Trolling vs. Cyberbullying

[Canadamus Prime]

trolling is funny.

pretty simple really.

No it isn't. It's obnoxious and annoying.

OT: For all intents and purposes, no there really isn't much difference.

Your implying that being obnoxious and annoying on purpose isn't funny?

Yes that's exactly what I'm implying.

 

[lokiduck]

There is a big difference to me. One is for laughs and giggles to annoy people (I.e. trolling) and the other is for that plus the mistreatment and hurting of others. (cyberbullying)

The other difference is that Trolling can be laughed off and enjoyed by everyone except those offended. Cyberbullying is frowned upon by everyone.

 

[HotPocket]

Cyberbullying usually involves a person's traits that are being mad fun of. However, in trolling, it is likely that the person is getting made fun of for something in the game, on the forum, etc.

So no, not really the same thing.

 

[ChrisCAH]

Trolling targets a single subject as the focus and then uses the person/people who comments or rages about the subject as the fuel/ammo. (The more people you can get to rage the longer you can keep it going)

Cyberbullying targets a single person and uses different subjects to demean and belittle them.

Honestly the only real difference is you are focusing on a person rather than a subject/belief.

 

[Brainsaw]

To the receiver I imagone they're pretty close to the same. As for an observer the troll is doing it basically for the sake of doing and getting a laugh. Annoying as hell yes, but not necessarily malevolent.

 

[Raziel_Likes_Souls]

trolling is funny.

pretty simple really.

No it isn't. It's obnoxious and annoying.

OT: For all intents and purposes, no there really isn't much difference.

Your implying that being obnoxious and annoying on purpose isn't funny?

Yes that's exactly what I'm implying.

>Implying that the world hasn't benefitted from trolling at least once.

But really, like it's been said. Trolling is pissing someone off over something unimportant and watching the reaction, and cyberbulling is being a pussy and bullying someone using electronics.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

trolling is funny.

pretty simple really.

No it isn't. It's obnoxious and annoying.

OT: For all intents and purposes, no there really isn't much difference.

Your implying that being obnoxious and annoying on purpose isn't funny?

Yes that's exactly what I'm implying.

>Implying that the world hasn't benefitted from trolling at least once.

But really, like it's been said. Trolling is pissing someone off over something unimportant and watching the reaction, and cyberbulling is being a pussy and bullying someone using electronics.

Name one.

Also, it's all the same to me, esp. when you're on the receiving end.

 

[Forum_Name]

So the question here is fairly straightforward: Is there a fundamental difference between someone trolling and someone cyberbullying?

Finesse & intent.
Although I wouldn't consider the terms mutually exclusive, they aren't really the same.

A good troll will knowingly incite controversy, argument, and general drama amongst others for entertainment.

Bullying on the other hand is harassment towards a specific target, usually with the intent to cause harm.

 

[EternalFacepalm]

Cyberbullying usually has a direct target, trolling doesn't.

 

[Bon_Clay]

Trolling originally meant antagonising someone online such that anonymity was required to do the act. For instance posing as a stubborn christian on a strictly atheist board - trolling *can* be funny because it takes advantage of the fact of people getting really angry over something that in the grand scheme of things doesn't really matter, like team killing in Counterstrike. Cyberbullying is just an extension of regular bullying and involves being a dick and making someones life miserable both offline and on.

Granted the lines between the two are often really blurred. If someone says someone is "trolling" but it looks like they're just being a fucker and it isn't funny, it's probably because they are and it's not.

This is the most accurate description of it by far. Most people think trolling = being an asshole on the internet. It could involve that, but its generally more about provoking people and tricking them into getting pissed off. You could be acting like a dick, or overly nice. Anything that throws people off and riles them up.

 

[RaNDM G]

Trolling is done for t3h lulz and is focused more on making people look like idiots on the internet. Cyber bullying targets an individual and is specifically done out of spite for that individual.

 

[Therumancer]

So the question here is fairly straightforward: Is there a fundamental difference between someone trolling and someone cyberbullying?

To me, I can't really see a difference between the two: both involve someone using the Internet to deliberately antagonize someone else, usually for the benefit of the antagonizer. If there is a difference, could someone explain to me what that is?

Trolling is done for the sense of general chaos and lulz, Cyberbullying is more of a personal thing with someone being singled out by someone they know for torment.

That's the distinction as I understand it at any rate, the terms are however used interchangably.

 

[Zantos]

I'd say there's a big grey area between them. But if you look at it purely motivationally I think that people troll because they want to make them angry and cyberbullying is to make them upset. As I say though, biiiiiiig grey area between them.

 

[Necrofudge]

Yeah there's a difference.

The goal of trolling is to cause a negative reaction from the trolled individual in the form of anger. The troll is usually just joking around and doesn't care one way or another about the antagonized individual.

