online personality dysfunction

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

new research on trolls personality functioning

[burning dog]

new research on trolls personality functioning

Trolls are one thing, it's the "normal" people who worry me. You Tube is a case in point. Even Anthony Braxton has been favourably compared to Justin Beiber/Bieber (?) who I'd had never even heard at the time. Like the Holocaust rule in political/social debate there seems to a Justin Bieber rule in non-classical music. Or perhaps someone who advocates Ligeti over Berio is also in danger of being called a Justin Beiber fan by a Berio enthusiast. There's also the now parodied "I'm 14 but I prefer Smokey Robinson to Kanye West" cliche. I don't think the former are trolls, I think they are unused to having their tastes or views questioned. Real Trolls, like those mentioned in the article, could take part in a thread where they have no emotional involvement in the subject. or only have general distaste for the views in a particular forum.

[eighthobstruction]

Aaaah my mask of Sanity............................................ ......................

[Serial_Apologist]

Aaaah my mask of Sanity............................................ ......................

There's the one about the sadist meeting the masochist in the street one day.

Masochist: Hurt me!
Sadist: Nooooooo! heh heh heh.

[french frank]

It's dispiriting to read the comments (most of them) on the article. It always seemed to me that the extraordinary reach of the internet, and people with different interests and specialisms, would lead to stimulating discussions. You do see it here in some discussions: amiable, informative and helpful. On other topics - never! It's as if the internet context loosens all sense of responsible, adult behaviour. Or is there no such thing, even in the 'real' world, as a responsible adult?

[Serial_Apologist]

It's dispiriting to read the comments (most of them) on the article. It always seemed to me that the extraordinary reach of the internet, and people with different interests and specialisms, would lead to stimulating discussions. You do see it here in some discussions: amiable, informative and helpful. On other topics - never! It's as if the internet context loosens all sense of responsible, adult behaviour. Or is there no such thing, even in the 'real' world, as a responsible adult?

It could be questioned whether or not trolling manifests sadistic or pathological character traits though, ff; most of the replies under the article seemed to be as disturbed by the phenomenon as the author, just disagreeing on that definition. I would say that what trollers exhibit is a straightforward general bitterness with what they probably think of as the unspecified ways of the world, and they find it easy to just diss anything constructive, knowing there to be no comeback for the slighted, which always had and always will include them.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

It's dispiriting to read the comments (most of them) on the article. It always seemed to me that the extraordinary reach of the internet, and people with different interests and specialisms, would lead to stimulating discussions. You do see it here in some discussions: amiable, informative and helpful. On other topics - never! It's as if the internet context loosens all sense of responsible, adult behaviour. Or is there no such thing, even in the 'real' world, as a responsible adult?

i can be quite 'grown up' in some contexts but not others .... despite the increase in general grumpiness i find it easier to to be civilised with others as i get older; a sense of impendin ending does make an awful lot of the noise an inexcusable waste of time and energy

but one other certainty that has grown with age is the basic importance of personality in our affairs; i do think that there is a dark conjunction of narcissism, greed, manipulative deceit and sado aggression that has learned to wear a mask or veneer in public but the revealing sneers and snarls are never far away - the arrogance and contempt always there

[Flosshilde]

My online personality functions perfectly well; it's my real personality I worry about.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

[french frank]

It could be questioned whether or not trolling manifests sadistic or pathological character traits though, ff; most of the replies under the article seemed to be as disturbed by the phenomenon as the author, just disagreeing on that definition. I would say that what trollers exhibit is a straightforward general bitterness with what they probably think of as the unspecified ways of the world, and they find it easy to just diss anything constructive, knowing there to be no comeback for the slighted, which always had and always will include them.

Well, I would agree with some of the comments that there is a 'classic' troll - well aware of what will cause dissension and disruption of discussions, leading to the 'flaming'. This has nothing to do with the actual 'opinion' or 'free speech'. It's a totally planned attack, like a Denial of Service. But it relies on knee-jerk reactions from the other side - a compulsion to 'Feed the Troll'. The aim of the game is to get that 'other side' so exasperated that it starts insulting and abusive behaviour. Result!

What is it about the internet that fosters the Dark Triad/Tetrad that psychology recognises?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

invisibility ... you get away with it .... you escape sanction yet you know you have been unpleasant in the extreme

the youngsters who went to prison last month for tweeting threats to the lady who wanted more women on bank notes were juveniles who looked as if boo to a goose would be a strain .... but clearly beset by sadistic fantasies and narcissistic rages

[french frank]

the youngsters who went to prison last month for tweeting threats to the lady who wanted more women on bank notes were juveniles who looked as if boo to a goose would be a strain .... but clearly beset by sadistic fantasies and narcissistic rages

Yes, very disturbing. And not necessarily something (jailing) that will succeed in deterring others if the latent psycopathy is there. The rage ties in with all the road rage &c. incidents. I'm not sure that one is any less spontaneous than the other. You sit at your keyboard and the red mist descends ...

[Petrushka]

Anybody who works in an office knows all about personality dysfunction and latent psychopaths.

[burning dog]

For every classic troll who gets perverse pleasure from upsetting people there are twenty who post spiteful comments when they are angry, something I doubt they'd often do "in the flesh". Then there are obsessives and contrarians, nothing wrong with that per se, but they tend to bang the same drum all the time. There was one poster on the old website who, without directly being rude to other posters, was extremely disparaging about Mozart and twisted any conversation around to his opinions on this subject. I don't think he got much pleasure from the exchanges.

[french frank]

There was one poster on the old website who, without directly being rude to other posters, was extremely disparaging about Mozart and twisted any conversation around to his opinions on this subject. I don't think he got much pleasure from the exchanges.

Mumbleford!