By trolling conservative fringe sites, am I part of the problem?

[That Is Quite Enough]

By egging them on with stories about how Obama is Malcolm X's clone or how the dinosaurs are coming back from the hollow earth to kill us all in 2012 because our Edenic ancestors enslaved them?

Is it wrong to put more idiocy out there rather than trying to defuse it?

[miscsoc]

1. probably

it's fun though, to see how far they'll go.

Not so fun, maybe, when you find out in the news that they've shot up another church or whatever on the basis of some lunacy they've read online. Hmm...

[That Is Quite Enough]

3. I understand, however I think Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have incited a few more people than me

I get where you're coming from, but I'd worry more about what their idols are spouting off than whether some bullshit on the internet could set them off

[miscsoc]

9. if you don't come up with any given Obama conspiracy theory,

Beck or someone inevitably will, anyway. After all, they are literally, seriously concerned about the possibility that he may be the illegitimate son of Malcolm X. They will soon be beyond trolling.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/10/how-could-stanl.html

[EFerrari]

2. I don't know how you guys do it. It's enough to make your eyes bleed.

[jotsy]

4. When the SPLC published a list of hate groups by state, and I found two in my own county,

I went to check it out. I wanted a shower then, and now as I recollect how dirty such hot winded and hostile air flying through each comment made me feel. Icky puh-ticky.

[Mimosa]

15. Racism is a big part of the fringe. n/t

[L. Coyote]

30. Racism is a big part of the center. w/t

At least I see it "a lot" in some places I wander, on main street USA, not exactly hidden on some fringe somewhere. A lot of people who are otherwise liberal can be racists, and while Main Street in the Red Midwest isn't exactly the Klan, they sure can sound like it.

[Quantess]

5. Well, you aren't doing anything to help yourself, anyway.

It sounds like a colossal waste of time! I feel guilty enough wasting time on DU, but at least I'm engaging in / reading sincere, informed discussions that are true to my perspectives.

Playing a video game sounds like time better spent than trolling RW sites.

[kenny blankenship]

6. Beware: when you stare into the abyss...

..and I'm sure you know the rest.

[patrice]

21. Excellent advice, that.

:applause:

[meowomon]

7. How funny

It never even occured to me to go to their sites. I can't stand the smell of bullshit. And hate is so damned ugly. I can hardly even go to WaPo to get my mainstream news.

[lbrtbell]

8. If it helps you offload some stress, then go for it - n/t

[patrice]

23. Oh THAT'S a good Social Model!! . . . . for Slavery. Do you really know what Liberty is?

olltray uchmay?

Pardon my error if it is such, but I ask because you appear to be either ignorant or dishonest somehow.

***Please*** correct me if I am wrong.

[miscsoc]

10. The hollow earth dinosaur thing

makes more scientific sense than what the majority of evangelical conservatives at this point actually believe.

[kestrel91316]

11. I can't follow threads in their poorly-designed websites. It's awful.

[miscsoc]

12. element of irony here

is there any way i can mess around with my settings to make this site a bit more user-friendly? not quite freerepublic but it could use a bit of work...

[kestrel91316]

13. IMHO DU is VERY user-friendly, especially if you donate and get a star

so that the ads go away for the most part.

[miscsoc]

16. i have a star!

someone bought it for me (thx btw whoever you are)

is there some way to have it so the posts are tree structured rather than just the links

maybe it's just been around for so long it would be prohibitively difficult and disruptive to change it. the content is good, tho

[kestrel91316]

17. Scroll down past where the post links are and you will see all the posts themselves.

This happens only if you click on the Original Post, not on the link to, say, your own reply. I'm not sure how to explain it. You could always query the mods about it for a better explanation.

[patrice]

26. ? I don't think I have ever seen it as anything but trees - a very important distinction of this

board, imho.

Maybe I don't understand what you are referring to, but I Hope you can get that fixed.

:hi:

[Mimosa]

14. YES!

TIQE, I'd tried to educate 'conservatives' in the past. There are a few with whom one can discuss things, but ultimately I believe you are wasting your time.

