What if you ARE the troll?
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85146)
Shingle Springs, California
November 5, 2009 2:30pm CST
We've all run into those nasty trolls here and on other websites. Some of them are merely annoying and others are infuriating and some are actually terrifying and maybe even dangerous. But here's a scenario I just thought of.
You have an online friend who talks about being annoyed by a troll. At least you THINK she's on your friend's list. And then one day you go to her profile and you're not. Not that uncommon on here to interact with somebody a lot and realize, oops I never added the person. So you send a request and it's accepted.
Back and forth, back and forth, you respond to each other's discussions occasionally and then you don't see the person for a while. Hmmm. You go to their profile and you see "add as friend". Now that's interesting. You're pretty sure you didn't delete her. Did she delete you once? Did she delete you twice? No way of knowing without asking publicly in one of her discussion.
So you just figure OK, take the hint. The person doesn't want to be your friend. It's a shame, you liked her, but OK.
Then it occurs to you. What if YOU'RE the troll she's been talking about? Embarrassing. I guess that's when you really decide, OK just leave the person alone. Weird though. Nobody who isn't deliberately causing trouble wants to be a considered a troll. Are you a troll?
10 people like this
29 responses
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Nov 09
I guess that I might be considered one, although I never intentionally hurt anyone. I stumbled across a discussion one day, and I almost responded to it, but I usually read all the responses before I comment on a discussion. About half way through, I realized that one of the mean people that this person was talking about was me.
I felt like I had been punched, because I couldn't believe that someone had really felt that I was that mean to them. I guess if I was really a troll, then I would have responded meanly to the discussion, but I didn't. I just left the discussion and went on with myLotting. I don't know, does that make me a troll because the person thought I was being mean or does the fact that I avoided conflict make me not a troll?
I felt like I had been punched, because I couldn't believe that someone had really felt that I was that mean to them. I guess if I was really a troll, then I would have responded meanly to the discussion, but I didn't. I just left the discussion and went on with myLotting. I don't know, does that make me a troll because the person thought I was being mean or does the fact that I avoided conflict make me not a troll?4 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
5 Nov 09
If everyone who misunderstands us on here thinks we are a troll,
then there are more trolls than non-trolls 
4 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Nov 09
Thanks Dawn. I guess that you are right, what is and is not a troll is at least partly what a person perceives another to be, so we could all be trolls at one point or another without ever knowing or intending to be one.
4 people like this
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
6 Nov 09
Dawn-
I certainly can't think of anyone viewing you as a troll lol. I know I've seen my share, just as you have and all you can do is shrug.
As far as I know I'm not a troll. I don't live under a bridge, I don't eat cats (my cat Lightening is alive and well), and I wouldn't know the first thing about getting access to the Troll Market save perhaps a large Red Ape lol.
I think at times we just need to remember not to let things bother us. I remember when I first started here I was so upset as I saw my star decline. It was our friend Rajib that convinced me it wasn't worth worrying about because it simply didn't matter in the grand scheme of what we write. Though, I'm very sensitive as well so I can understand your fret. Know, I don't consider you a troll in the least.
Have a great one. Namaste-Anora
4 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
Well I don't think of you as a troll either. My mind goes weird places though and sometimes I wonder about silly things. I guess if you're into the money thing, the star matters since it affects your earnings. And in some places where people are really poor, I guess $10 could go a long way. But I don't even pay attention to the star myself (not much lol)... You have a good day too!
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Nov 09
Where have you been hiding?
Have you felt a little higher lately, like something might possibly be on the rise?
Have you felt a little higher lately, like something might possibly be on the rise?2 people like this
@pixeltwistr (613)
• United States
6 Nov 09
Well i think pretty much as in real life some days you are all rainbows and sunshine and other days you are nasty and crabby (noone in particular just ALL of us in general) the same goes in the virtual world...some days you are the troll and some days you are the trollee!!!
3 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
Oh well I certainly can get crabby. I wonder if it shows. :-)
@pixeltwistr (613)
• United States
6 Nov 09
AH HA!!!!!!!
Your answer was very non commital!
YOU think IM a TROLL dont you!!!???
lol...i wish i could do emoticons and stuff...would make it much better....sigh.....only almost 200 more posts to go!!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
You're not a troll. So there! 
Do you secretly want to be a troll?
Do you secretly want to be a troll?
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
have some coffee, sit down, you're not annoying me!
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Nov 09
Who would ever accuse you of doing something like that, Thea?3 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
surely wererabbits and trolls are mutually exclusive!
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Nov 09
I think it depends on what exactly you are trolling for.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
6 Nov 09
I do not have the time or energy to be the troll. I respond in order through my e mail, so I would have had to be trolled first to be a troll. Interesting thought, Dawnald, and I am imagining myself with buggy eyes, wrinkled skin and orange hair, oh, oops, I am looking in the mirror. Be good to the trolls.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
7 Nov 09
The troll dolls I remember had orange fuzzy hair you could twist and style.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
5 Nov 09
I don't think so, but if you think I am, please tell me.
We are all different personality types and it would be easy to unknowingly offend others. I have read some comments here which seem a bit harsh and even insulting, but the fact is that friends CAN and DO use friendly insults and I know that many I read are just that - a lot of good fun. However, if the same type of chit-chat is employed with friends who are less familiar with the style, they could be offended.
2 people like this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
5 Nov 09
No I mean it. It is so easy to offend unknowingly. If I offend, I want to be told.
1 person likes this
@babyangie27 (5176)
• United States
5 Nov 09
Well I have been called MANY things and there are quite a lot of people who don't care for me,SOOOOOOOOO I am sure someone down the line has called me a troll along with some other words. 