Cyber bullying is similar, but the goal is to stab at the self-esteem and the antagonizer puts more thought into it.

 

[CargoHold]

Trolling is building a wall that can only harm you if you keep banging your head against it. Cyberbullying is hitting someone over the head with a brick.

QFT. Although, I'd say that trolling is building a wall and giggling as people line up to bang their heads against it, while cyberbullying is chasing someone with a brick.
Trolls (not flamers) are passive while trollees get aggressive, but cyberbullies (I hate that word)are aggressive and actively pursue the target.

 

[Loonyyy]

Both are fundamentally the same. Has anyone defending trolls here actually conversed with one? Someone who lies and acts like a dick simply to cause a negative reaction from you for their own enjoyment by definition is bullying, in this case, cyberbullying.
Now here's the kicker: are bullies always wrong? Do some people deserve to be bullied? The answer is almost universally no, but I like to take a karmic approach: those who bully or troll deserve the same. Such behaviour should be rewarded in an education in empathy for the victims. So next time you see a troll, or a cyberbully, don't feed them, don't get mad. Simply troll them back.
Act like the biggest idiotic version of them towards them. When they insult your sexuality or threaten you sexually, simply reverse it back on them, my favourites being when they threaten you sexually, and since they are always homophobic men, tell them you don't swing that way and that homosexuality is just fine. If they call you gay, ask them what their problem with this is. Make them MAD, not yourself.
Show the homophobic, xenophobic, ignorant brats just how annoying they are. Don't get mad. They're not even brave enough to try to pick on people who can even fight back, let alone someone their own size.
TLDR; cyberbullying=trolling. Some people are dickish enough to deserve the practice.

 

[Raziel_Likes_Souls]

trolling is funny.

pretty simple really.

No it isn't. It's obnoxious and annoying.

OT: For all intents and purposes, no there really isn't much difference.

Your implying that being obnoxious and annoying on purpose isn't funny?

Yes that's exactly what I'm implying.

>Implying that the world hasn't benefitted from trolling at least once.

But really, like it's been said. Trolling is pissing someone off over something unimportant and watching the reaction, and cyberbulling is being a pussy and bullying someone using electronics.

Name one.

Also, it's all the same to me, esp. when you're on the receiving end.

The Anon's pissing off Scientology and fucking around with Tom Green's show. Those were examples of trolling, maybe a very crude form of trolling, but trolling nonetheless. And it's only really cyberbullying you if they start to just be petty. i.e. name calling, threats, etc. There's a difference between when someone's being a retard and trying to cover it as trolling, and then there's what this guy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Noxshadow] does on occasion.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

trolling is funny.

pretty simple really.

No it isn't. It's obnoxious and annoying.

OT: For all intents and purposes, no there really isn't much difference.

Your implying that being obnoxious and annoying on purpose isn't funny?

Yes that's exactly what I'm implying.

>Implying that the world hasn't benefitted from trolling at least once.

But really, like it's been said. Trolling is pissing someone off over something unimportant and watching the reaction, and cyberbulling is being a pussy and bullying someone using electronics.

Name one.

Also, it's all the same to me, esp. when you're on the receiving end.

The Anon's pissing off Scientology and fucking around with Tom Green's show. Those were examples of trolling, maybe a very crude form of trolling, but trolling nonetheless. And it's only really cyberbullying you if they start to just be petty. i.e. name calling, threats, etc. There's a difference between when someone's being a retard and trying to cover it as trolling, and then there's what this guy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Noxshadow] does on occasion.

I fail to see how the world benefited from either of your examples.

It's still all just semantics. In either case you're (and by "you", I mean anyone who engages in that kinda shit, either one. Not you personally.) still a douche and still deserve a 2X4 to the nuts. I'd say upside the head, but if you're engaging in that kinda shit, there's probably nothing of value up there anyway (If you're a female, I guess we'd have to settle for upside the head).

 

[emeraldrafael]

trolling is usually harmless, and with little more intent then to make a person mad just because it would be funny.

Bullying is meant to be harmful fun making fun of someone.

 

[Frozengale]

I'd say there is a huge difference.

Trolling is mainly feeding someone misinformation. Pretending to be a crazy religious zealot while on an atheist forum, or tricking someone into thinking LOL means Lots of Love (This one can be really hilarious actually, my favorite is a text where a mother sent "Grandma just died. Lol.") The purpose of trolling is to confuse someone into saying or doing something stupid or trying to get them to lash out for no good reason.

Cyberbullying is the act of antagonizing someone in order to hurt them. Whether it's sending someone an e-mail every day telling them they are ugly and you wish they were dead or harassing them in a chat room by degrading them.

There is a very clear cut difference. One intends to hurt a person, the other is intended to be a prank. It's the difference between shoving someone into a pool or dunking someone in the water and punching them in the gut. One is meant to be light hearted and playful, the other is meant to actually hurt them.