How can you spot a troll?

The flame-bait is too obvious. If the topic is pedophilia, a troll will write, “So, what’s really wrong with having sex with a small child, as long as I’m nice to the kid and he doesn’t object?”. A message thread that’s sensitive to recent immigrants might get, “I don’t want some fat Mexican whore cleaning my house.”

As you mention, the only thing to do is ignore the person. A troll is an instigator, someone who sows the seeds of outrage and indignation, just to sit back and laugh at the outcome.

They live under bridges and ask you questions you have to answer before you can cross.

They look like Papa Smurf, and have lurve of one. The first person that answers also has lurve of one and is EXPERT in topic of OP’s Q.

I know this isn’t great advice, but I trust my gut. If something makes me lurch with anger, it was very likely to have been written for that purpose.

Well, they are pretty huge. XD

They include Obama’s middle name when referring to him.

Apparently I look like one, so I’m not sure I could tell you where the line is.

They are not really part of the developing conversation unless they can be in center ring

Any of the following:

They argue with every answer.
They post irrelevant content.
The comments are flame bait.
They always post the same irrelevant link.

I have troll-o-vision. And spidey-spam senses.

Given that there are idiots and lunatics on the internet as well, it’s increasingly difficult to tell the true trolls in this age where the line between satire and current events is so fuzzy it’s fractal. About the only reliable rule of thumb is that trollish behavior is more common amongst those who are conservative, either socially and/or politically.

With a laser pen, green usually shows up best.

Sometimes I can’t figure them out, until I’m well invested in a thread. They start out with normal questions, but then ultimately devolve into something else, and the OP’s don’t respond to our questions.

It has been suggested to me, that some of the Q’s that are supposedly written by young teens, usually with sexual themes, are very well written with regards to detail and grammar (which is not generally the way that teens write) suggesting that the writer is actually an adult, not a teen. On the other side of that coin, there are other sexually explicit Q’s that are asked by “supposed teens” that have just joined Fluther on the same day that the Q is asked, as if they have been here for months or years, but the language is purposely written with bits and specks of text speak, so it will appear as if we are reading the words of a teen.

I also suspect trolls when a Q is asked in a strange manner, sometimes it’s the actual language used (which is not traditionally English/American vernacular) but then the OP will not explain whether they are from another non English as a first language country. Nor will they answer any other questions we might ask.

Also suspect are people who write out very long, detailed questions when it is their first day on Fluther and haven’t introduced themselves to us, or explained how they got here. Most of those have some sort of sexual overtone to them.

Either it’s fairly obvious that they’re just trying to get a rise of of the community or an individual or it’s a gut thing. Just something doesn’t feel right. The questions they ask, the responses they give suggest something isn’t authentic. Then (as mods) we might share our suspicions and usually watch for more evidence. Sometimes, members of the community will flag people they’re getting bad vibes from. And if all else fails there’s @augustlan troll-o-vision and spidey-spam senses. I’m still developing those attributes.

Randy? Oh Randy where art thou? He was the best ever!

@Coloma I think @augustlan has his number now ! !

When they want to sell you a t-shirt… I need 3XL shirts.

They usually have a clever, as well as confusing, username . . .

With regards to their names, I’ve noticed that most trolls have a common female name with a number following. Like Jane947. Not sure why.

I assume everyone is a troll

@Kardamom

“With regards to their names, I’ve noticed that most trolls have a common female name with a number following. Like Jane947.”

Have you noticed any having a male name with a number following? ;-)

Just read the political comments on sodahead if you want to see real trolls and what they write. Trolls are a rare and short-lived breed on fluther. Spammers are much more common than trolls/flamers on here.

Usually by when I kill them they regenerate. Only way to properly dispose of a troll is to burn them after you kill them.

Oh, you’re not talking about Dungeons and Dragons are you? :-)

And how do we know that YOU are not a troll :)

@SadieMartinPaul A “private instigator.” Thanks.

@filmfann Not many bridges to live under in Flutherland.

@Tropical_Willie Expert on Everything. That’s certainly a sign.

There is also a wall of ‘identikit’ pictures on the mod coffee room wall.

