Outed Internet Troll Dead

[hc4361]

I was shocked to read the orginal report of this woman trolling the McCanns and am doubly shocked by this news report

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2781377/BREAKING-NEWS-Internet-troll-targeted-McCanns-dead-hotel-room-days-fleeing-home.html

I cannot begin to understand what motivates some seemingly 'decent' people to become internet trolls but it seems the shame is too much to bear in this case.

[Retrochic]

Ellipsis do you actually know what irony is?

[Zacs-Master]

I make that 10 posts by Retro and 4 by Naomi on this thread.......

[sp1814]

Actually Retrochic...I kinda get what you mean. But even so, it doesn't really relate to AB, because of the variety of topics discussed.

naomi24 - I think what Retrochic means is that you could be a member of (say) Empire magazine's film forum, and post regularly about films. You could easily reach 12 posts a day (especially around key times of the year - eg. during the Sundance festival or the Oscars), and to the outside world, that might seem 'excessive').

Is that what you were getting at Retrochic?

[andy-hughes]

I would say that the nature of 'obsession' probably hinges more around the content of the messages, than the volume.

I have posted may many times in a day on some threads when i have got into it with another AB'er and we are both putting our views at speed, but I would not suggest that I was ever obsessive.

[hc4361]

Can the number of tweets amount to trolling regardless of the content?

[andy-hughes]

hc4361 - "Can the number of tweets amount to trolling regardless of the content?"

I am by no means an expert because I have no time for social media, but I would suggest that 'trolling' is all about content rather than frequency.

[Retrochic]

sp1814 Yes, thank you for putting it so concisely.

[naomi24]

Zacs, ironic, that. ;o)

Retrochic, I don’t consistently post on the same subject – and my posts, like those of others here who post far more prolifically than I do, don’t involve the same people day after day. I’ve no idea why you’re making this personal.

sp, I don’t think you can compare discussing a hobby with something like this.

[hc4361]

Yes, andy-hughes, I probably agree with that.

Can many tweets be trolling if the tweeter knows they are never read by the person concerned?

[Retrochic]

I was always under the impression that 'Trolling' was adding a contribution to a thread for the sole purpose of causing trouble or confrontation. Now it seems to be used to describe anyone on a thread who has an opposing or contravertial view to oneself.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - "I don’t consistently post on the same subject – and my posts, like those of others here who post far more prolifically than I do, don’t involve the same people day after day..."

Based on our exhcnage of views over the last few days, do you want to reconsider that statement?

[Retrochic]

naomi this was not meant to be a personal attack on yourself and I apologize if you have taken it that way. I mentioned your prolific posts to make a point that the amount of posts per day this 'troll' was reported as posting was not excessive as it was easily done by anyone,you good self included.

[andy-hughes]

hc4361 - "Can many tweets be trolling if the tweeter knows they are never read by the person concerned?"

i would say so.

The set-up of social media means that you have no way of knowing if a post or tweet or whatever has been read, or bothered about, unless a reply comes back or is posted on the site concerned.

Some people like to express themselves just for the pleasure of doing so - responses and interaction may not even be required.

[Zacs-Master]

12-5

[Ellipsis]

> Ellipsis do you actually know what irony is

Yes of course. :)

Ironic that you are so active on a thread that's centred on the treatment of the McCanns and of those that abused them; and ironic that you would defend somebody who put so much effort into keeping the McCanns front of mind; whilst all the time finding "this whole McCann circus" - a circus that includes their supporters and detractors, as well as threads like this - "spurious".

[vulcan42]

Could keeping score be construed as trolling?

[Zacs-Master]

I didn't start it. ;-)

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, I don’t recall any thread in which you were the subject under discussion, and if one exists I certainly haven’t been involved in it in the last few days or at any other time – so no, I don’t want to reconsider.

Retrochic, I repeat, my posts relate to many different subjects. Hers didn’t.

[hc4361]

This whole thing has made me consider other cases of outing 'baddies' on the tv and I must admit I am uncomfortable with the whole concept.
Programmes like Cowboy Builders and Rogue Traders make for cheap tv but are they really fair? We don't really get to hear the other side of the story.