Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong
I always figured that stating an opinion in a way that insults those who don't agree with that opinion is a pretty good definition of trolling. Or to put it more simply, posting something just to start a fight.
If you think about it, just about any opinion can be expressed in a way that doesn't imply that other opinions are categorically wrong! Those old standbyes "I find that" "One way of doing it is" "I prefer" etc, take the sting out of expressions of opinion. On the other hand, most posts that contain the words "I don't get" "Are you a bunch of" etc (I'm thinking of the recent thread referenced above, and am laughing and shaking my head!) automatically put folks who feel differently on the subject right on the defensive.
Cheers, Tim
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Tim,
JMO and what do I know but I think that's one of the most accurate definitions of trolling I ever saw. It's right between the eyes.
To me anyway, it's one of those things that I may or may not be able to define, but I sure know it when I see it.
What really got me about the OP was that even after 4-5 pages of folks mostly disagreeing loudly in one form or another, he used a chance to restate his position a little more amiably to basically restate the original inflammatory message!
As a couple of you have correctly pointed out, everyone (myself included) who took the bait is guilty too. I guess I was weak, I should have known better. But somehow spending a good part of Wednesday in the basement with my "71 SFTR and then spending Thursday at my spinal surgeon's office making preps for the inevitable, I don't know, I personally just couldn't let it go. I normally try to look at a post before I hit the send button and think "how will this impact those who read it".