How/When Do You Suspect/Know/Assess that Forum Participant is a troll/multiaccounter/etc?

[spinstermanquee]

Maybe I should not have asked this publicly, but... I've noticed lately there seems to be an uptick in people that don't seem genuine.  Sometimes it even feels like we're being baited or toyed with.

So is this a) facebook phenomenon, when your gps get on you leave; b) the more popular a forum gets, the more fakeys; c) once the (truly) off kilter slaugh arrive, it's done?; d) all of the above e) none of the above

No I don't really want to do an eNotalone poll.  Just opening a line of dialogue for those who are interested.

Thank you for reading!

 

[boltnrun]

There is a very small subset of people who use these forums for the sole purpose of getting someone to pay attention to them. They have little to no friendly interactions in real life so they turn to online forums. I could feel sorry for these people except they're so extremely unpleasant to the people trying to help them that it's basically impossible to feel sympathy. They claim everyone is being mean to them, but they bring it on themselves by arguing, belittling or scoffing at the advice people have gone out of their way to give. They often resort to insults. Then a week or two later they come back and start another thread for the exact same purpose.

I ignore those people and refuse to engage. Any attention, even negative, fills their need. So I don't feed them.

[HeartGoesOn]

Among other ways of spotting them, we know how to recognize their typical moves and antics.  On a lighter note, the majority of the members are honest and helpful.

[Cherylyn]

31 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

They claim everyone is being mean to them, but they bring it on themselves by arguing, belittling or scoffing at the advice people have gone out of their way to give. They often resort to insults. Then a week or two later they come back and start another thread for the exact same purpose.

I ignore those people and refuse to engage. Any attention, even negative, fills their need. So I don't feed them.

@boltnrun The people whom you described are reminiscent of some narcissists whom I know in real life.  ☹️  It's no wonder we're currently estranged.  🙄

[boltnrun]

I agree, most people are polite and considerate toward others.

[reinventmyself]

Trolls typically give themselves away eventually.  Those who have been here long enough can sniff them out fairly quickly.

[catfeeder]

I think there's some kind of contest to see how many pages they can rack up. 

I like to enter threads a bit late to notice when someone is being deliberately dense or repetitive. That tends to rile up some responders and keep them posting into infinity.

[Wiseman2]

6 hours ago, spinstermanquee said:

 I've noticed lately there seems to be an uptick in people that don't seem genuine.  Sometimes it even feels like we're being baited or toyed with.

There was a recent article in the WSJ on what's referred to "trashposting" (google it). So it's not your imagination.

It referes exactly to the kind of hyperbolic, inflammatory, argumentive types of posts you're describing. Often posed as a question but only for the purpose of debating and shooting down any input.

Another phenomenon is that reddit shut down their manoshere section and incels, PUA, etc.  have migrated to other places to spread their rhetoric.

Sometimes some posts may be sincere, but they really need psychiatric, professional or legal help beyond the scope of general advice or discussions and seem to ask the same thing over and over hoping for a miracle solution.

 

[spinstermanquee]

4 hours ago, Wiseman2 said:

"trashposting" (google it). 

I did that, and am now edified on the manosphere and what a vajankle is, thank you WM2 - cannot unsee that!  I'll be sure to credit my future nightmares to you LOL

[Batya33]

Many years ago I corresponded with a former member here who told me she was meeting another member in person and described in detail their interactions and plans including how they each drove several hours to meet each other.  I don't remember particularly how this next thing happened but one of the mods contacted me to warn me that this member was a troll and lying to me and was removed from the forum.  I was really impressed!  I didn't report the person or anything.  Another member who was not really a troll post-wise struck up a long penpal thing with me -I used a different email account -a female apparently. 

She sent me videos of "her child," etc and so many details.  Then vanished I think.  A few years later I learned via another former member wjho posted that she was impersonating someone else (not on this forum) and all was a lie.  I felt badly and betrayed! I didnt' report it or tell anyne -I was glad she wasn't contacting me anymore (or he I guess -who knows -I gave no personal details, etc)  So I am really careful. 

I've met one person from this forum in person and it was so great. The person doesn't post here anymore (this was totally platonic -my husband came too when we visited a certain city)  So there's that.  

[Wiseman2]

7 hours ago, spinstermanquee said:

I did that, and am now edified on the manosphere and what a vajankle is, 

Never heard of that one. 🙈

But glad you googled manoshere and trashposting. It sort of helps to see what it is and how common it is.

It helps when reading it to quickly identify it and bypass with "oh, one of these", and not waste your breath on some sockpuppet diatribe.

[boltnrun]

4 minutes ago, Wiseman2 said:

bypass with "oh, one of these", and not waste your breath on some sock puppet diatribe.

