You people are the most pathetic human beings (and I'm using this term quite loosely) on the face of the Earth. You come in here and mock us fans, saying that South Park is so horrible and that its fans are such losers, etc. It's you people (and once again I'm using this term loosely) who are the true losers. You come in here and waste your time posting on a newsgroup dedicated to a show you don't like, attracting scads of flames.
You all must really be so devoid of a social life that you choose to spend so much time and effort in a place where nobody likes you. Are you so ignored by people in real life that you think trolling is a great way to get attention?
So you don't like South Park, Matt and Trey, and us. That's fine, we're entitled to our own likes and dislikes. However, you trolls force your opinions upon us by posting negative, insulting messages on our newsgroup, and that is what angers us. Of course we're going to strike back! What do you expect?
You are all just a bunch of cowards. You must be so thrilled you can hide behind your computer and false identities, slink in here, and insult us.
Toni, you may think you are doing a good deed here, but you are actually just "feeding" trolls by posting to them. Please read this carefully:
HOW TO KILL THE TROLLS
My server shows a total of 684 posts for this newsgroup. Below is a chart of the most frequent posters -- those who have posted more than 10 messages since whatever my server's cutoff date is:
(1) Many of the people who have *interesting* things to say, and
who bother to make thoughtful posts about SP (instead of feeding
trolls or chirping away off-topic as if this were a chat room) are
not on the chart. Examples: Christy, Hiro Protagonist, Skinnyboy,
etc. That is, they *don't* sit at their keyboards desperate for
interaction and posting lame one-liner responses to everything
they see (take note, BRaines000). Making posts often does *not*
automatically make your posts worthwhile. (That is, a high rank
on the chart isn't necessarily a badge of honor. It might just
mean you're lonely or loud.)
(2) Most of the bonafide trolls aren't on the chart either. Except
for Roman, who's a little too pathetic to be called a troll, the
main shockmeister trolls (Hzlbwr, Lessard, DocWonmug, etc.) have
made only a very *few* posts. They depend on *us* to make a big
stink over what they post. That is why they do what they do, and
the proof is that -- as has already been noted -- some of them
actually *praise* South Park in other newsgroups. They're not
posting a true opinion; they're just posting BAIT -- provocative
remarks designed to get you mad, so that they can watch you get
offended. The 3 just listed above have posted a combined total
of only 11 of the 684 posts visible to my server; that's barely
1.5% of all of the posts. Being a troll doesn't take a lot of
work. *You* do the work for them if you answer them. You're
the show. Don't be the show -- unless you really *enjoy* getting
upset. (If you do, I wonder if psych is the best field for ya....)
The moral of the story is this:
If Roman or the other trolls piss you off and a few well-placed barbs don't seem to phase them, *ignore* em. The only surefire way to kill a troll is to *starve* it. If you answer it, it starts to believe it's important, and that's the last thing you want. Also, if you don't have anything SouthParky to say, don't post, because that just makes more *garbage* to wade through. Finally, if you want to hold a private conversation (like asking another user how old she is), don't make it a public post that everyone else will have to download and then toss. Use private email -- that's what it's for. (And if you don't know the difference between email and public posts, learn it.) Use the group to talk about *South Park*.
To take just one example (and not to single you out, Toni, except that you've said that you're new to how newsgroups work): Toni has 37 posts that are still on this server. Of those, TWENTY were replies to trolls. That's over *half* of Toni's posts. Now just think a bit: If everyone did that, more than half of all the messages here would be little more than snippy arguments with -- or lamentations about -- pigfuckers like DocWonmug or dickless cowards like Hzlbwr. And the newsgroup would be ABOUT THEM, not about South Park.
Is that what you want?
The most disruptive thing happening on this newsgroup, *by volume*, is not the sprinkling of trolls. It's the replies to them. Believe it or not, you're *helping* them destroy the group by acknowledging their existence.
Not everything you see requires a response. Sometimes, *silence* is both the smartest answer and the most insulting rebuke. Try it. I know that Earthlink doesn't give you an easy way to use killfiles (my other account is at Earthlink), but if they gave you Netscape 4, try using Message -> Ignore Thread when you see one of these posts. Then you won't be reminded of it, and you'll be more able to talk about what you came here for. And so will we all.
I'm hoping you get this far. (If not, you'll go into *my* killfile.)
Wow. That was one hell of an analysis there Mark. Nice chart and everything too. Very impressive.
