Trolling has grown to be attributed with only negative connotations. I have, for several years now, believed that trolling can be turned into a positive and beneficial act of benevolence. And I have been practicing this very thing on these very forums.
I take no shame in this.
This started out as an experiment many years ago when I became frustrated with the lack of responses to threads I would start. When I wanted to post something I was genuinely interested in I used language that was non-controversial and a tone and manner that invited constructive input rather than combative argument.
And these discussions quickly went to the second or third pages with little to no response.
I watched all the threads I had zero interest in gain post after post after post of inane responses which kept them at the top of the heap and pushed all the interesting discussions to the bottom. Most of these discussions, in fact the overwhelming majority of them, were obviously trolls. People inciting argument for the sole purpose of causing trouble.
This is when a little light went off inside my head. What if the power of the troll could be harnessed, shaped, controlled and made to benefit the poster and everyone else?
And thus began my career as a troll. I experimented with every form of trolling I could find. Any time I found some new way to piss people off on a forum, I used it. I stared into the Abyss and the Abyss stared back. For awhile there I think I lost myself in the fun of it all. But eventually I regained control and began to hone my newfound dark powers into something more beneficial.
It's a fine line to tread, but I believe I have now mastered the art of trolling as a benevolent artform. The concept involved is to use the methods of trolling in order to create positive and interesting discussion on a topic without it devolving into a flame-war.
Now, I don't believe I'm a pioneer or even particularly original in my methods. I do, however, believe that I'm one of only a few people on most forums I go to that have mastered this artform. I recognise my brothers by the long list of threads they create or participate in that garner numerous posts and positive discussion about interesting topics. We are the darkness that allows the light to shine. Shine on, my brothers, shine on.
I take no shame in this.
This started out as an experiment many years ago when I became frustrated with the lack of responses to threads I would start. When I wanted to post something I was genuinely interested in I used language that was non-controversial and a tone and manner that invited constructive input rather than combative argument.
And these discussions quickly went to the second or third pages with little to no response.
I watched all the threads I had zero interest in gain post after post after post of inane responses which kept them at the top of the heap and pushed all the interesting discussions to the bottom. Most of these discussions, in fact the overwhelming majority of them, were obviously trolls. People inciting argument for the sole purpose of causing trouble.
This is when a little light went off inside my head. What if the power of the troll could be harnessed, shaped, controlled and made to benefit the poster and everyone else?
And thus began my career as a troll. I experimented with every form of trolling I could find. Any time I found some new way to piss people off on a forum, I used it. I stared into the Abyss and the Abyss stared back. For awhile there I think I lost myself in the fun of it all. But eventually I regained control and began to hone my newfound dark powers into something more beneficial.
It's a fine line to tread, but I believe I have now mastered the art of trolling as a benevolent artform. The concept involved is to use the methods of trolling in order to create positive and interesting discussion on a topic without it devolving into a flame-war.
Now, I don't believe I'm a pioneer or even particularly original in my methods. I do, however, believe that I'm one of only a few people on most forums I go to that have mastered this artform. I recognise my brothers by the long list of threads they create or participate in that garner numerous posts and positive discussion about interesting topics. We are the darkness that allows the light to shine. Shine on, my brothers, shine on.
