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Why do Internet trolls accuse posters of making stories up?
Moll Flanders
Posts: 1,392 Forum Member
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Having recently been on the receiving end of accusations of making a story up - even though I thought it was pretty obvious it was true, and I would have made up a much more exciting and less mundane story if I really did want to make something up - I'm somewhat wary of posting this. That last thread had me upset, but I now wish I hadn't given such nasty pieces of work the satisfaction of letting them bother me. If anyone does accuse me of making anything up now, well, tough, I know it's true!
Anyway, what I really want to know is WHY so many Internet trolls accuse people of making things up. OK, I can understand why they're so nasty - I hate it but I think I understand - they have very sad little non-lives and feel the need to take it out on others. But why specifically accuse someone of making something up? Why that need, in particular? Even for the most obviously un-untrue threads!
That poor teenage boy who died a few weeks ago - the one who got all the newspaper coverage because he was so positive, and raised a fortune for charity - an inspirational boy by all accounts - well, I read the HE was the recipient of trolls accusing him of not really having cancer! (Wonder how they explained their reasoning when he actually died?) Jade Goody was also accused of lying about her cancer (ditto).
If anyone can explain to me this troll-need to accuse posters of lying about the most un-lie-worthy things, I would love to understand it.
Anyway, what I really want to know is WHY so many Internet trolls accuse people of making things up. OK, I can understand why they're so nasty - I hate it but I think I understand - they have very sad little non-lives and feel the need to take it out on others. But why specifically accuse someone of making something up? Why that need, in particular? Even for the most obviously un-untrue threads!
That poor teenage boy who died a few weeks ago - the one who got all the newspaper coverage because he was so positive, and raised a fortune for charity - an inspirational boy by all accounts - well, I read the HE was the recipient of trolls accusing him of not really having cancer! (Wonder how they explained their reasoning when he actually died?) Jade Goody was also accused of lying about her cancer (ditto).
If anyone can explain to me this troll-need to accuse posters of lying about the most un-lie-worthy things, I would love to understand it.
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Some people troll because they think they're being funny, some do it because they think they're being clever, some do it as some kind of half-arsed 'protest' at certain things.
Some do it because they're bored and some just do it for attention.
I think when it comes down to it, as long as you know what you're posting is true then it really doesn't matter a stuff what other people think. It's easy to get caught up in trying to defend yourself if people start to get to you - i've done it myself - but it's ultimately a pointless exercise as these comedians will still tell you that you're making it up.
Ironically if they spent as much effort trying to improve their situation rather than trying to drag other people down they may be better off themselves.
This is why I am happy to try and help people who want and ask for help rather than waste my time trying to help people who do nothing but whinge and moan about how crap things are.
So here it goes again! Well, I know that the inconsistencies weren't inconsistent, and I know that I provided no ammo to be accused drip feeding or embellishment. And even if there had been (which there wasn't) why should anyone be nasty? And even if you make a fair point about me, I also asked about other people - eg that boy whose surname I've sadly forgotten, Stephen, and Jade Goody, who according to trolls managed to fool the world's entire media that they had cancer. Let's forget about me - why do trolls attack people like them? Is it possible they actually believe that a teenage boy could fool the world media?
I think it's time that "trolls" were renamed by the way. "Real" trolls, ie the creatures from Norwegian folklore, are far too cute to have their name tarnished in this way!!!
I've not been posting on here that long but I do hate the threads where someone is accused of lying. If you don't find something at all believable it's not necessary to respond to it. Ignore and read something more interesting is what I do.
If someone has had severe illness, had their life threatened, seem to have a rather unorthodox partnership relationship, keeps posting comments that do kinda make them look like victims but apparently ignoring all sensible advice… well… it isn't unreasonable if those with more regulated (fortunate?) lives end up doubting the storytelling. If someone has said they’re a writer, then again, at best: how much is this story being exaggerated for effect? to, at worst, this is total fabrication to garner attention?
Perhaps better to analyse what might lead people to think something is untrue (if, in fact, it is entirely true) rather than than complain about not being believed.
Exactly what I wanted to do with this thread. What would make the whole world be fooled by a teenage boy pretending to have cancer?
Because there are an inordinate amount of trolls equally who spin yarns on the Internet, giving rise to the accusations. One wouldn't exist without the other.
