trolling

August 31, 2005 6:42 AM

How does a member with a user number so low make a post like this and say with a straight face, " I would also wish to add that I really don't wish to be seen as one who is trolling, because I am not...I actually don't think it's that terrible a post. "
posted by dhoyt to Etiquette/Policy at 6:42 AM (17 comments total)

...deleted seconds after posting.
posted by dhoyt at 6:44 AM on August 31, 2005

How does a member with a user number like 656 not realize that certain MeFi members really enjoy doing that kind of ridiculous shit? Like clockwork.
posted by Stan Chin at 6:44 AM on August 31, 2005

People always tend to feel that whatever is the current bug up their ass is important enough not to need to follow the usual rules. Some people have enough self-awareness to combat those feelings. Others don't.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:44 AM on August 31, 2005

don't worry, sooner or later someone will slam Islam in a post, and you'll calm down
posted by matteo at 6:50 AM on August 31, 2005

Well said, Jacquilynne.
posted by LarryC at 6:51 AM on August 31, 2005

I think the problem is that for some unknown reason, delmoi's god-awfully shitty post was left up despite the fact that it was flagged by a number of people. Once senseless partisan wankery like that is left up, others might assume that now is an acceptable time to be making hackneyed political points in the face of a tragedy. The result is the 3 horrible posts in a matter of 12 hours all trying to politicize a tragedy and blame Bush for destruction of a natural force. There are plenty of things to dislike and criticize the man about. Why the hell we have to let such asinine drivel, like delmoi's post and the two that followed, is beyond me.
posted by dios at 7:00 AM on August 31, 2005

"I actually don't think it's that terrible a post."

He's saying iow, "Yes, this is a terrible post, just not THAT terrible a post."
posted by mischief at 7:02 AM on August 31, 2005

This thread was a really excellent idea. And by 'really excellent idea', I mean 'pointless and unnecessary'.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:03 AM on August 31, 2005

Well, gee, I've never liked Bush and I thought this post was pretty bad. Not the least of which is that reports of his scheduled VJ-day visit indicated that he cut the visit short to return to Washington because of the disaster.

Very few things get me redder in the face than that profiteering crook, but this post was just irresponsibly bad.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 7:04 AM on August 31, 2005

Haw! dios barges into that "god-awful shitty post" (to a piece so tangential and suspect that Editor & Publisher ran an extended version of it last night) trying to take it down with debate, then turns tail and runs when it becomes clear his claims are totally off base... then comes back here to complain about it on a whole different MeTa thread.

Classic. It almost redeems tomcosgrave's terrible FPP. Almost.
posted by soyjoy at 7:10 AM on August 31, 2005

jacquilynne writes "People always tend to feel that whatever is the current bug up their ass is important enough not to need to follow the usual rules. Some people have enough self-awareness to combat those feelings. Others don't."

Well said.
posted by OmieWise at 7:21 AM on August 31, 2005

Delmoi's post took a good chunk of the "this is all Bush's fault" debate out of the hurricane thread which was a blessing, even though the wording of the post was lame. By the time I saw it, despite the wording, people were having an okay discussion about it. That discussion already included a link to the photo that was the sole content of the second post. As far as your question dhoyt, I think jacquilynne nails it. People have a lot of very strong feelings wrapped up in the ongoing disaster.
posted by jessamyn at 7:25 AM on August 31, 2005

senseless partisan wankery

irrigation for Marsh Arabs
posted by Armitage Shanks at 7:42 AM on August 31, 2005

Well dios, in the wankfest, you were one of the chief wankers. When are you going to learn not to take the bait and let a thread like that implode on itself?
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:00 AM on August 31, 2005

My original understanding of MeFi - as someone with a really low user number, was that it was intended to post links, and discuss. And that's happened. The post could have been worded better, I suppose, but I guess I anger and disbelief get the better of me. Apologies to dhoyt, I guess I put his nose out of joint. I think my record on posts is pretty good, but I'll watch it in future. Just for you.

As regards the thread itself, Effugas said it the best.

For those people who wish take shots at me for the post, that's fine, go for it. I've never made a secret of the fact that I utterly despise your joke of a President. But really, you should be doing something more constructive with your time, perhaps working towards making your country better.

Because it's fucked. Do something to change it. I'm tired of watching you the US go to shit. I'm tired of wondering if the lieutenant that I know, currently serving in the USMC is going to get her legs (or worse) blown off while she's running around in Iraq trying to prevent people, perhaps her own soliders, from getting killed. And all for the president she hates with all her heart (she was a Marine before Bush became president), wants to play up to his lobby groups. I'm tired of watching the family I have in the US struggle more than ever as they try to educate their families, to live out their retirements, to have a stable life they can live with some degree of comfort. I'm tired of watching my friends suffer as they are discriminated against, made to feel like second-class citizens in their own damned country. And I'm tired of wondering what the hell Bush is going to do to the rest of the world next.

The United States could be the greatest country on the planet. Sometimes it still is. Mostly, it seems, it's not, particularly now that Bush is in charge. But what really gets me wound up, what really makes me upset, is that people, don't seem to give a shit. Do yourselves a favour. Get off your asses. Stop posting to sites like this quite so much. Get into politics. Change your country. Make it better.

I've done it, and while it seems hard at the start, it's a lot easier than it looks. And to know you've had an affect on influencing policy that will make a country better, is a great feeling.

I'm sorry for the rant. I'm quite emotional at the moment.
posted by tomcosgrave at 8:03 AM on August 31, 2005

If you are more emotional about the fact that Bush recieved a guitar as a gift then you are about the people who are suffering from loss of loved ones because of a natural disaster, or the 600 people who just died in a stampede in Iraq, then, in my view, you have a seriously warped view of this world. Bush didn't cause the hurricane. He didn't cause the stampede. He didn't cause someone to give him a guitar. But if it is him recieving it that makes you so angry, then you need to learn some perspective. And until you do, I would politely request that you not post to the front page every time Bush does something that causes you to get your panties in a wad.
posted by dios at 8:15 AM on August 31, 2005

Well, now that it's gone, there's not much to discuss, is there?
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:16 AM on August 31, 2005