Yeah I know you're right-one's not supposed to feed the trolls because it encourages them. I suppose for me it was more of a "jumping on the bandwagon" thing. So I will try my best from now on and not succumb to these assholes. It's just so rude, you know? I mean if this were real life and some dick walks in on our group spewing anti-SP stuff, he'd get his ass kicked in two seconds.
(sigh)
<hand over heart>
I will try my best to never reply to another troll post again. They will be severely punished someday for their actions so it's best to leave them alone.
(whew)
Now as for the other stuff you said, like posting non SP related material...well that becomes inevitable you know? It usually starts out as a SP thing but just like in real life, conversation has a way of changing its course. I mean, at least I didn't start a thread just dealing with my first day of school (sorry Kyle).
But at any rate, I'll take your advice and if I do reply to a troll, it'll be more well thought out (like Hiro Protagonist).
The thing is, trolls and off-topic conversations aren't the only thing that can be bothersome: endless posts from people promoting their websites, people who are too lazy or just don't want to look for something that they could easily find if they tried (i.e. "Do you know where to find this wave, when do new episodes air, etc.) and people who post stuff that's just useless (like the Kenny thread where someone just posted "mph mph" over and over again).
~Andrea, who must say that school starts for her tomorrow, too (see, I'm not making another post for that. LOL). Ah, University!!
Mm, which is totally understandable for anyone who hasn't seen this kind of kaka for very long. We've all probably done it at one time -- and maybe even felt good about it (or tried to).
Exactly: *if* this were real life. The only reason they can do what they do at all is because this *isn't* real life -- they're hidden behind a computer screen (and usually a wall of pustulating zits); otherwise they couldn't even get started. That's what makes them (semi-)invulnerable, and that's why they prefer cyber-life to real life. And cyber-life is fine & kewl, *unless* it's all ya got! Obviously most of these turds wouldn't know friendship or exercise if it bit them on the ass. That's why, after a while, we come to see them as pathetic rather than truly annoying, and we give them the same kind of treatment we afford pathetic-but-unpleasant people in real life -- i.e., we ignore them and avoid them. Anyway, glad you didn't take offense.
Yeah, and I'm not some militaristic control-freak expecting everybody to toe the line. It's inevitable -- topics drift. But when it gets past a certain point, it can be a lot like the troll responses, i.e., it'll overwhelm what everybody came for. That's why we have *email*, to use when the conversation gets to be like a private chat. (It's also why chat rooms aren't newsgroups and v-versa.) Or, if there's an off-topic conversation going on that other people *might* still want to read, you'll see people put "OT:" at the beginning of the subject line, which helpe (some of) us avoid it or filter it.
Another subtle difference: Vince's post wasn't really mainly a reply to a troll, although one might say it pretended to be. Mainly, it was a masterpiece of careful logic that was of great interest to *us*. Most bona fide trolls probably wouldn't even have *read* Vince's post past the point where they figured out it *wasn't* gonna be an offended yelp of pain -- cuz remember, *that* is what the trolls aim to elicit.)
And Andrea wrote [much good stuff] and closed with:
And that's the best way to incorporate off-topic stuff -- add it to an on-topic post. That way, the group stays friendly & sparkly but most most of the messages we all download still have *some* SP-ish content.
Of course, this post (and my other one, with the chart) violates that whole principle all over again, so you can all throw sharp objects at me now. <ducking> I promise I won't make these tomes a habit.... ;)
Mark (who stares jealous daggers at Andrea for living where I used to vacation all the time & can't anymore....)
'Cuz ya know why? Blowin' your top is fer shmucks! :)
But seriously, maybe it's because I've gotten so bitter and jaded in my old age that I know how to get around just about anything. Either that, or I'm just aware of the fact that these shmucks who post mean things on newsgroups are just 8-year old boys who are borrowing their moms' internet accounts and think it's really funny to swear at people they don't know.
Which reminds me. I used to be a regular poster on rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe, and there was this guy who went around swearing at everybody and ranting about his favorite Marvel Comics character (which no one else really seemed to like). Anyway, this guy who was thirteen at the time wrote a drinking game dedicated to this particular troll, and then the troll makes fun of the guy just because he's only thirteen.
Well, the thirteen year old definitely showed a lot more maturity than the said troll.
Hey, Andrea...what year are ya in? I'm somewhere between third and fourth year...maybe I might graduate next year...maybe not...
I was going through this thread when I noticed that you've fed the trolls a little bit too Mark. Here's one:
Yeh, Roman, South Park does it. Know what else? It's been scientifically proven that posting badly misspelled trolls to a South Park newsgroup makes your penis fall off. Fair warning.
