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New research suggests that internet trolls are sadists, albeit sub-clinical levels of sadism; not the more extreme forms that are seen in serial killers and criminals.
Buckels [one of the authors] said that the anonymity of the Internet can no doubt provide a dark corner from which to strike. For some users, trolling may also offer the same outlet as do violent video games or movies, providing a dose of vicarious sadism as an alternative to the actual thing.
"Our research suggests that trolls also want to be mean to people in real life," Buckels said. "Perhaps trolling online allows them to satisfy their appetites for cruelty without it creeping into real life."
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I'm wearing PAMPERS!!
(Score: 4, Funny) by Bot on Friday April 11 2014, @05:59PM
In totally unrelated news, some trolls who were recently surveyed for a study, express satisfaction on having been able to completely screw up the results by making themselves appear as potential serial killers.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Friday April 11 2014, @06:38PM
And in further news, some students who claimed to be doing a serious study on online behavior ended their conclusions with the words: Ha! Trolld! lel
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday April 11 2014, @06:05PM
Some trolls are a genuine cause for concern. Ones who thematically and repeatedly stalk and antagonize one person, or take the trolling out of scope and into real-life, even as "real-life" as Facebook is. Or spamming search results by sullying a mark's good name with rumors of the mark having carnal knowledge of barnyard sows.
But if, say, you're on Slashdot and you like to wear black pants and some troll says that black pants are for fucking Nancies, and you are driven to anger to the point of contacting the admins and advocating censorship on that troll, then you are the problem because you're nothing but a fucking pusillanimous whiner who still expects momma and daddy to take care of all the hard stuff in life for you.
* flips middle fingers * Fuckyoufuckyoufuckyou! Bitchbitchbitch!
(Score: 2) by dotdotdot on Friday April 11 2014, @06:11PM
I was hoping you would comment on this. Thank you! You didn't disappoint.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday April 11 2014, @07:31PM
Mexicans are an urban blight. Since they subscribe to a Mediterranian value system -- extended social welfare through the family -- rather than the rootsy self-sufficiency of old-school American patriots, their parasitic and selfish interests are incompatible with those of the United States of America. This is why they will at once disregard their traditional (aligned with Republican) values to vote Democrat for the handouts. In that case, the welfare state assumes the place of the extended family and as a result the incentive to provide, rather than leech, is lost.
American politicians, aligned with the corporations, consider Mexicans useful idiots because they are willing to work for less and drive down overall wages. One reason for that is because the living situation of the average Mexican is cramming 3 generations into a 1-bedroom apartment, and they also enrich the prison industrial complex since they are more feral and predisposed to committing crimes. When Mexicans move into your neighborhood, your property values drop like a rock because those immigrant families broadcast themselves to the entire neighborhood in the forms of strewn trash, robberies, taggings, vandalism, gang violence; and the ever-ubiquitous blaring cacophony of howling and yelping, rap and Mariachi music, missing or augmented exhaust systems on their '82 Cutlass Supremes with gold-wire rims, vocalized threats to rival gangs -- to name a few.
Sure, some magical Mexican families exist in places like Orange County, ones who don't piss and shit on the sides of Home Depot stores in broad daylight, but let's get real here --
Do not allow the Brown menace to invade your neighborhood -- your life may depend on it.
(Score: 2, Funny) by gishzida on Saturday April 12 2014, @12:33AM
Hate to break it to you... in the New World Order of NSA-ware... we're all Mexicans.
As for psychos and trolls... Isn't that what Fox News and MSNBC is for?
On a more serious side note a few years back the NY Times did a "magazine style" piece about trolls [August 3, 2008 The Trolls Among Us [nytimes.com] By Mattathias Schwartz] which focused on Jason Fortuny and "Weev" yep... that WEEV [wikipedia.org] who is the former president of the "Gay Nigger Association of America" [wikipedia.org].
Both of them are borderline sociopaths [I speak as an expert since I am one (a sociopath that is)]... The interesting thing here is that Fortuny was abused as a child and as an adult has become a serial troll... spreading the abuse. One can only wonder about Weev... The government certainly tried to bugger him for the ATT / iPad hack... but the Appeals Court let him off.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday April 12 2014, @12:38AM
for every troll who was abused as a child, there are two trolls who grew up in comfortable boredom always getting what they wanted.
