Why so many trolls on ATS?

Yeah, sometimes it's hard to tell the real trolls from the people who are simply completely bonkers and are enthusiastic about telling people their "genius" theory. They're not purposely trying to be provocative, like your standard troll. They're just honest lunatics. And what would this website be without them, after all?

I have visited this site a few times a day for 3 years or so now, and the amount of people posting hurtful snarky one liners has gone through the roof.

I was reading a fairly intelligible reply on the most recent Black eyed kids post, then the next posters only comment was "Blog spam alert" regarding the well thought out reply above it or something along those lines.

Sometime in the last 3-4 years it has become cool to down others. It's not just on forums, the online gaming community's are terrible lately.

I am pretty sure it is just the generation raised by the TV, and internet is just a nasty bunch, and they are finally old enough to start joining forums, and playing MMOs and the like.

THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT.

I would classify a troll as someone who knowingly posts misinformation and is normally rude in the process.

I honestly think lots of people are getting paid to post nonsense and disrupt alternative topics. Those that push alternative views within reasonable limits should be encouraged rather than discouraged. The disclaimer at the top of the page says so as well.

From my experience I see lots of pseudo-skeptics who keep demanding proof only to throw it back in the face of the person providing the evidence. It becomes a vicious circle of proof and "that is not evidence of anything".

The status quo of rich people, pro secret society, pro zionist imperialism, pro national security can be summed up as right wing propaganda most of the time. Unfortunately the internet has been infested with such bias for a long time.

ATS is no exeception. At least the staff try their best to limit destructive debating and given that they are volunteers one cannot have unrealistic demands of them. Perhaps if they were paid things would be slightely different but that is not my decision to make and then that would effect the membership requirements such as paying monthly or yearly fees.

The real issue is that many people choose NOT TO REPORT offensive posting and then blame the moderators!

I have to say, some posts on here deserve a good trolling. Sometimes, a good comedic comment helps break up the seriousness, and makes us laugh.

Now, there are some that take it way too far. If you look at GOP, the troll to legit poster ratio is 50-1.

That's why mods here are awesome. They put trolling in their place, but sometimes they let it go because they know it's warranted.

Times are tough for Trolls these days, what with all the wannabe's, and the falsely accused and the straight up sarcastic smack talkers out there - it really is hard to give credit to the real thing, anymore. I bet they miss the good -ol -days, back when a Troll really was a Troll... Sigh....

It because too arbitrary where people draw the line. People's opinion is wrapped up in their belief-system so if information is presented to them that is in opposition to their view on how the world works then it is not just a simple matter of allowing all 'evidenced' information to speak to them. To allow a persons belief-system to be changed about something that has been formed over many many years can become a scary idea, depending on the topic. Some issues have such widespread connotations to the way a person lives their life that such evidenced information is really a call for people to change their whole thought and behaviour system. People like the status quo as it is comfortable and familiar. Positive change is good for people to take on board but whilst going through it their is some fear and uncertainty and where it could lead and what it means for you now. So people are 'big' enough to handle such changes.

some people really need to get over the idea that disagreeing with you makes them a troll. people have the right to disagree with you, everything you type that spews from your mind is not 100% fact. if all we did is post agreeing comments in threads, well we might as well sing kumbaya and circle jer....you get my point. it's not constructive and leads to people like appleblossom moonchild or whatever her name was from GFL.

Originally posted by amongus
I have to say, some posts on here deserve a good trolling. Sometimes, a good comedic comment helps break up the seriousness, and makes us laugh.

You aren't far off with this statement. This website can be compared to a house party. When it first started off, the vibes were good, people were legit. Then the party started to get crowded, and then the wrong crowd came in. The crowd started trashing the house and breaking stuff, equivalent to people posting BS threads and crazy asinine conspiracies with no facts or common sense. Eventually, the house party you once thought was legit and fun, is now just a place trashed and destroyed. Its too late to turn back the clock, and there are too many people now and you cant convince them to leave. So what should one do?? He says "F*** it, I might as well smash (troll) something too while there is something left to smash (troll), and then I will go find another party that is legit"

Originally posted by ProtectedWitness

Originally posted by amongus
I have to say, some posts on here deserve a good trolling. Sometimes, a good comedic comment helps break up the seriousness, and makes us laugh.

You aren't far off with this statement. This website can be compared to a house party. When it first started off, the vibes were good, people were legit. Then the party started to get crowded, and then the wrong crowd came in. The crowd started trashing the house and breaking stuff, equivalent to people posting BS threads and crazy asinine conspiracies with no facts or common sense. Eventually, the house party you once thought was legit and fun, is now just a place trashed and destroyed. Its too late to turn back the clock, and there are too many people now and you cant convince them to leave. So what should one do?? He says "F*** it, I might as well smash (troll) something too while there is something left to smash (troll), and then I will go find another party that is legit"

In reality ATS is not trashed nor destroyed. Ive been in since 07 and have seen a lot of the cycles the board goes through and this forum by FAR better than other forums which deal with similar subjects and things.. it is not destroyed by Trolls and hoaxers. The mods actually do a pretty darned good job IMO and many of the posters here respond to the trolling and BS appropriately. Its a good combo.

