When is it not ok to troll?

[Torrasque]

We're all ignorant on certain matters, even Einstein asked questions, though I do on occasion enjoy shock value when it's not just grotesque or executed in a blatantly and unintelligent way. I agree that it's better when they realize it. If someone doesn't know something, somebody should tell them rather than ridicule them, unless they come across to you as a horrible person.

I meant chosen ignorance, the kind you encounter when you argue with zealots on youtube.
I don't mean non-chosen ignorance, the kind that a 5 year old would have about giraffes, or the ignorance of the normal person about the intricacies about particle physics; making fun of someone for that would just be cruel and not productive in any way.
In my mind, ignorance is the greatest epidemic of the 21st century; much worse than cancer and AIDS combined.

 

[Torrasque]

If you consider yourself a troll and ever stop to think "Wait a minute...is what i'm doing socially and contextually appropriate?" Then you are the failest failtroll that ever rode the failtrain to failsville.

If anything, the worse a tragedy is the more opportune the time is for trolling. Somebody just broke up with their girlfriend? Lulz to be had are pretty minimal, not much there to be witty with. Somebody just pretended to be a cop, after blowing up government buildings, and shot 60+ teenagers? SO many lulz to be had, lots of things to satirically exploit, huge potential.

I'll tell you right now, one of the funniest pictures i've seen on the net was the original Farcry cover edited with Brevik's head on the protagonist (if you don't remember what the cover looks like its startlingly relevant, so go look)

Trolling is funny because a Human being flails around the funniest when they are in an emotionally charged rage; eg that kid who had his WoW account taken off him (which, btw, is how people come across when successfully trolled)

People who go "Herf derf I would kick their ass if people did this in real life" are the true morons of our age; I can't think of a more intellectually lacking group of people than those who only have enough brain to swing a clenched fist around in response to words. What screams more dumb than "The things these people are saying are rude and socially inappropriate, I SHALL BEAT THEM HEARTILY, as violence is most certainly not the rudest and most socially inappropriate action you can take on a person"?

TL;DR version: Its always ok to troll.
I do enjoy your justification though, I just think there are certain situations where my conscience kicked in and says "ok now, if you do that, I am going to make you feel like shit for the next 2 hours"
The internet hasn't completely desensitized me yet

 

[Torrasque]

We're all ignorant on certain matters, even Einstein asked questions, though I do on occasion enjoy shock value when it's not just grotesque or executed in a blatantly and unintelligent way. I agree that it's better when they realize it. If someone doesn't know something, somebody should tell them rather than ridicule them, unless they come across to you as a horrible person.

I meant chosen ignorance, the kind you encounter when you argue with zealots on youtube.
I don't mean non-chosen ignorance, the kind that a 5 year old would have about giraffes, or the ignorance of the normal person about the intricacies about particle physics; making fun of someone for that would just be cruel and not productive in any way.
In my mind, ignorance is the greatest epidemic of the 21st century; much worse than cancer and AIDS combined.

This has taught me more about trolling than anything I have previously seen ever.

Its all about the subtlety ;D

 

[Dogstile]

I pity the people who think its not ok to troll ever. Clearly you've never seen people troll Westborough Baptists in real life.

Why choose such an obvious (and easy) target? Even if I approved of trolling, that's just lazy. Westboro has already been done to death by everything from comedians to political pundits. It's not even funny anymore. Their detractors are now more annoying than the church themselves.

Clearly it doesn't actually apply to them and them only. Show worst case reason, show people good side of trolls.

 

[Kalith]

The other forum I frequent is a mothers forum (I will not put the name up here, obviously).

We get so many trolls faking pregnancy, miscarriage and death. Then you get the trolls that come in and pic-bomb aborted fetus' in the "Abortion Survivors" section and whatnot. Trolls don't bother me personally though. Words on a screen.. ooooo how eeeeevil.

*shakes in boots*

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Hmm...this is actually a pretty challenging question since I think, at the end of the day, EVERYONE enjoys being a Troll once in awhile. If you have even a hint of cynicism or a bit of a mean streak, invariably you'll find times where you Troll someone either online or in real life and you just can't help but smile at their rage. It just depends on who you are and how MUCH of one you are.