Ok, not as extensive as I or the other people you have on your list did, but you aren't completey guiltless. I meant no offense in this but I just wanted to point out that you did it too at some point.
Hello,,, I missed the original post...sounds informative..having read the posts here (I have taken to avoiding 'signiture' trolls..the KILL word got me..great DTP for South Park NG) I simply want to say.. CLAP CLAP CLAP **fades into apprecitive silence* These old tired eyes are limted in their mileage these days so anything positive to KILL trolls gets my vote.
Now in posting this I am breaking one of the rules too, as it is not 'good' etiquitte (sic) to post simple agreeances I.E. (OH PAUL I JUST LOVED YOUR POST) And..ehheh never start a sentence with 'and'.. in like vein to post the whole of a post and then offer (GRRRR), (YUK!!), (hehehe), as a comment is also tiresome to open and discover. Get the scissors out and carve up the post, so that the bit you want to comment on is displayed, then make your comment. One liners are very amusing if put wryly or succinctly, use them...no one seems to have a problem doing this on the sigs' altough I suspect most of these come off The Net and aren't original work. Now before I bore you even more, a post ideally should contribute something (discussed in other posts) here's mine.
As the arena here is dynamic (---->romann that means 'always changing) is it possible for some DTP to organise a 'file' of all the points made in these posts (this thread) and have it put up ..what, once a week? I am certain with some imagination and combined skills it could be all of the things SP is ..amusing,serious,educative and dismissive of nongs,dimwits etc. As I have said previously in posts we (AUST) have only just started getting SP. This NG, I for one sought out when I realised what input I could get from it. I was on the point of unsubscribing, this KILL post has delayed that ..lets see if something positive comes from this thread. Trolls must DIE !
Noddy **apoligies for the plagiarism where noted..just, I gave KILL a +10 **
Dude, Mark! I never knew all that stuff! I'm sorta new to newsgroups (I was on two or so newsgroups--that I remember--before---on one, the thing was *no one* ever stayed on topic about *anything* and the other one was just a bunch of people who argued about everything and considered everyone except themselves trolls. That was a very angry place indeedy!), and I had no idea about all that. Very informative. I'll try to stay more on topic (off-topic stuff infrequent and labeled OT) and no flaming the trolls--in the *group*, that is! :) I tend to be a bit outspoken and opinionated about things, saying what I think when some asshole acts up, etc. so I'm gonna break the habit. Apologies to anyone who got pissed.
~Kyle Broslofski~ Chemistry Sucks Ass--I'm Gonna Fucking Fail It (and, is this an example of what you can do when you post off-topic stuff--include it in a sig thingy stuff, as I just did with my comment on chemistry?)
Hey, I'm an english major, and I got a different kinda opinion.
They're really 12 year old boys who are borrowing their mom's internet accounts, and think it's really funny to swear at people that they don't know. But then, that's just a gross generalization. Sometimes immaturity lasts until well into adulthood.
Well, I am a psych student but I haven't really taken enough core classes yet. So far I've only extensively learned about social psychology, abnormal psych, and <gasp!> Freud. I'll try to look at it from a social psychological point of view; however I'll point out first that one needs not be a psych student to understand trolls.
First of all, I'm sure that most trolls are quiet and soft spoken in real life. They go about their own everyday business, not bothering anyone. These trolls may even be introverted, unable to voice their opinions on a normal basis. But when they go on a newsgroup their attitude and personalities change. They become vociferous in a sly and negative way and abuse the benefits of posting in a newsgroup. I mean, the newsgroup is a very public yet private forum in the sense that people can say whatever they want yet keep their anonymity.
Basically these trolls crave attention, the attention they most likely don't receive very much of in real life. They know that when they post an anti xxxx message people will jump at them yet can't really do anything to them, and they enjoy that. They relish the commotion they cause whenever they post a negative message. Therefore, I'm sure that many of these trolls also go in other newsgroups to harass people, even if they have little knowledge of the actual subject matter.
You brought up the notion that some trolls might actually be fans. Yeah, this is a possibility and further evidence that trolls just simply get a kick out of getting attention. So it doesn't really matter which newsgroup they go to, for trolls are after only one thing-attention.
Well, that's all I can do for now. Heh heh, maybe I should do a study on this...fodder for my future dissertation. Is there a real psychologist in the house who can do a better analysis? How about you, Hiro Protagonist?