There’s this guy.

This dude is a bit nasty.

We haven’t seen this bloke for a while.

This one comes around regularly.

And guess who this is? Yes, it’s Randy. I only want the nice people to answer!

Hee Hee @Brian1946 oddly enough, so far I haven’t noticed any guys with the numbers.
; – )

Also yours is probably a birth year, rather than a random number

@Kardamom “so far I haven’t noticed any guys with the numbers.”

Trolls might use female names to seem genuine, more trustworthy, less intimidating, etc. I’ll open my front door when an unknown woman knocks; I won’t do the same for a man I don’t know.

I remember telling Randy, in the first weeks of my joining the collective, when he made a remark about seeing me in my underware…that the odds of that were about the same as being attacked by a Mtn. Lion while simultaneously being struck by lightening. lol
Personally I like trolls, it’s an opportunity to exercise my clever wit. haha

Hmmm trolls = misspelling as in underware instead of underwear?

I wanna see Coloma in her underware

@Symbeline I think your a trole. R U a troll? Why you be a troll? OMG, LOL, I just found a trole.

u mad bro¿

Interesting. One of my theories seems to be true. This morning, I logged on to see one of those “What does my dream mean?” The author was a female name with a random number, and the user had just joined Fluther today. Now I see that the question is gone.

Does anyone recall seeing the Q? She said her dream was about her crush, and that she was walking down the hall at school with her friend, when she saw the crush, he was about to kiss her and then the boy’s girlfriend cleared her throat so she tried to run away, but couldn’t. It also involved zombies.

Yeah – I responded to that. Is it gone now?

We have decided to remove all “What does it mean to dream about your crush” questions as duplicates. Lord knows there are plenty of examples here they could search for answers. :p

Guys, I have a serious question
What does it mean when you dream about your crush?

Don’t make me ban your ass, @Michael_Huntington!

Last night, I dreamed about my crush. What does it mean?

You guys are so bad. SO BAD.

:-) It’s nice to see you hanging out at the message boards, @augustlan.

Extra free time, for once. And where do I spend it? Right here with you lovely people. :)

I actually thought the dream crush question was asked by an old-timer because of the responses to this question… ;)

They are usually stocky, warty, and smell awful.

If they live under a bridge and eat goats then that’s a pretty strong indication.

Last night I fell off my roof and then my dog bit off my testicles, should I go to the hospital?

@Symbeline Nah, if you aren’t dead yet, you clearly don’t need a hospital.

Then again, if you were dead, you wouldn’t need a hospital either. So I guess that the answer either way is no.

Ha! I never dreamed that by asking this question I might get some of my crushes banned.

@Symbeline I’d say your dog is in the more immediate need of medical attention.

I accidentally fell on a cactus and it went up my rectum, I think it was a Prickly Pair.
What should I do?l

Do? Nothing. Most of all don’t poop. Stay full of **it.

@ETpro That was actually a question once upon a time. Do you remember it? :-p

@Coloma I didn’t take that bait, but here is the subject thread. And judging from the poster’s brief tenure here plus the incredible improbability of his “problem” I’d say definite troll.

That’s the one! From the archives of lunacy. lol

@ETpro I think YOU’RE in need of medical attention, but what am I?

@Coloma I suspect you do have a prickly pair now. :P

^^^ LOL

Ahem….Pear…yeah, like my mis-spelling of Under- wear!

@Symbeline I’m in definite need of medical attention. Unfortunately the only emergency room adequately equipped to treat me has closed its doors. So I guess I was born this way, and this way I’ll stay.

Underwear? I thought you meant underwire!

I had a dream last night that I crushed some walnuts into my Greek yogurt while wearing my underware.

@jca LOL kinky!
BTW…It’s under-wear…I always spell it your way too. Just got razzed for that above, the other day. haha

What a coincidence! I had a dream last night that someone was crushing my walnuts and got greek yogurt all over their underwear.

:-| @rojo. Did you end up with blackberries?

@jca, @Coloma, @rojo & @Bellatrix You guys are amazing. I never dreamed when I asked this question the thread would go here. :-)