(Score: 1) by GeminiDomino on Saturday April 12 2014, @07:17PM
Don't forget the sprinkling of the genuinely mentally damaged.
"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of our culture"
(Score: 2) by Open4D on Friday April 11 2014, @06:13PM
No, they're just having a bad day! Well, that's according to this low-content article ...
Most Trolls Aren't Assholes, They're Just Having A Bad Day [kotaku.com]
N.B. I love how they've put up an Aussie version with a slightly different headline
Most Trolls Aren't Arseholes, They're Just Having A Bad Day [kotaku.com.au]
But it's probably not worth you clicking on either version.
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Friday April 11 2014, @07:15PM
Good to see that Kotaku is maintaining their stellar reputation and journalistic integrity.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 5, Insightful) by morgauxo on Friday April 11 2014, @06:26PM
I suspect you could replace the words 'internet trolls' with 'human beings' and this summary would be no less true.
(Score: 2) by tdk on Friday April 11 2014, @06:27PM
This was reported in usenet [squte.com] and /. [slashdot.org] 2 months ago, and here [soylentnews.org] a week ago.
From TFA
Take back your internet [squte.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 11 2014, @06:55PM
this.
(Score: 1) by lhsi on Friday April 11 2014, @07:27PM
Sorry about that, I missed the first time it was posted here. (My daughter had recently been born so I wasn't checking the site as often)
(Score: 2) by tdk on Friday April 11 2014, @08:05PM
It wasn't meant as a criticism. It's up to the editors to catch this type of thing.
Take back your internet [squte.com]
(Score: 4, Funny) by grub on Friday April 11 2014, @07:08PM
New research suggests that internet trolls are sadists
These fucking researchers should be tied to a chair and beaten with a rubber hose. I'll do, heck, I would probably enjoy it.
Trolling is a art,
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Serial_Priest on Friday April 11 2014, @07:43PM
If I understand TFA correctly (the actual study and associated statistics aren't provided), the researchers posted an online survey that (a) gave respondents the option to self-identify as a "troll" on "comment sites", and (b) asked them a set of leading, all-too-obvious questions (for example, the "detect sadism" option "Hurting people is exciting" is only one step removed from "Are you a sadist?")
Can you think of any respectable troll who would (a) take the survey, and (b) respond honestly?
Trolling, moreover, implies intent. Many simply use the Internet to express their true beliefs and thoughts (sometimes characterized as "hateful" by sheltered researchers) - would these people self-identify as a "troll" simply because they thought and wrote something the researcher found offensive?
True freedom of speech opens the door to words that can break your heart and spirit. Why talk about "trolling" when what's really at issue is the reach of social censorship?
(Score: 2) by zim on Friday April 11 2014, @07:48PM
Most internet trolls are douchebags in the real world too.
And their problem is most people they know already know that and avoid them.
So they need an endless supply of new people to shit on.
And the internet has that.
(Score: 2) by nightsky30 on Friday April 11 2014, @09:31PM
Both figuratively and literally might I add.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Friday April 11 2014, @10:43PM
Either I'm in a really bad mood (rare), or the post I'm quoting is so flat out stupid it deserves a good trolling (less rare, still not often).
Relationship status: Available for curbside pickup.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Friday April 11 2014, @11:02PM
Alternatively I'd suggest that at least some trolls are just out to make life a little harder for people who thoughtlessly spout what they consider non-sense. Take a look at any topic where there's a harsh polarization of the contributers and you'll find plenty of people trying to lure their enemies into a trap. How many times have you seen the phrase: "Macs don't get viruses, har har!" Why do they say that? To be cruel to a certain group of people, or to make them think twice about getting them to say it again?
Perhaps the issue here is that there's a difference between a bully and a troll.
Slashdolt Logic: "25 year old jokes about sharks and lasers are +5, Funny." 💩
(Score: 3, Funny) by ngarrang on Saturday April 12 2014, @02:10AM
I am NOT a sadist. I am a psychopath, thankyouvermuch.