Posted by Dinah on October 20, 2004, at 9:27:37
In reply to Trolls 101 - Ignore them, posted by TofuEmmy on October 15, 2004, at 19:54:15
I'm not sure it makes any difference, because perhaps the best thing for any individual to do is to ignore posts that are upsetting anyway. Particularly under Dr. Bob's guidelines.
But that site made some assumptions about intent, and that made me feel uncomfortable.
I think it is easy enough, and I've certainly done it, to assume that a new poster who stirs discord is a troll. We don't know what's in their hearts or minds, and it's often impossible to discover. I may well be wrong in my assessments. Sometimes in retrospect, given additional information, I realize that someone wasn't really a troll, just someone who was hurt or angry.
But when posts are written by someone I "know" or am pretty sure I "know", (as well as anyone can know someone in cyberspace without outside contact), I can almost always see reasons other than the reasons given on that troll site for posts that might have similar results to posts of a troller. I might *wish* that these posters, and friends in some cases, had made other choices. As much for their own sakes as anyone else's. But I understand what they think they're doing, and why.
Some possible reasons, not necessarily applicable to any given poster, might be hurt, feeling shamed, feeling alienated, all manners of hurt. Or a desire to protect or help others.
In my case, I often run into trouble by attempting my family role as peacemaker at times when it isn't desired. This may well be one of those times. :)
Again, I don't know that it makes any difference. But the description on the linked page has been bothering me a bit, because I haven't seen any "trolls" on Admin lately, just people who are hurting or who are trying to help, and who I wish had made other choices for their own sakes as well as anyone else's. (And of course, that's just me. People are free to make whatever choices they wish.) And I didn't want anyone who was already hurting to hurt more by feeling labelled or feeling their intentions judged to be bad.
Which I of course know was not the intent of this thread. :) I know the intent was to reduce discord.
And perhaps I've sown discord by trying to play peacemaker or by trying to help. And if so, I'm sorry.
poster:Dinah
thread:403649
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20041012/msgs/405090.html