For this #weekend-engagement, I'm writing about topic number 3 which sparked my interest.
What do you think of internet trolls and why, and what defines an internet troll?
I couldn't find any photos I've taken of trolls, but this picture of my son dressed as Savage Opress is fitting for the topic.
What do I think of Internet Trolls?
This is an interesting question. I think internet trolls are amusing, occasionally hilarious, but also troublesome and disruptive if not dealt with properly.
Most of the time I laugh at them, ignore them, or altogether block them (especially on Discord).
A couple of years ago, in the Golem Overlord community (a game on Hive), there was a troll claiming to be a hacker who would take the game down. It was so funny I made a hive post about it Golem Overlord Hacker Showdown. At the time, I was laughing so hard I was in tears.
My favorite part of that troll was when he meant to say he would destroy all "assets" of the game and typed "asses" instead.😂 Here is a clip from that post.
What Defines an Internet Troll?
I think this topic is incredibly ironic to write about internet trolls, because the main thing that defines an internet troll to me is someone who wants attention. In this case it's not giving any attention to a specific troll, so perhaps it's less ironic than I first thought.
Besides wanting attention, I often think what defines an internet troll is someone who is hurting. In one college class about counseling and psychology, we were taught that "hurting people hurt people." So I try to have some compassion for trolls because often they have been hurt by one or more people or communities and their trolling is an attempt to hurt people back.
Along the lines of wanting attention, I believe most internet trolls crave any sort of response. Often the best way to respond to a troll is to not respond at all. When they get out of hand, a switft and often harsh response is necessary.
In summary, how I define an internet troll is someone who:
- Is hurting
- Wants attention
- Craves a response
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