What is 'trolling'?

[doctorquant]

Couple of years ago I was trying to make a point involving an unknown -- indeed an unknowable -- quantity. I went through various what-ifs with hypothetical values for this unknown (i.e., if X is 0.2, Y would be thus-and-such; if X is 0.3, Y would be ... and so on). I was accused of trolling because I wouldn't settle on a number.

 

[jr/shotglass]

I doubt anyone would claim that trolling is never misdefined. But let's not say that there's no such thing.

 

[Dick Whitman]

First of all, I really like ya, Songbird, but that's bull. Trolling is one of the most prevalent elements of social media today.

What trolling comes down to here is that we're mostly unknown quantities to each other. We like to think we know each other, but we're sitting behind anonymous identies and anonymous personas. (And that's fine with me. I've generally rolled my eyes when people use their real name, like, what's he/she trying to prove?)

What I'm saying is this. What you think might be a throwaway line if delivered to your friends over some beers can often come off as arrogance or one-upmanship or condescension to someone who doesn't know you. We don't have the frame of reference to know when someone is kidding here.

You may be the funniest guy in your little circle with 40 consecutive tongue-in-cheek one-liners. To strangers, it probably comes off differently.

That's not trolling.

That's just not reading the room.

 

[Dick Whitman]

View attachment 2876

Two magazine writers arrive in Zanesville?

 

[jr/shotglass]

That's not trolling.

That's just not reading the room.

Then a lot of people flunked reading. Including quite a few who don't think they flunked it.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Then a lot of people flunked reading. Including quite a few who don't think they flunked it.

I mean, read the way you described it.

That's not trolling.

 

[jr/shotglass]

You're allowing a lack of awareness to disqualify someone as a troll. I don't think I do. An unintended slight is still a slight to the person on the other end.

 

[Dick Whitman]

An unintended slight is still a slight to the person on the other end.

But that's not trolling!

 

[jr/shotglass]

Or maybe I have the right definition and you don't. Stranger things have happened, sir.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Or maybe I have the right definition and you don't. Stranger things have happened, sir.

Find me somewhere, anywhere, where trolling is defined to include accidentally pissing someone off.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Geez, deck ... half the room is saying there IS no such thing as trolling. Now you're going to tell me there's a concrete definition of it? C'mon.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Geez, deck ... half the room is saying there IS no such thing as trolling. Now you're going to tell me there's a concrete definition of it? C'mon.

I am flabbergasted right now. The entire concept is about intent.

You are basically saying, "I can call a dog a cat if I want to."