How to troll?

[Cary]

So I managed somehow to log onto FreeRepublic. My head hasn't exploded, yet. Nor have the tips of my fingers turned green.

Now what? What an utterly boring site. Those of you who have trolled there before, do you have any advice for me?

[The Jacobin]

1. Don't Bother

The interface is rip out your fingernails painful, and the discussion is worse. If something "important" comes up there are plenty of lurkers there that will cross post it here.

[Cary]

2. Well shouldn't I do something to get banned or something?

You're right about the rip your fingernails painful thing. Couldn't have said it better myself.

I got a PM that says they're planning a cruise. Can you imagine what kind of torture that would be? A cruise with your favorite 1500 Freeps! Yikes.

[Minnesota Libra]

3. If their programmers are any indication of the mentality over there.......

....then I'd say it's obvious those creatures are brain dead and therefore you're wasting your time.:banghead:

[Cary]

4. You know, I've been a member here for a few years.

I read a lot but don't post so much.

I agree with a lot, if not most, of the stuff posted here. It's good to get another viewpoint now and then. But then when I get it from them it just seems to piss me off.

Can't win, I guess.

[Minnesota Libra]

18. I totally understand the need for a different perspective................

....from time to time. In the past I've gone to "moderate" political sites for something beside "preaching to the choir" all the time. Of late, however, the truly mean spirited politics seem to be surfacing with a vengeance. So I think there are some truly disillusioned and scared republicans out there and I think it's just going to get worse these next two years too.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. If you want to go out in a blaze of glory

maybe you could post this over there for me?




I've always wanted to post this there, but I have no desire to dirty my hard drive by registering for their forum.

Thanks. :hi:

[Cary]

7. I'll think about it.

I haven't decided what I am going to do but thanks for the idea.

[seabeyond]

6. that is what the right does. then they giggle. how foolish

go back to friends and say, i fooled them, i fooled them. big fuckin deal, like i am playing hte game. it is silly, a waste of time and childish. please dont be them

[Cary]

8. That's a good suggestion too.

Thanks.

[seabeyond]

10. now.... i do go on mixed boards. i dont like to play games

i really wantto know what they think. i dont understand how they can support bush. and even in that, being straight with them, honest..... there is a dance they always want to take me to that isnt about intersaction or communication but about "winning" and at that point i hold hand up and say stop. not playing htis game. too many games with them. but maybe that is what a party has to do when they have nothing to stand up for or that backs them

[Maine-ah]

9. actually, I have had a membership there for a while.

it's kind of fun to fuck with them, I haven't been kicked off yet.

[Dunvegan]

11. You could try asking utterly polite questions about their views.

Not expressing any opinion...go into "just an American patriot who's asking" mode.

Could give you one or two interesting exchanges.

I give you three-five questions before they ban "that question-asker guy."

[Catherine Vincent]

12. Go to this link and you'll figure it out....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1228597&mesg_id=1228597

Cheers!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

13. I'm a member as well. I thought I could post some subversive stuff that

would stir things up and get them to think outside their little box. I did it and made a discovery...

It doesn't work there, for us, like it does here, for them.

They are so in lockstep that if you sound even somewhat sympathetic, they assume that you're one of them and fall into the party line.

It's not as entertaining as I thought. If I could do irony, I might be able to get some responses that would be amusing.

Besides, they're seeming to feel very beleaguered over there, so it almost, but not quite, feels like piling on.

:shrug: MKJ

[TrogL]

14. Stay low, chant the party line, then start in about states rights

Say anything "liberal" or quote a "liberal" new source and they'll ban you in a second.

[lonestarnot]

15. Nope can't stand the thought of the stank over there. Stay'n

home where I belong.

[No New War]

16. Here's what you do: Get banned for going over-the-top far-right

Every time someone posts something that's intolerant of others, just pick up on it, and take it over the top. See who bites.

[HockeyMom]

17. I was banned as a Troll

For talking about two things. My Aunt's abortion in 1942 as a 45 year old, married, faithful, grandmother. She paid her own OB/GYN a lot of money for a "therapeutic abortion". To her dying day, she never regretted it. I guess the Freepers didn't like the fact that my Aunt did not fit their neat little profile of who has abortion; Abstinence Only until Marriage and Faithfulness in Marriage.

I also wrote about my own ectopic pregnancy at a "Christian" hospital and how their "concern for the unborn baby" nearly cost me my life. I just had to counter the ignorance. No, Virginia Freeper, BED REST will not result in an live baby from an ectopic pregnancy.

I wear my ban with PRIDE.

[TreasonousBastard]

19. I trolled a couple of others...

as an ultraconservative libertarian hating Shrub for being an overspending, interfering, "liberal" long before it was fashionable for real ultaconservative libertarians to complain.

Too much work for too little satisfaction for me. Just wasn't worth it.

[Orsino]

20. Don't imagine that facts, reason and empathy will win them over.

By definition, they are impervious to such.

If you're going to log in, you might have a moment's fun ridiculing them, but what would it accomplish beyond distracting another librul from more important work?

[Cary]

21. I'm still contemplating this.

The exercise is not entirely useless, I don't think. Their perspective in and of itself is useless but it is good to try to understand our fellow citizens.

The us versus them thing is a sight to behold. Most of these Freeps have to be fairly ordinary people. Their thrill of "victory" has to be purely vicarious.

Check out this circular thread, if you can stomach it: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1634189/posts

No wonder they're in disarray. It seems like they're stuck in some kind of vortex and they're sucking themselves down. I think I'd like to do them a favor and push them down further, somehow.

Quite a sight to behold, actually.