These people WANT you to respond because it's attention. They will deliberately express the opposite point of view in as contentious a manner as possible to keep the responses coming. There is no getting them to "see the light" because seeing the light isn't their goal. Getting attention is. They want their threads to extend to 40 pages or more. It makes them feel popular and wanted. They think "see, these people can't get enough of me!" even if the attention is negative. 

So I agree, that old phrase "don't feed the trolls" is apt. 

[boltnrun]

We got a live one over on one of the threads. Responding to that type of person is pointless because they are 1000% sure they're right about EVERYTHING. And anyone with a different point of view is wrong or delusional. 

I realize those people are STARVED for attention and approval because they lack it in their daily lives. No one at home or at work gives them one speck of attention or respect so they come here to get it. 

Very interesting in a sociological way. 

[Big Stan]

7 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

We got a live one over on one of the threads. Responding to that type of person is pointless because they are 1000% sure they're right about EVERYTHING. And anyone with a different point of view is wrong or delusional. 

I realize those people are STARVED for attention and approval because they lack it in their daily lives. No one at home or at work gives them one speck of attention or respect so they come here to get it. 

Very interesting in a sociological way. 

That's cute.  Just because you're unable to argue with me in an honest way I'm a troll now.  That's really a sad viewpoint and it's much easier for you to accept that I'm just a troll than I'm actually correct and you're unable to lodge me from my correct position.  Sorry the bar has been set so low in your life, but I'm exactly who I represent myself to be.  

[boltnrun]

Just now, Big Stan said:

That's cute.  Just because you're unable to argue with me in an honest way I'm a troll now.  That's really a sad viewpoint and it's much easier for you to accept that I'm just a troll than I'm actually correct and you're unable to lodge me from my correct position.  Sorry the bar has been set so low in your life, but I'm exactly who I represent myself to be.  

What makes you think I was talking about you?

[Big Stan]

Just now, boltnrun said:

What makes you think I was talking about you?

The fact that you were talking about me makes me think that.  Unless I'm told otherwise of course, I haven't figured out how to read minds yet.  Just seems a little too coincidental. 

[mylolita]

10 hours ago, Batya33 said:

Many years ago I corresponded with a former member here who told me she was meeting another member in person and described in detail their interactions and plans including how they each drove several hours to meet each other.  I don't remember particularly how this next thing happened but one of the mods contacted me to warn me that this member was a troll and lying to me and was removed from the forum.  I was really impressed!  I didn't report the person or anything.  Another member who was not really a troll post-wise struck up a long penpal thing with me -I used a different email account -a female apparently. 

She sent me videos of "her child," etc and so many details.  Then vanished I think.  A few years later I learned via another former member wjho posted that she was impersonating someone else (not on this forum) and all was a lie.  I felt badly and betrayed! I didnt' report it or tell anyne -I was glad she wasn't contacting me anymore (or he I guess -who knows -I gave no personal details, etc)  So I am really careful. 

I've met one person from this forum in person and it was so great. The person doesn't post here anymore (this was totally platonic -my husband came too when we visited a certain city)  So there's that.  

Batya!

Thanks for this info - actually eye opening and a good reminder for me, because I tend to be very open and go on and on, and have a few pen pals from here, and sometimes, you have to catch yourself and remember, people over the internet can say and pretend what they like, and you just never know!

x

[spinstermanquee]

I am grateful for the responses, y'all!  Having been around these parts since 2005, whenever I needed advice you were all more than generous with me.  Sometimes I'd stick around for a while to see if I could help anyone out with a different perspective, after a while I'd wander off... this is the longest time I've ever hung out on the boards daily now, it's been over a year!

Mostly I just move on if I can see I'm not helping.  But dang, sometimes it's a drag to see contention.

Hugs to you all!

[Seraphim]

23 hours ago, Big Stan said:

The fact that you were talking about me makes me think that.  Unless I'm told otherwise of course, I haven't figured out how to read minds yet.  Just seems a little too coincidental. 

There is more than one thread currently going on 1 million pages and endless paragraphs. 

[boltnrun]

https://youtu.be/j13oJajXx0M

[Seraphim]

16 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

https://youtu.be/j13oJajXx0M

Hahaha about Warren Beatty. 

[Big Stan]

4 hours ago, Seraphim said:

There is more than one thread currently going on 1 million pages and endless paragraphs. 

But it hasn’t been corrected. So clearly I was right. Which is pretty much par for the course. 

[Big Stan]

4 hours ago, boltnrun said:

https://youtu.be/j13oJajXx0M

Since you haven’t said it wasn’t pretty clear it was. It’s not vanity it’s common sense.