Troll

[Tilly2]

Does anyone else think that the word 'troll' is overused and abused on this sight. Some one is called a troll on almost evey News post. It's very boring. Try to think of an alternative, you troll callers.

[Atheist]

I think a troll is someone who posts a provocative post (not a question) which is aimed at stirring up ship rather than looking for intelligent and interesting responses.

Tilly, this post is not 'trolly', it's a good question.

[Tilly2]

This site!

[rowanwitch]

We have our own version of GOAT,  grumpy on all threads

 

[Moorea7]

And there was me thinking a troll was an ugly dwarf - must re-educate myself!  On the other hand   ....

[Arksided]

Muppet!

[Arksided]

Not you Morea, alternative word... although 😏

[Tilly2]

It seems to me that anyone who goes against the grain is labelled as a troll and the person doing the troll calling is just being lazy and cliché ridden. Use some different vocabulary for goodness sake.

 

 

[Peter Pedant]

yay tillz

[jno]

watch it, you extremists

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/04/plans-to-redefine-extremism-would-include-undermining-uk-values

[Vagus]

I agree with you Tilly, I don't think I've ever been aware of anyone being a troll here, or my understanding of a troll. But then I miss half the stuff going on, particularly these days, as I don't even look in much now.

[Spungle]

I think a troll is someone who posts a provocative post (not a question) which is aimed at stirring up ship rather than looking for intelligent and interesting responses.

Exactly- so the "troll" cap fits our resident troll.  It is only overused because this particular troll is allowed to post his trolling posts every day in the News section.  It might be boring, but that's because AB take no action against persistent trolling, despite the Site Rules 

So while it is boring and annoying, I'm afraid "troll" is what he/she is.

[gulliver1]

I agree with Vagus 08.19.I have never been aware of anyone Trolling on here. I Think most posters  accuse fellow posters of Trolling as a way of.........hitting back at members they do not like. And they don't Really know what trolling means.

[Stableford]

According to Merriam Webster, the definition of troll is " to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content."  

We get daily postings from someone who posts utter lies (generally because of an obsession with a political party and/or politicians) which are not questions, are not factual, and which bring nothing of value to this site.  They are accompanied often by laughing emojis 😂etc, which is the very definition of trolling.  

AB claims to take action against trolls, but this is laughable as we have trolling on a daily basis, and have done for months now.  You can call the troll a moron, an idiot, a complete cretin or an imbecile if you prefer, but the correct term for these people is "troll".

[vulcan42]

I have asked the Eds and Mods several times what this sites defintion of troll is, seeing as how it must differ to dictionary definitions. I think their combined silence suggests that trolling is not only allowed here but encouraged.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

I can think of a few alternatives but non are printable.  

I think the issue is, as others have said, the fact that trolling is tolerated on here.

An example of this from yesterday:  

Title was "More Tax Payers Money Going To Tories".  Not only was this not a question, but it was completely untrue, and when this was made clear the "troll" continued his trolling- just read it.  It was posted in the NEWS section- it wasn't news, it was a troll post.  We have enough fake news around without contributors actively encouraged by AB (by not adhering to it's own rules) to keep doing it.

Perhaps the Answerbank should actually read it's own Site Rules. 

[Sinead_O]

When I search for alternatives to "troll", I come up with hobgoblin or gnome.  WHich would you prefer?

[Old_Geezer]

Trolls deliberately stir other folk up for their own amusement. What we also get here are questions that appear superfluous and not really serious about needing an answer, which comes under the "spam" heading. It's possible some use the word troll inappropriately for the latter.

[Countrylover]

https://www.endsleigh.co.uk/blog/post/what-is-internet-trolling/

[Countrylover]

Plenty of all those types on here!

 

And these perhaps:0)

Trolls were often described as strong, evil and dangerous giants. They were ugly, with large noses and eyes "the size of plates", and often had several heads or just one eye

[Countrylover]

We are constantly told by mods to report rather than complain on the threads.  Trouble is if we report on here there's more often than not no one around to see the reports.