Whack-a-Troll

This is a game to rid message boards of the irritating trolls. The object is to be the first one to clobber an troll when it's inane postings appear. However, some trolls are NWTTOE (Not Worth The Time Or Effort) because their post is just so obviously stupid it just leaves you shaking your head. (Note: TROLL - One who posts a deliberately provocative message with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.

Care to list some of the common trolls that haunt the Atheism Forum??

[Hedonist]

There is 'StumpJohn' of course. Haven't seen much of him lately. But then, most of us have learned to just ignore his rantings, and a troll can only survive if he get fed.

If no one replies, most trolls get bored and move on.

[EdSed]

Or change their moniker, perhaps?

NWTTOE is always the best response to Trolls (or the simply dim) but sometimes people produce facts or links in a misleading way and induce corrections or balance. Take homosexuality and atheism, for examples.

Some people conflate homosexuality with bestiality or atheism with Marxism. That sort of extreme ignorance can probably be ignored, but other bias has a basis in certain facts and misunderstanding.

Some bias is based less clearly on ignorance. I find anal sex objectionable because of the associated health risks but some people seem to equate homosexuality or homosexual love-making with anal sex. They seem to ignore the likelihood that anal sex sometimes occurs amongst the heterosexual population and the fact that some (perhaps many) gay men don't indulge in the practice.

Sometimes people base an important part of their world view on a simple but common misconception, such as seeing religious faith as something valuable that is 'lost' instead of rational scepticism about Abrahamic gods freeing the mind of superstition.

[Hedonist]

False analogy is one of many tools a troll uses. It is one thing to not know better. But it is an entirely different matter when one is not willing to learn or even go do the research when information is offered.

As Edith Sitwell once said -- "I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."

For a more complete list of potential fallacies a troll might employ, check out " http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The_Fine_Art_of_... ;

[Richardfs]

Hedonist wrote:

False analogy is one of many tools a troll uses. It is one thing to not know better. But it is an entirely different matter when one is not willing to learn or even go do the research when information is offered.
As Edith Sitwell once said -- "I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it."
For a more complete list of potential fallacies a troll might employ, check out " http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The_Fine_Art_of_... ;

I can think of one more to that list:-

They NEVER answer a direct question.

[Hedonist]

IRRITATING and DISRESPECTFUL BEHAVIORS COMMON AMONG THEISTS PROSELYTIZING ON ATHEIST THREADS:

[1] Telling us what it is that we believe, especially that we claim that there is no god

[2] Unsolicited (which is all of it) preaching and proselytizing

[3] Referring to atheism as a religion, saying that atheism requires faith, or calling an atheist a fundamentalist

[4] Trying to prove something by quoting the Bible

[5] Threatening nonbelievers with damnation

[6] Pretending that you don't have the burden of proof

[7] Using cut and paste arguments from others that you can't defend

[8] Repeating arguments that have already been refuted and rejected

[9] Saying that we believe nothing, that our lives are without purpose or meaning, or that we have no basis for moral behavior

[10] Announce that you'll be praying for us

[11] Invoking Pascal’s Wager, which says that there is everything to gain and nothing to lose by believing in Jesus

[12] Telling us that we can’t or don’t understand the Bible, or that our Christian experiences couldn’t have been authentic if we abandoned them

[13] Saying that we hate your god, are rebelling against your god, or really believe in a god

(reprint from "It Ain't Necessarily So")

[Hedonist]

I was thinking this thread could be used to document what we know about some of our regular trolls -- known socks, buttons to push, which cult s/he belongs to, etc.

[KittenKoder]

Hedonist wrote:

False analogy is ...

Not false for you, everyone bends you over in a public toilet

Hedonist wrote:

I was thinking this thread could be used to document what we know about some of our regular trolls -- known socks, buttons to push, which cult s/he belongs to, etc.

Yay..........so hows that working for ya?