I don't believe they will pay attention to info from 'equals' on message boards. They need to find out info and facts from 'higher authoties' because 'rightwingers' or even 'conservatives' have an authoritarian bias. Do you get what I'm saying?


But maybe there is a role for some of us to prove that Glenn Beck is BS. ;)

[deaniac21]

18. I got a boyfriend and authotie a few years ago and he loved

the way it looked with his suit!

[Morning Dew]

19. if thought is creation,

when I'm being crushed by some formerly enslaved dinosaur, I'll be cussing your name TIQE.

:)

[patrice]

25. Yes! Yes, indeed! & Very! pleased to meet you, Morning Dew!!

What an excellent screen name!

:hug:

[Morning Dew]

39. Thanks, Patrice.

:hug:

[patrice]

20. Crazy needs no help. Truth is what they Need. Not insults and assault, but Commonalities and if not

Respect for our REAL Differences, then at least strategic and honest up-front avoidance of those Differences coupled with an open door to the genuine Commonalities.

[L. Coyote]

33. Hit them with morality if you must shepherd that pasture of wolves, I say.

Just tell the evil wolves to stop eating little lambsies cuz it is wrong :rofl:

A bit more seriously, feed them their own scriptures as needed, with a sprinkling of, "Would Jesus post that?" to make the obvious local hero seem like a devil, and to assume their highest moral ground for yourself so you can preach them and right the right.

[patrice]

34. Agreed, with an honest footnote:show them "The Way" c/ strength & humility& then take a stand There.

[patrice]

22. Asking them questions helps, because even if they don't answer, others see the question AND the lack

of an answer.

[Leftist Agitator]

24. Trolling is never, EVER wrong.

In fact, if you give into Troll's Remorse, THEN you're part of the problem.

[patrice]

27. There are no absolutes. But perhaps we can agree that there is trolling and then there is Trolling.

Different kinds of trolling, no? Even from what we see around here, some more effective in achieving whatever its agenda is than others. Would you care to state the agenda that supports your assertion in the post to which I now Reply?

[Leftist Agitator]

38. "Would you care to state the agenda..."

Sure! I troll for the lulz.

[patrice]

40. ? Pardon my ignorance; I don't know what that means. Could you be more specific? nt

[Leftist Agitator]

41. In the simplest terms, I troll for trolling's sake.

I do it for the lulz, and so should you!

[patrice]

43. You're probably right about that, but I would do it for the love of (as near as possible) the truth.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

28. Read MOTHER NIGHT

It offers much to think about related to your question.

(One could argue that a person is what he does, not what his motives are in doing it. Tricky stuff.)

[Bluenorthwest]

37. I second that, indeed.

Vonnegut, Kurt Jr, for those who might not know, wrote a Novel called Mother Night.

[DailyGrind51]

29. Don't give them more nonsense than they can come up with themselves.

[old mark]

31. TIQE, if you really enjoy playing with those poor simple minded folk,

than by all means enjoy yourself. If you can create a little more confusion of anger on their side, all the better.
Fuck all RWers.

I usually make it a point to tell RWers that I consider Obama a Moderate republican...they go through the roof!!!

They think I am Stalin.


mark

[muffin1]

32. How long do you typically last on one site?

I tried once. I joined, and figured I would play them like a cat with a mouse. I was too pissed right off the bat. I saw a thread about Michelle Obama's tennis shoes (remember that SCANDAL???). I merely mentioned that 'we' shouldn't throw stones, seeing as how Cindy McCain's convention outfit cost something like $300,000. They banned me right away. It never even got posted. I didn't yell, or curse - I guess they do not like ANY contrary thoughts.:shrug:

[patrice]

35. No contrary thoughts. True sign of Fundamental Weakness, that. nt

[Blue-Jay]

36. I don't see the point in trolling.

Getting people riled up (no matter the political persuasion) doesn't appeal to me. What's the point (aside from Ha Ha I just pissed off a stranger from the internet)? I can piss people off just by being myself.

[AngryAmish]

42. We are trolled here everyday

part of being on the internet