Why do some people troll?

Why do others respond to trolls?

Are trolls really as smart has they think they are?

Why do they do it, that's one that I doubt there'll ever be an answer for except that some people like acting like idiots. But WHY they would want to do that is beyond me.

I don't get why they do it other than they like the attention. But on the flip side, I also don't get why people bother responding to them because the people responding to them are just giving them what they want.

Why do they do it? My theory is because anonymity the Internet allows them to make whatever incendiary and provocative comments they want without having to look the other person in the eye. A former member here, Caffeine Please, called us a bunch of fairies in her final post. I didn't know if she was teasing or what so I didn't really retaliate. By now I now she was serious so I never had the chance to tell her, better a fairy than a troll.

Shale wrote:

You suppose these are the same jerks that drive around in cars yelling suggestive comments at cute chicks as they speed by?

The same type, yeah.

The key is to not feed their fantasies or get involved in any conversation with them and then they move on or go away. They are usually looking for attention of some kind.

Tony Marino wrote:

The key is to not feed their fantasies or get involved in any conversation with them and then they move on or go away. They are usually looking for attention of some kind.

Pretty much. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a troll on IMDb. Sometimes half the fun is reading other members take them seriously.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Pretty much. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a troll on IMDb. Sometimes half the fun is reading other members take them seriously.

What is so special on IMDb? Everyone here seems to be on it but me?

Tony Marino wrote:

What is so special on IMDb? Everyone here seems to be on it but me?

If you're into movies and/or TV it can be a very interesting place. You can look up actor's credits, their bio's, plots and trivia to name just a few things. You can go there to look up something specific and wind up someplace totally different. And then there are the message boards. Despite the trolls there are some nice people there. You should check it out, nephew. (Maybe it will help expand your horizons )

Alan Smithee wrote:

If you're into movies and/or TV it can be a very interesting place. You can look up actor's credits, their bio's, plots and trivia to name just a few things. You can go there to look up something specific and wind up someplace totally different. And then there are the message boards. Despite the trolls there are some nice people there. You should check it out, nephew. (Maybe it will help expand your horizons )

I know about IMDb as far as looking up TV and Movies and Actors Etc. I am assuming that everyone here is on the message boards??

Well...you know what happens when you assume

Tony Marino wrote:

I know about IMDb as far as looking up TV and Movies and Actors Etc. I am assuming that everyone here is on the message boards??

Nope.

Tony Marino wrote:

I know about IMDb as far as looking up TV and Movies and Actors Etc. I am assuming that everyone here is on the message boards??

Among other things. I'm a contributer on the site, that's how I got started there.

Alan Smithee wrote:

If you're into movies and/or TV it can be a very interesting place. You can look up actor's credits, their bio's, plots and trivia to name just a few things. You can go there to look up something specific and wind up someplace totally different. And then there are the message boards. Despite the trolls there are some nice people there. You should check it out, nephew. (Maybe it will help expand your horizons )

alan... that would mean that he would have had to SEEN a movie to know what the conversation on the board is about lol


Tony... IMDB has many many different types of message board. each show/movie has its own. I thought for sure that you were a guy named moosefeathers who posts on the dark shadows board---you would LOVE that!!! Then there are general message boards... you can actually type "there was a movie with a guy who was tall in a cowboy hat with a Dodge ram that pulled up to a bar.... i cant remember anything else... anyone help me with a name" and in minutes... ppl will figure out what the damn movie is!!! its crazy.

what i find more interesting about imdb... is that over there... we dont know each other's names, so we we most likely arguing with each other.. then came here and are civil... could still be hating each other over there now LOL and not know its family! LOL

Not responding to them is like trying to resist the apple of temptation, but truly -- ignoring a troll kills them. They'll try to up the ante a bit and become even more incendiary, but eventually they'll get bored and leave. Unfortunately, one or two people can't resist taking their bate, and so they wind up becoming mainstays and getting what they originally sought: attention and destruction.

As to why trolls do it? IMO, it's a combination of their boredom, deep unhappiness and wanting to spread it around. No one wants to be miserable by themselves. Content, well adjusted people with better things to do don't need to resort to that to fill missing gaps in their day/life.

It's how bitter folks with nothing else to do keep themselves active.

IMDb is horrid for trolls and I haven't posted there in years because of it.

I will never understand it. I had a woman message me with a wish my child would get killed. That did it for me on that site.

RedBedroom wrote:

IMDb is horrid for trolls and I haven't posted there in years because of it.

I will never understand it. I had a woman message me with a wish my child would get killed. That did it for me on that site.

WOW!

Alan Smithee wrote:

WOW!

Yeah, that bitch was insane. And the whole thing started when she was so rude over newbie questions. I called her out on being a jerk and she ran with it.

The ignore feature over there is a wonderful thing. It really does make it a better experience.

Don't think I've ever been in contact with a troll.