Come on out from under the bridge...

[Don Corleone]

Okay, deep inside every backroom regular, there lives a troll. For some of us, it's a momentary surrender to temptation that is quickly recognized and returned to the dark recesses until another 'jailbreak' . For others of us, the troll comes out all too often (in fact, there's a few of us that have given the troll the keys).



I'm glad you asked... So this thread is all about celebrating the inner troll, yours, mine and everyone elses. Post some of your favorite trolls (ones you've rolled out, ones you've seen go by). Post some of your least favorites. Post some of the ones you know you're prone to falling victim to.

Maybe, we might all just learn a thing or two about our inner trolls and how better to control them.

I'll go first. One of my worst troll moments relates to the 'cultural war' on Christianity. It's not a true troll, because I know it is true, but to a more limited stance then my threads would let on. But every year, , I start a thread about the war on Christmas. And every year, like a very special Christmas present from one of my better friends in these parts, Goofy comes in and blows a fuse over how "I'm taking it out of context, and it's not Christmas or religion that's being restrained, but prostelyzing". Thank you old friend, it warms the heart, like a cookie exchange for the holidays.

Ones I'm prone too? Whenever somebody's bored and decides to post a thread about how 9/11 was really perpetrated by Mossad and the CIA, to jack up the price of oil for Bush and his oilman buddies. Get's me every time.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I try not to troll. In fact, I try not to post in such a way as to draw debate as often as possible. However, there are a few kinds of threads that I will react to, and usually harshly - threads on Dresden, Soviet war crimes, and the European Union.

What I perceive as a misconception about or an insult towards my country I will also react quickly to. I try to be civil in my first post in the thread, but if a debate ensues, I tend to be a little harsh sometimes. Also, I can be rather defensive of my own religion - I don't promote it, I may mention that I am Catholic once in a while, and I hate when atheists or those of other religions try to bull their religions (or lack of the above) through. I respect yours - respect mine. Fortunately, there are usually others who I can leave the debate to in that scenario.

[seireikhaan]

Well, I tend to avoid trolling as well, but a few things just irk me a bit too mightily.

1) People assuming that they're religion is automatically better than everyone else's and can never for the life of them figure out why someone might believe something differerent than they do.(Coincidentally, this had resulted in me trolling some of my classmates at my Catholic High School).

2) People who claim to be pro-life but only concern themselves with abortion.(Coincidentally, this has resulted in me trolling some of my classmates at my Catholic High School).

3) People who make huge, sweeping, blanket statements about other people's, cultures which they really have no clue about.(Coincidentally, this has resulted in me trolling some of my classmates at my Catholic High School)

4) Religious hypocrites who love to tell everybody about how awesomely great, devoted, serving, and MODEST they are.(Coincidentally, this has resulted in me trolling some of my classmates at my Catholic High School)

5) My Catholic High School.(Coincidentally, this has resulted in me trolling some of my classmates at my Catholic High School)

P.S. --I have no problem with Catholics; I actually am one. But some of them just irk me so... and my school pretty much fell off the rails years ago.

[ICantSpellDawg]

My personality is trolling by nature. Tuffstuffmcgruff the poster and Tuffstuffmcgruff the troll are two sides of the same coin. I love irritating people and digging holes that neither of us can get out of.

My favorite trolls are any of the ubiquitously race/sex-baiting gems that I leave all around the forum. I'm only moderately racist, if that is even the term for what I am and I've dated girls of all colors. My little brother and sister are mullato puerto ricans for crap's sake.

I always fall for the "Homosexuals are born that way" troll because it is such speculative BS and I don't understand why people can forsake religion because it can't be verified but live and breathe unverified assumptions about sexuality and nature.

Jeez.

PS-Kamikhaan: You will miss those arguments in Catholic school because in the real world people don't care about important social/religious questions unless they are on Oprah or the 10 oclock news. When I transfered to a public high school - I was shocked when nobody wanted to discuss medieval church philosophy, so I immediately went back to Catholic school. As you get older, Catholics know less and less about their own Religious "beliefs". Cherish the explanations of the details while people remember them.

[Fragony]

Oh me so guilty

Perfect example would be the Hitler is a socialist thread. And I will never miss an oppertunity to compare multiculturalists with religious zealots, just because they are.

[Geoffrey S]

Does sniping from the sidelines count as trolling?

[Crazed Rabbit]

Well, there was that 'Greeks deny Macedonians entry into NATO because they're having a 2000 year old hissy fit.' thread.

That was the title, right?

Other than that though, not really.

CR

[The Celtic Viking]

I don't do trolling - but then I'm really just a backroom irregular, so perhaps that makes me excused.

and I hate when atheists or those of other religions try to bull their religions (or lack of the above) through. I respect yours - respect mine.

If you truly did, you wouldn't be saying that, because you'd respect my belief that rationality must be promoted and irrational claims weeded out. Since a god belief of any kind is irrational, it is my conviction that it must be challenged and destroyed where possible - especially since the majority of theists are so because they were brainwashed by their parents in the first place.

