Jump to content

Trolls: Difference between revisions

1,008 bytes added ,  3 June 2004
no edit summary
(intro- using censored text re: "Trolls" in the plural)
No edit summary
Line 12: Line 12:
*[[authority]] - which trolls don't like
*[[authority]] - which trolls don't like
*[[libel]] - which some trolls do, and others try to avoid being done to them, by staying trolls and not letting libellers know their names or where they are.
*[[libel]] - which some trolls do, and others try to avoid being done to them, by staying trolls and not letting libellers know their names or where they are.
Trolls are the most challenging [[faction]] because they are typically diverse, and very often refuse to accept the [[community point of view]] as a [[neutral point of view]], or accept any [[pigeonholing]] or labelling of their views by others.
Thus trolls are atomic ''[[agent provocateur|agents provocateurs]]'' and vital to [[grassroots]] process.
Usually the label ''troll'' simply indicates that someone considers them pests or [[usurper]]s.
However, for precisely these reasons, they are the most useful in discovering the limitations of existing terminology, categories, and assumptions, especially those related to the [[sysop power structure]] that labels them. A [[troll-friendly]] [[large public wiki]] can expect some problems and challenges and drop-outs from people who can't develop the [[political virtues]] quickly enough. However it presumably gains and exploits those who are marginalized or abused elsewhere, which suits the progressive values of [[Consumerium:itself]].


The Wikipedia article on [[w:Internet troll|Internet trolls]] seems to say "a troll is a pest" and assumes [[psychiatry]] applies (that the sysop can tell what the motivation of the troll is, amazingly).  However, the [[m:troll|troll (Meta-Wikipedia)]] article seems to say that trolls serve an important [[audit]] role, by driving bad contributors out of a project, or harassing stupid ideas to death, or just generally knowing how a project can evolve to work better.  ''There is more on this in [[Talk:urban ecology]].''
The Wikipedia article on [[w:Internet troll|Internet trolls]] seems to say "a troll is a pest" and assumes [[psychiatry]] applies (that the sysop can tell what the motivation of the troll is, amazingly).  However, the [[m:troll|troll (Meta-Wikipedia)]] article seems to say that trolls serve an important [[audit]] role, by driving bad contributors out of a project, or harassing stupid ideas to death, or just generally knowing how a project can evolve to work better.  ''There is more on this in [[Talk:urban ecology]].''
We use only those cookies necessary for the functioning of the website.