@babyangie27 (5176)
• United States
5 Nov 09
aw thanks hun and you are far from a troll as well,so I don't see how ANYONE could ever think you were one.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
5 Nov 09
I don't think that either one of you are trolls, and they say that it takes one to know one.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Nov 09
oh dawnald I felt so bad about this too, but right at the'
same time a mylotter was upset with me over a joking remark
that she took seriously, this same lady had somebody minus
her from a ten down to a six, and she emailed me and accused
me of being the troll. I could not persuade her that I would
never do to anyone, I am not a mean person. She was on my friends'
list too then she was not,and I had not deleted her. I was not
her troll. I was trolled myself and I tried to tell her that in a personal message. The dumb remark was not even about her, it was
about something else but I had said if somebody does not quit
doing that, you ought to sic your little dog onto them. I was really jo king and it was not about her at all. The person to whom I had responded was talking about her own relative for crying out loud,so my comment had nothing to do with any mylotter,but this person would not ever for give me.
3 people like this
@charblaize (1026)
• United States
6 Nov 09
I don't go around causing trouble or deleting friends on here. I have spoken to one and we chatted on IM, though I am busy with my son, school (college), classes, meetings etc..I don't talk to one or my friends as much as I would like. I have also messaged a couple of my friends and never heard back from them.
I would hope I am not a troll and don't want to be a troll or even a victim of a troll. If you felt you haven't done anything wrong, I would ask her why she deleted you and what you done to her. I am sure she has seen this if she follows your discussions.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
If you're not on somebody's friend list you can't PM them or leave them a comment, so then the only option is to ask a person publicly. And I'd rather not put somebody on the spot like that.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
Perhaps so :-)
But then perhaps this is a hypothetical situation...
@charblaize (1026)
• United States
6 Nov 09
Iwouldn't want to do it publicly either, but I am sure she can see by this discussion. :(
1 person likes this
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
6 Nov 09
Hmm...I honestly don't think I'm a troll. I don't really recall doing anything that would make me a troll. But that's hard to say. Maybe some people might consider me to be a troll or something. I wouldn't know unless they straight out told me I was. I think I'd rather have someone tell me that I was a troll instead of possibly reading about it in some discussion somewhere. That would be really awkward.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
5 Nov 09
Hi dawnald,
Nope, I am not a troll, but by you mentioning it they may be out and about as they have been somewhat quiet, so far, but I hate to think one of my friends think I may be a troll, I'm just a little old me, lol!
Tamara
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
7 Nov 09
Where are the Three Billy Goats Gruff when you need them?
1 person likes this
@coolcoder (2018)
• United States
6 Nov 09
I normally attempt to bite my tongue when I see a discussion that irritates the dickens out of me (and I've gotten better at it, though I'm not quite there yet), but there are still some times when I get so bugged that I go off on someone during a discussion (I did this a couple of days ago; it wasn't pretty). 
My apologies to anyone I've offended.
My apologies to anyone I've offended. 2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
Once in a while I step in too. But yep you don't always come across the way you intended.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
Not to defend going off on somebody, but... Sometimes things are worded in such a way that they just put people on the defensive. Like a friend's discussion from a few days ago about how smokers are stupid. You can bet that quite a few smokers jumped all over that one!
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
6 Nov 09
I think it is best to try to be polite about things, too, but sometimes I just can't help sticking my nose in if it sounds like somebody is being rude or nasty to one of my friends. A person can disagree with someone in a polite and respectful manner, and that is fine, but sometimes people forget the "polite and respectful" part of the disagreement. I do not necessarily think that makes them a troll, though, unless they do it on a recurring basis. Sometimes things just don't sound the way you intend them to, though.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
5 Nov 09
I don't think so. Of course, I've been here a while and most of the friends I've lost have actually gone away rather than delete me. Some of them I miss quite a lot.
Ya know, I realize that we are approaching 200,000 mylot population, but how many of these are ACTIVE?
2 people like this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
6 Nov 09
Nope, no trolling going on here! It does remind me though to go and check if anyone has deleted me lately; if someone has I guess I’ll just accept it, what else can one do? I have a friend that some of my other friends have warned me about and this individual knows it. I have no idea what to make of anything anymore, I’ll go and check if this person is still my friend or not…Friend…Troll…Non friend...Ex friend...Best friend...I don’t know!!!
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
Well there are other things. Like find a way to communicate with the person and find out what happened. Sometimes you get a friend back when that happens. And other times you make an idiot out of yourself. Depends on how it's handled...
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
7 Nov 09
Yes I agree the best way is to chat with the person directly. It is too easy to be influenced by what others say!
1 person likes this
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
6 Nov 09
I never and would never ever think of being a troll is nasty and very annoying things. I think their are friends stalking each other for friendly purposes to know the activities of their friends and at the same time know the type of discussion whom they reply. I think some becomes troll in secret and those who have double accounts when they become hurt and becomes victim too of other trolls which make them disguise itself as one of them able to play havoc and disruption.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
Yep big difference between the one and the other!
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
6 Nov 09
hello dawnland, i don't know about that. but there was some one who accused of something worse than being a troll, and that is accused of being part of a cyber crime, which i was completely shocked with. i felt bad, even though i knew it wasn't true. not only it was embarassing but humiliating and depressing to the max. am glad that's over but i wish i could have settled it with him the right way and clear my name, the next thing i knew, he lost his account..@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Nov 09
A certain person with a reputation of going off on people, perhaps?
@Skyeblue25 (545)
•
5 Nov 09
I don't think I'm a troll! If I was annoying anyone I hope they would tell me.
But if your dishing out brownies to trolls maybe I would like to be one so I could get a taste of one of your famous brownies! ;) jk
2 people like this