That's something that I hate and can get me off, by the way - when religious people claim they somehow have the right to indoctrinate their children, or when religious people claim exclusive rights to morality, or when religious people...

(Besides, no belief deserves respect, least of all one based on faith. If I thought that the earth was flat, would you say no one has the right to challenge that belief either?)

[Sigurd]

Since a god belief of any kind is irrational

I think there is a debate in here about 'Does God exist', where the Theist position crushed the atheist position. And I think the theist position used a rational argument.

[Viking]

I think there is a debate in here about 'Does God exist', where the Theist position crushed the atheist position. And I think the theist position used a rational argument.

Then again...uhm....your opponent was not able to complete the debate for RL reasons.

[Adrian II]

This will probably not surprise anyone: I hate to turn with the other mackerels. As soon as nine out of ten posters agree on an issue, I hide in a phone booth, change into SuperAdrian and fly to the defence of the defenceless, the unusual, or even the plain idiotic.

For fun, mostly. But sometimes I mean it.

[Sigurd]

Then again...uhm....your opponent was not able to complete the debate for RL reasons.

Those who claim a belief in God is irrational needs to get their *** kicked up and down long street, twice!!!

How is that for trolling?

[The Celtic Viking]

I think there is a debate in here about 'Does God exist', where the Theist position crushed the atheist position. And I think the theist position used a rational argument.

Wow, that's all sweet and dandy, though kind of irrelevant. If you don't like me calling it irrational, please present the evidence you have of a god... any god, really.

Irony... too... great... can't... stop...

It would only be irony if I was actually trolling. I was not. Glad to know I spread some happiness, though.

Or is there some other irony there that I missed?

[Sigurd]

Wow, that's all sweet and dandy, though kind of irrelevant. If you don't like me calling it irrational, please present the evidence you have of a god... any god, really.

The only point I wanted to make was that believing in a God might not be irrational.

If I presented a valid argument that God exists, it would then be rational as all arguments built on valid premises and a valid conclusions becomes a rational argument.
Would you disagree?

And if you want to challenge me to a debate on the existence of God, you will have to prepare an affirmative proposition and present it. I will do the same.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

It would only be irony if I was actually trolling. I was not. Glad to know I spread some happiness, though.

You were. You were stating your opinion in a provoking way, a way that stated that your opinion was the only fact.

If you respected my religion, you would not have posted that it was irrational. I have never said atheism is irrational - just that I disagree with it. That is exactly the kind of response that ticks me off.

[seireikhaan]

It would only be irony if I was actually trolling. I was not. Glad to know I spread some happiness, though.

Or is there some other irony there that I missed?

First off, I would say you were trolling to a degree, whether or not it was intentional, because of the degrading way you attempted to portray your counterpart.

But yah, there's another irony you're missing. You claimed that a person who didn't tolerate your intolerant views regarding tolerance to be, well, intolerant. You want to be able to practice your viewpoint and lambaste someone for intolerance of it; at the same time, you'd much rather no other view to be allowed to be exercised.

But really, did a priest run over your pet dog when you were a child, or what? Not like it hurts you if JasonX wants to go to mass on Sundays...

[seireikhaan]

I don't do trolling - but then I'm really just a backroom irregular, so perhaps that makes me excused.

If you truly did, you wouldn't be saying that, because you'd respect my belief that rationality must be promoted and irrational claims weeded out. Since a god belief of any kind is irrational, it is my conviction that it must be challenged and destroyed where possible - especially since the majority of theists are so because they were brainwashed by their parents in the first place.

That's something that I hate and can get me off, by the way - when religious people claim they somehow have the right to indoctrinate their children, or when religious people claim exclusive rights to morality, or when religious people...

(Besides, no belief deserves respect, least of all one based on faith. If I thought that the earth was flat, would you say no one has the right to challenge that belief either?)

Irony... too... great... can't... stop...

[naut]

Irony... too... great... can't... stop...

Man I fell of my seat! LOL! I'm so glad you made me notice that one!

[naut]

If you truly did, you wouldn't be saying that, because you'd respect my belief
[SNIP]
Besides, no belief deserves respect

The paradox is also great.

[Pannonian]

"All Blacks Are Violent - is this a true statement? Or are they no worse than wallabies and springboks?" - Posted during the rugby world cup, and got people foaming at the mouth as desired. Unfortunately, someone then gave the game away by explaining that the All Blacks were the New Zealand rugby team.

"Schoolgirl Loses Virginity Ring Fight." - First 3 words were the thread title, last 2 words the content, linked to the news story about a schoolgirl who wasn't allowed to wear a ring symbolising her virginity. A fantastic reply to views ratio, mainly consisting of people admitting they'd been fooled and others asking why everyone was so keen to read the thread. Kukri spoiled this particular one by clarifying the thread title.

I don't think I've done much politically motivated trolling here, as my appetite for it has pretty much been sated elsewhere. Instead, my trolls have mostly been to provoke reactions and amuse people, like the above.

[Vladimir]

I like to troll against stupid, immature teenagers who say stupid, uninformed, immature things like I would say when I was a stupid, immature, uninformed teenager.