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Internet Troll Typologies

“I didn’t read what you said but here’s what I think” Troll. “He doesn’t read your piece. He doesn’t need to: he knows what he thinks already and what he knows is, he hates everything you stand for and you’re wrong and he’s going to say so, every column you write, regardless of the fact that the paucity of recommends he gets prove him to be a total Billy No Mates.” James Delingpole (2011)
“This Is My CAUSE” Internet Troll (Internet Mole Person): “Person who defines themselves solely by their “cause,” and spends countless hours blathering on and on about it to anyone on The Twitter, The Facebook and blogs. They have a Google search set and hours each day to devote to blogs and they do that to leave comments about their “cause.” Which no one cares that much about. Or is a one-sided thing and almost always involves emotional manipulation and impassioned catch-phrases to get the very annoying point across.” (The Band Back Together Project)
“WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN” Pseudo-Concern Trolls: “These Internet Trolls are precisely as you’d imagine. They take any instance in which there might be an issue of perceived impropriety and exploit it.” (The Band Back Together Project)
Amazon Trolls: “Posts something negative, be it about the story, the writing or even the grammar, whilst the natural instinct is to respond, it is imperative that you avoid the temptation and instead, bite the bullet and take it on the chin. If you don’t, you potentially open yourself up to a world of pain. For the forums are also home to all kinds of trolls. And literary trolls like nothing than a sniff of a stroppy author. As a result, before you know it you could find yourself under attack and those attacks can be very personal indeed. They can also be relentless as literary trolls hunt in packs.” Doug Brimson, (2013)
Back-Stalker: “This Internet Troll will pour through your archives until he or she finds something you wrote that contradicts something you’ve written more recently. It will be pointed out. Every time you write anything.” (The Band Back Together Project)
Baiter: “A special place in hell could be reserved for The Baiter. This troll has a serious case of superiority, and always an ulterior motive. Whether posting one-off comments or engaging in back-and-forths, The Baiter always wants to bring the discussion back to their wheelhouse. A Political Baiter, for example, will always turn the discussion back to politics — even if the original post is about pandas or the trials of wearing socks with sandals. It could be anything benign, and The Political Baiter will make comments about the “liberal media” or “liberal elite” or “anti-intellectual conservatism” that take the original content to a different (often inappropriate) contextual level.” (Criminal Justice Degree Guide)
Bar Friend: “How many times have you met someone who is a friend of a friend at a bar or party, only to come home and see a Facebook friend request sitting in your in-box? You probably don’t remember their name, and the conversation you had with them was superficial at best. It’s obvious they just want to add you to their growing list of friends and you honestly believe you’ll never see them again.” Don Reisinger, CNET (2008)
Big Man: “Driven by ‘Order’ forces. A Big Man does trolling by posting something pleasing to others in order to support their world view.” (Crocels Trolling Academy)
Bitter Troll: “Bitter Trolls are a curious cross-species. They can be trolls of any breed in their larval stages, but become Bitters after their previous activities are seen for what they were. What sets these trolls apart from other classifications is their behavior after they have been spotted and labeled as trolls. Angry, frustrated, and resentful about being “outed,” the Bitter Troll will wage a campaign of indignant complaints intended to focus attention away from the troll and on whomever is responsible for identifying the creature.” (2006 Ubuntu Forums , Trolls)
Bustr: “Bustrs are obsessive Bitters by whom you could practically set your watch. A Bustr never forgets, never forgives, and holds a grudge until the day it dies. Also a variant of Agenda trolls, Bustrs typically move from forum to forum complaining about the objects of their ire, often cutting and pasting age-old diatribes that have little meaning to most of their audiences. Most Bustrs are relatively incoherent, though a few of the more lucid ones are potentially dangerous stalkers.” (2006 Ubuntu Forums , Trolls)
Mutt: “Alternatively known as Dogs or Yapping Dogs. Mutts are pack animals characterized by their loud barking – vociferous, repetitive, usually ignorant and irrational criticism of anything and anyone they do not like. Mutts frequently become obsessed with a few or even a single poster with whom they disagree, often for purely personal reasons. Like a dog gnawing at a bone, the Mutt will attack the object of its ire over and over again, making a fool of itself in the eyes of those who understand such childish behavior for what it is.” (2006 Ubuntu Forums , Trolls)
Holy Misroller (HM): “Holy Misrollers are those online forum participants who give Christians (or other religious adherents) a bad name. The HM believes himself or herself to be a Christian (etc.) and will generally tell anyone who’ll listen about his or her faith in God and in Jesus. At the same time, however, the HM will display decidedly un-Christian behavior, frequently making an *** out of him/herself. The HM is often characterized by a great deal of anger and hostility.” (2006 Ubuntu Forums , Trolls)

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mods, you there?

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