Originally posted by optimus primal
some people really need to get over the idea that disagreeing with you makes them a troll. people have the right to disagree with you, everything you type that spews from your mind is not 100% fact. if all we did is post agreeing comments in threads, well we might as well sing kumbaya and circle jer....you get my point. it's not constructive and leads to people like appleblossom moonchild or whatever her name was from GFL.

Disagreeing with people is not trolling. It is when you knowingly post bad information again and again, while being rude. I have met many of those people, just like I have met many who I agree with on certain topics and disagree with on other topics.

Basically those that have a status quo agenda do not belong here and are not liked.

Originally posted by SilentKoala

In the 'THE Ancient Knowledge' thread for example there is someone who actually said it should be deleted just because they disagree with the content.

So your solution is to "bring down the hammer of justice" and presumably ban those whom you disagree with? Oh the irony...

This kind of sheer stupidity is running rampant around here and will just get worse.

I may disagree with everything someone says, but I will defend to the death their right to say it.

!!!!

Taken from this post of yours.

Originally posted by EarthCitizen07

Originally posted by optimus primal
some people really need to get over the idea that disagreeing with you makes them a troll. people have the right to disagree with you, everything you type that spews from your mind is not 100% fact. if all we did is post agreeing comments in threads, well we might as well sing kumbaya and circle jer....you get my point. it's not constructive and leads to people like appleblossom moonchild or whatever her name was from GFL.

Disagreeing with people is not trolling. It is when you knowingly post bad information again and again, while being rude. I have met many of those people, just like I have met many who I agree with on certain topics and disagree with on other topics.

Basically those that have a status quo agenda do not belong here and are not liked.

if they are knowingly posting false information they are breaking T&Cs and you should alert their posts.

like it or not though, you and others are not the arbiters of who belongs here, the mods and owners are.

and my point was, there seem to be very few people on this site who can tell the difference between disagreeing with their crazy ideas and trolls. which is probably one of the top five reasons why the rest of the world doesn't take us seriously. think about that.

People don't like me and I do not like them. No one has ever agreed with me on anything important and I feel I give a perspective on things no one else does. You can call that trolling, but I do see things different than other people. I do not have any love for my fellow man. I can't stand them and wish the entire species would vanish and leave me alone in the world. I have never found a niche where I was accepted and I have never gotten the least little bit of respect. I am a stranger on this planet and truly alone. I have my wife, but she often just shakes her head and dismisses my view as weird or mean. But she is as close as I have come to being accepted anywhere in any way.

I do not troll. I state my views and then sit back and watch them be ridiculed or ignored. I swear if anyone DID agree with me it would blow my mind.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
Times are tough for Trolls these days, what with all the wannabe's, and the falsely accused and the straight up sarcastic smack talkers out there - it really is hard to give credit to the real thing, anymore. I bet they miss the good -ol -days, back when a Troll really was a Troll... Sigh....

edit on 12-7-2012 by LadySkadi because: (no reason given)

Its why there is ATS and i don't mean abovetopsecret (ATS) ...

reply to post by SilentKoala
If you care to know why there are so many trolls look at the world. It's filled qwith ignorrant and blind sheep following and playing into the hands of the world. They dont see the truth or for that matter even care to. They are obsessed with living in comfort rather than in truth. I dont believe everything i read on A.T.S. but i do respect all views BECAUSE we do all have the right of free speach don't we??

I have heard some suggestions that during the Summer months trolling increases on ATS due to the large number of students on break.

They come here just for lolz and like to make a mockery of certain topics. Their ignorance usually shows in their posts and their attitudes are typical displays of teenager or college freshman hi-jinks.

Like the mods have said, either ignore it or alert it. The whole intentions of these trolls are based on trying to get people to react to their absurd and sometimes insulting behavior.

If you don't respond to them they usually get bored and go away frustrated. But if you feed into their game they will only persist in being negative, argumentative, sometimes obscene, always difficult and irrational.

Originally posted by greeneyedleo

Originally posted by SilentKoala
Question, why allow so many trolls to post here? Constructive debate is one thing, but if the only reason a person signs up on a forum is for the sole purpose of arguing with every single thing the community believes, they are just trolling and not contributing anything worthwhile to discussions.

In the 'THE Ancient Knowledge' thread for example there is someone who actually said it should be deleted just because they disagree with the content. This kind of sheer stupidity is running rampant around here and will just get worse.

I think we should start compiling a list of posters whose post history reveals their true intentions of just wanting to troll threads and bring down the hammer of justice.

um no. we dont allow hit lists here. if you dont agree with a post either debate or ignore it. if it violates T&C, alert it to staff and we will handle!

I'd hardly call keeping a list of persistent trolls (and I mean real trolls, not dissenters) a "hit list." That's just sensible moderating. If someone's got x posts removed for T&C violations, at what point is it justified to ban him?