Message #215

[wizer]

Troll tip #2. Targeting a specific member.

What are the primary goasl of an accomplished troll?

Well, most of us know that trolls are looking to get a reaction out of as many people as they can get...although there are exceptions to this rule as well. Sometimes a troll will target one particular person. For example, when I troll over at ENA, one of my preferred targets is Luke Skywalker, because the guy is just so messed up, with his "masturbatory fleshlite device" and "repressed periods whereby he may not particpate in **** nor eat at buffets" because he is penalizing himself for "negative experiences with women" which usually means he didn't get a smile from a clerk in a store or something.

So one of my actual posts to him was to the effect of."Luke, you are truly insane". And then I simply waited for his response..which was fairly typical. He called me a troll, and pointed out that due to my low post count his suspicions had to be right. My next step might have been to point out that fingering a fake **** would be the act of a madman..and in further posts point out that a 35 year old guy living with his parents has serious issues...but I didn't get that far because I was banned for like the 80th time (at that point- now its up to over a 100). So the idea in this case is to target one particular member, and build up the flames by making a targeted strike, and once the response is illicited, to build on it...and its easier because you will have gotten the attention of the victim. ENA is a tough site to troll because it is heavily moderated, and it's tough to build the flames very high. Even though I was deleted, since Luke was kind enough to quote me, that post is still available on one of Luke's threads.

One unrelated point comes out of this particular example. One is that a "low post count member" does not have as much credibility, will not be taken as seriously by the forum members, and will be found out by the moderators that much faster. So one goal of an accomplished troll is to establish an account by making good posts, until a respectable post count is reached. What is a respectable post count? Probably no less than 30 posts...100 would be even better. So AS a troll, build a reputation.

As a troll "hunter", watch for new members with low post counts that are making inflammatory posts. If you suspect that you are being targeted...watch for a member that seems to be picking on you in particular...and is using things you may have posted about at a prior time. Again, the best way to respond is no response at all, but a close second best is to respond cooly, with NO emotion whatsoever, and make a counterstrike. This particular technique will be discussed in an upcoming tip.