Why do people feed the trolls?

[senormechanico]

The troll who started that poll (and gave not so subtle political shots) also lives in the heart of the political ivory tower area.



Annapolis, Maryland, home of congress critters, lobbyists etc.

[CaptTom]

I'm starting to realize that I was a troll in high school and college.

But only in certain circumstances...

First day of class. Teacher/Professor had all the chairs arranged in a circle, then informed the class that a certain percentage of the grade would be based on "class participation."

I had a simple strategy to ace those classes. Find the most opinionated liberal, and the most opinionated conservative, and try to sit between them. Occasionally drop controversial statements which I knew would get those two fired up.

This earned me an "A" for participation every time. And it was a sort of amusing way to pass the time in one of those boring "feel good" classes.

[Mike OReilly]

Why? Well, in my case I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt — until it becomes clear they are just here to aggravate, or are truly disagreeable characters. After that I simply ignore them.

So sometimes I will respond to what appears to be trollish posts, hoping the person didn’t actually mean to simply antagonize. Writing and communicating is a skill, and not everyone has the same abilities with this online tool, or the English language, so I assume innocence until proven guilty.

This latest one: "Is sailing more natural/true than cruising?” is a case in point. I have no idea who the OP is, although apparently others have noticed a negative pattern. I do think the initial post was silly, but it did open up an interesting topic of discussion: the environmental impact of cruising. I tried to take the conversation in this direction, but subsequent posts by the OP (and others) have added evidence that this is another wasted thread.

[Calif.Ted]

Hard to discern between the troll and the truly clueless sometimes.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

The troll who started that poll (and gave not so subtle political shots) also lives in the heart of the political ivory tower area.



Annapolis, Maryland, home of congress critters, lobbyists etc.

Also home to two of the world's largest in-water boat shows, a vibrant PHRF and class racing scene, two major yacht clubs, the United States Naval Academy....basically along with Newport one of the biggest boat towns in the country, and 20 years in the Coast Guard I've lived in almost all the boat towns in the country!
On the flip side, I don't know of a single U.S. senator or congressman who lives here except one of our own MD Senators (Senator Van Hollen) and our congressman (Congressman Sarbanes), which one would hopefully expect! Annapolis is the capital of Maryland so plenty of state delegates, senators, and lobbyists at the state level when session is in, they all pretty much disappear otherwise though. Not sure that's any different than any other state capital?
It is interesting for someone to post a provocative comment denigrating someone solely based on where they live...in a thread about trolling...when they don't actually disclose where they live (relevant only because of the hypocrisy involved, I don't judge anyone based on where they live)...and probably most bizarrely that place happens to be one of the towns most associated with the subject of this forum, cruising, in the country!

I will do this though, I will ask you to come visit me here in Annapolis. We can go sailing on my boat, I'll take you to my favorite sailor watering hole in Annapolis, introduce you to some of the many fellow sailors around these parts, heck I'll even take you up to the statehouse to show you how the people up there are people too. Please, PM me and we can set it up. The only risk is that the stereotype presented here of Annapolis can't possibly withstand contact with the actual town of Annapolis, but that's nothing to be afraid of now, is it?

[andrewparker]

Originally Posted by fox9988

Is it boredom? The need to be heard? Can't resist the urge to post?

What delicious irony.

[SeanPatrick]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Nothing brings out the trolls quicker than a misspelling of words such as they're, their, there or its and it's.

If correcting someone's spelling is "trolling", then were my teachers and parents just trolling me all those years?

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by andrewparker

What delicious irony.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

The troll who started that poll (and gave not so subtle political shots) also lives in the heart of the political ivory tower area.



Annapolis, Maryland, home of congress critters, lobbyists etc.

Aha. I see the original post has been trimmed... and I didn't mean to diss the whole town, and Rob, I'm sorry if you took it that way.

[Simi 60]

My mother told me its impolite not to play with the toys I've been given.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Aha. I see the original post has been trimmed... and I didn't mean to diss the whole town, and Rob, I'm sorry if you took it that way.

Well in that spirit the offer still stands to grab a drink (or hop on as crew for a race if you're here on a summer Wed night) if you're ever in town!

[Fore and Aft]

I sometimes think we cannot hear the tone of the poster so we miss the point that he is just taking the piss out of the thread. No one gets hurt, and really why pack up your toys and go home?
I sometimes think GordMay is taking the piss with his relentless greeting of every new poster. GordMay has inspired me one day to find my own forum and just start greeting everyone and see if I can reach 36,000 + posts.
Cheers

[Fransw]

One man's troll is the other man's friend..

[olaf hart]

Whatever...

[sailorboy1]

What a great thread! Never have I seen the word troll be allowed here as much