thread asking what happened to it?
Enter our moderator. He (or she, we don;t know and cannot assume gender either) informs Alice the thread was moved to the Technical section of the forum. (This is important, becasue Alice now posted a thread 'discussing a moderator action'.)
Back to our Civ 6 sale thread. Alice revisits the Discussion forum to check if anything new happened and lo and behold she now has a permanent ban. For repeatedly discusisng moderator actions.
Alice feels trolled.
And I'd say she hads every reason to. And this is how you discuss a moderator action without fear of violation.
Hope you all enjoyed it - even if you only got a chuckle out of it - and feel free to discuss.
