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Re: Trolls and sadists - Just having fun!

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On 2014-02-12 20:57:53 +0000, wjwlsn said:

> If you spent any amount of time reading Slashdot comments, this will 
> just confirm what you already knew... but at least you now have 
> scientific research to back up your belief!
> 
> "A group of Canadian researchers has given the imprimatur of 
> social-science recognition to a fact that many of us who spend time in 
> internet comment forums have suspected: there's a strong correlation 
> between online trolling and sadism. 'Both trolls and sadists feel 
> sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun 
> ... and the Internet is their playground!'"
> More info at 
> "http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/12/study_shoes_that_online_comment_trolls_are_sadists/" 
> 
> 
> (Let us hope that this post does not act as troll bait.)

There is a distinction to be made here.  Not all trolls are necessarily 
assholes or crapflooders.  Poking fun at others is a fine tradition 
with roots stretching back to antiquity, and while the niceties of 
polite society, plus the desire for continued employment in the 
workplace and so forth often preclude poking gentle fun when deserved, 
the internet provides a very handy forum for this kind of thing.

Some people will go so far as to label dissent as trolling.  I have had 
conversations both online and in real life where I was called a troll 
simply for disagreeing with somebody's premises or conclusions in a 
discussion.

But, yeah, it is a joyous thing to torture people sometimes, especially 
when they deserve it.  I think that a well-executed troll is one of the 
most enjoyable things to behold.

Famous real-life trolls include Bill Hicks, Andy Kaufman, Susan Sontag, 
Rush Limbaugh, and John Stewart.

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Thread

Trolls and sadists - Just having fun! wjwlsn <ibillwilson@gmail.com> - 2014-02-12 12:57 -0800
  Re: Trolls and sadists - Just having fun! Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2014-02-12 13:59 -0800
  Re: Trolls and sadists - Just having fun! "q.kontinuum" <achsis_of_elvis@yahoo.com> - 2014-02-12 22:22 +0000
  Re: Trolls and sadists - Just having fun! Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> - 2014-02-13 09:42 -0500
  Re: Trolls and sadists - Just having fun! "wjwlsn" <ibillwilson@gmail.com> - 2014-02-13 15:45 +0000

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