That said, when is it NOT okay? Well, if you have a conscience or any kind of social training, I think you know when it's NOT okay. Trolling over/about natural disasters, personal griefs like a death in the family, all of that kind of stuff that causes people honest pain is just not right.

However when you encounter a self-righteous jerk? Well...I suppose one could make a case to Troll the heck outta 'em. A few examples have already been given in this topic. (Although the religious zealots thing is just kinda dangerous, so I wouldn't condone that, however amusing it might be.)

A Boombox is not a toy. (points to anyone who DOESN'T know where that comes from.) Nor is Trolling. Learning to use it properly so you're not banned and you do more good than harm is a long process, I think. If you know how and when to Troll in order to do some good, then that's okay. If you don't, if you're getting kicked off places like the Escapist and others for your behavior, just...stop Trolling. Stop trying to Troll. More than anything it's NOT okay to Troll when you don't know what you're doing and you don't have self-control. Satire is one thing, but one can easily go too far if they don't have enough empathy and self-control to know when to stop or when not to start.

 

[Togs]

Its never ok to troll, as its basically being an arsehole for the sake of it.

But then again sometimes its the best response.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Whenever the WBC, I think that's the correct abbriveation, protests something like say a soldier's funeral saying things like, "god hates fags and they deserve to die in a war."

 

[OrenjiJusu]

When its clear that it's not funny and they resort to spamming "U mad?". Boring, ineffective and Shows a lack of creativity

 

[Mullahgrrl]

Nazi rallies.

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

When you're instigating a politician/commentator/etc. to express his real opinion for all to see.

 

[Rawne1980]

Sometimes trolling can be hilarious.

I remember once on the WoW forums some guy did a great post about how he'd "beaten the game" which was a really funny read.

He had roughly 50 pages of people ranting at him how he couldn't possibly "beat the game". He'd pop back in to the thread once in a while to add something giggle worthy.

Some people are just born to be trolled.

Funny trolls I enjoy. We all like a good giggle (well at least those of us that don't take everything so serious, unlike those here that take everything bloody seriously).

Trolls that try too hard or go too serious aren't worth the time.

 

[thelonewolf266]

I embrace trolling as long as its for a laugh and not mean spirited there's no broad generalisation that I make for what is right I judge it on a case to case basis.Though i obviously don't embrace it as much as I embrace Rule 34.

 

[Apocalypse0Child]

Natural disasters/catastrophes with large amounts of human suffering as a result.
Of course, trolls couldn't really care, that's why their trolls after all.

They're*

Yea. I had to.

 

[sibrenfetter]

The problem with trolling is that makes having a real discussion nearly impossible. Replying to a troll post is useless and often genuine discussions get buried. In the end trolling just means people stating an extreme opinion without taking the time to actually give a compelling argument. If anything they are very close to religious extremists (whatever religion)and I do not see why trolling would ever be good. People might be strongly opposed and that is fine, but we need argumentation instead of exclamations like: "You suck, MW sucks, Xbox sucks!!!"

 

[Bluelaughter]

There are times when logic and reason won't work on a particular person. Sometimes you need trolling to make your point.

 

[J_Monsterface]

i think there are good trolls and there are bad trolls

i think were all trolls though, and we cant tell the difference between good and bad

whichever kind we are, we think is the good kind

the "line" that gets crossed isnt between good and bad, its between "us" and"them"

the majority of people in the world wouldnt think that differently than we do about trolls, about any of us, for any number of personalized reasons

theres me, and theres "the other", and they are to be feared and despised, unless something makes me realize that were painfully, redundantly, exactly the same

 

[J_Monsterface]

"You suck, MW sucks, Xbox sucks!!!"

thats not very nice, i think it might not have been ok

 

[Spambot 3000]

I find it hilarious to comment '+1 notification' on someones stupid Facebook post. (Yes, I am that immature)
Other than that, trolling is pathetic.