The thing is though that if somebody wants to pass the time posting something that doesn't sound very credible, they don't have the high ground over other posters who pass the time pulling that story to bits.
They are sad twits that is why Moll.
Oh you have deleted your post, not sure why you did that, your comments were fair.
But I'm not just talking about people who post threads, credible or otherwise. As my original question asked, what about high profile cancer sufferers, too busy being inspiring to bother going on forums, who still get the veracity of their illness questioned, and nasty accusations fired at them? What excuse can possibly be made for people who behave like that?
I can't say I understand the psychology of people getting concerned with what someone says about them online, it's an anonymous dialogue, people may be more harsh, than they would be face to face, but really if you don't like what someone says it's so easy to ignore it, just don't rise to it, water off a ducks back and all that.
If you'd rather 'friendlier' and possibly less confrontational correspondences then I've found forums related to my interests, some science forums, movie, tv stuff, health related groups, which are full of likeminded people, healthy discussion and debate.
The beauty of online forums is you're only one click away from ignoring someone's comments...
I think maybe because in your thread, you were changing a few stuff around and they didn't add up to all the stuff you stated on that thread.
I really don't know, that's just what I think. Happy to be corrected though if I'm wrong.
Are you making this whole thread up?
Couldn't resist it
I don't think it makes them trolls in this case - cynical maybe. Understandably some can get annoyed when they have helped in a thread and then it turns out it is not genuine (in reference to fake threads in general - not saying yours was). I do agree that if someone doubts a thread they could just pass by it but as said, in an anonymous forum people are, rightly or wrongly more likely to say something than just pass on by. Users of forums just have to put up with it, press the ignore/block button or just don't use the forums.
That is how I see them!
I see the thread in question and see the person that called you out, and seen them do that a fair bit. I think they must sit there with spread sheets and cross referencing and bookmarking certain posts.:D
My head is always over the place and to me if I say a few days ago it might really mean weeks or mths. A few hours ago might be yesterday or the day before. I am rubbish and times/days and my mind is thinking one thing and my fingers might type another
My ex used to get up, dressed out the door in under 5 mins.. so to me nothing was wrong in that post.
I need at least 2 or 3 hours to relax and read my mail etc before getting dressed and out the door.
Thanks Sweet Peanut. That's a nice post.
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Why do people do it? Lots of reasons. Some are just nasty and do it to provoke a reaction like any that like to abuse another - a sense of power. Others may do it for fear of being taken for a fool, or out of anger, particularly when they have empathised and supported that person previously and maybe have worried about them a great deal (an emotional investment if you like).
The problem with social media and forums is that we sometimes forget there are real people at the end of the keyboard with their own emotional lives.
Interesting view on "trolls" being the so-called attention-seekers who get picked on, Normandie. Personally, I think the trolls are the ones doing the picking. The ones whose sad little lives have been so restricted and unfulfilled that they can't see how diverse someone else's life can be, and that fact really can be stranger than fiction. They can't bear, for example, to think that someone might be much better looking than them, have a better love life, be better off - wealthy, even. When I read a nasty remark in a thread, I can't help it, I get an image in my head of someone dumpy and frumpy, with a face made ugly be years of nastiness, just scraping by because they haven't got the charisma to land a job (I'm not talking about people who are jobless due to illness or anything like that) and resenting anyone who might have a generally more fulfilling life than them, and simply be a better person.
I've said it till I'm blue in the face, but for goodness sake, if I had wanted to stir things up by making up a story, it would have been a good deal more interesting than the mundane, boring little tale I came up with! Something like: my husband's got a fabulously wealthy job, we live in a large detached house, I'm shortly going to be getting my first book published (hooray!), oh, and I used to be a model in my younger days and am still renowned for my gorgeous good looks. And my uncle (God rest his soul) was the richest man in Ireland and my parents hob-nob with the royals. Now, that would be far more unbelievable, don't you think, Normandie?
You obviously think the Stephen Sutton trolls really didn't believe him, Frisky. I must be more cynical than you, but I personally think they DO really know he was ill and their behaviour was down to sheer nastiness. Maybe because they were envious of all the attention he was getting, or because they realised he was a better person than they could ever be.