StuckInTheSixties Offline

Wireclub, Trolls, And Their Enablers

We all know what a Troll is, even though the definition is pretty vague and ambiguous. It's like that classic comment about porn made by whatever Supreme Court justice made it. He said that he might not be able to define pornography, “but I know it when I see it." It's the same thing with Trolls. The definition of a Troll may be slippery, but we know them when we see them.

Trolls appear to be parasitic. It seems that they can't survive without a "host," someone that can provide them sustenance, someone to provide them the ATTENTION that is their lifeblood.

Those are the Troll’s "Enablers."

But the relationship between a parasite and it's "host" is different than the relationship between a Troll and his enablers. (I say "his" because with only rare exceptions, Trolls are men.)

With the parasite/host relationship, the benefits flow only in one direction: from the host to the parasite. The parasite benefits. The host doesn't. (I'm speaking poetically here, so if you studied biology in university, and I'm technically speaking in error here, stifle yourself, please. I'm just trying to make a point.)

The relationship between a Troll and his enabler is different than a parasite and his host. The benefits flow in both directions in that relationship. It’s symbiotic.

So what is a Troll Enabler? I’m guessing anyone reading this blog probably thinks that they know at this point. But the funny thing is there are probably Troll Enablers reading this that don’t know that they are Troll Enablers. In fact, on occasion, I’m a Troll Enabler, too. Not often, but once in a while. And when I realize I’m enabling the Troll, I stop.

I’ll try to give myself a little bit of an out here by being specific. Once in a while I’ll come across an obvious Troll, one that I don’t know, one I’m not familiar with. The Troll will say something trollish, and I’ll comment on it, throw some smart-ass remark at the Troll. Maybe a little exchange will occur, some comments thrown back and forth. The Troll goes on his way, and I go on mine, and that’s the end of it.

This is not the enabling of a Troll. This isn’t the kind of phenomenon I want to talk about here in this blog.

What I think of as Troll Enabling is an ongoing, repetitive act. The Troll Enabler interacts with the Troll over and over again, both within a single conversational thread, and over time, from thread to thread. This REALLY feeds the Troll. This gives the Troll EXACTLY what the Troll craves:

Attention.

Not just attention, but ONGOING ATTENTION.

Attention is the lifeblood of the Troll.

ONGOING ATTENTION is like some sort of super-food for the Troll. It’s like steroids for the Troll. It’s like a magic elixir for the Troll.

And remember, with the Troll-Enabler relationship, it’s not just the Troll being fed. The Troll feeds the Enabler, as well. It’s a symbiotic circle of feeding.

Let’s examine an actual Forum thread, and analyze it to see what sort of effect this symbiotic circle of feeding had on it. We’ll look at a thread I created, “I Wonder If Other Men In Wireclub Have Had Encounters Like This.”

Topic: Off Topic

At the time of the writing of this blog, I’ve counted the number of posts in the thread, which is 332. I’ve also divided those posts into three categories:

~ Regular posts
~ Troll posts
~ Enabler posts

When I started this little study, I was concerned that those categories might be vague, and it might be difficult to decide whether a post fit one category or another, that it might be very subjective and arbitrary. But I found that it was really quite easy and obvious. The only variable was that some “Enabler” posts caused more effect, or were more “destructive,” than others. But when a Troll was causing trouble and someone was responding to that Troll, that amounted to “Enabling.”

So I made my count. The three categories broke down this way:

~ 171 “regular posts,” or 51.5 %
~ 78 “Troll posts,” or 23.5 %
~ 83 “Enabler posts,” or 25 %

Roughly half … HALF!!!! … the posts in this thread had been made by Trolls and enablers.

Conclusion of this study:

If the Enablers weren’t enabling the Trolls, the Troll’s influence upon this thread would be a fraction of what it was.

The motivations of the Troll and the Enabler are different. The Troll generally just wants to cause trouble. The Troll INITIATES the symbiotic circle of feeding. The Enabler, on the other hand REACTS to the Troll. The Enabler is offended by the Troll’s obviously offensive conduct, and reacts to it.

The Troll has no “excuse” for his behavior. He is just being a destructive, disruptive Troll. He may have some sort of sociopathic sense of justification for his behavior, but everyone can see that the Troll is just causing trouble simply because he enjoys doing that.

Enablers, on the other hand, arguably have an excuse. They are justifiably offended by the Troll, and they feel justified in retaliating with their own harsh replies. Ethically, they have at least some sort of excuse. They have a sense of “good versus evil,” and they know that they are on the side of good. They feel they have NO CHOICE in the matter. Remaining silent isn’t an option when something so outrageous is happening! They have to speak out against this EVIL! The compulsion to fight the Evil Troll is palpable, overwhelming. They must SPEAK OUT!

But let’s be pragmatic about this, okay?

I’m not sure how many people will be reading this, but I think it’s certain that some of you will recognize yourself as a Troll Enabler, or at least, you should. You might not care for the term “Troll Enabler” that I’m tagging you with, but you recognize that you do, in fact, have ONGOING battles with Trolls. It’s that ONGOING aspect that makes you, in my terminology, a Troll Enabler.

So what is the point of this blog?

There is one thing that is NOT the point of this blog. I am not writing this as a judgment of the Troll Enabler. I’m not wagging my finger, and scolding them: “Bad! Bad, Troll Enabler! Bad!”

That’s not what I’m doing here. This isn’t an attempt at moralizing.

In fact, as I said near the beginning of this blog, on seldom occasions, I, too, enable Trolls. I don’t do it often, but once in a while, I’ll do that too. I try not to, but rarely, I’ll feed a Troll. And when I realize I’m doing that, I stop.

And I certainly should acknowledge that I am often guilty of engaging in extremely long, drawn out arguments (that can be very off-putting to those not directly involved). I can often be relentless. I latch on like a pit bull, and I won’t let go of the argument.

But a long, drawn out, fierce argument is different than Troll enabling. It appears to be similar, but it’s actually quite different. For one thing, it’s an argument, a debate …

… ABOUT SOMETHING.

It’s over politics, or religion, or science. It’s extreme. It’s long-winded. It can get pretty harsh and combative. It can even be selfish, as it can drive away other people that would otherwise be interested in that subject.

But it’s ABOUT SOMETHING.

With the Troll-Enabler, it’s generally only about two things:

~ The character of the Troll as seen by the Enabler
~ The character of the Enabler as seen by the Troll

In essence, it’s not really ABOUT ANYTHING.

So again … what’s my point?

My point is that for the Troll Enabler, it really seems as if there is no choice in the matter. The compulsion to address the outrageous conduct of the Troll seems inescapable. The Enabler simply can’t remain silent in the face of such outrage.

But that doesn't have to be.

You can … you really CAN … simply remain silent in the face of the Troll’s outrageous behavior. It’s a choice that can be made. It only requires knowing that indeed, the choice is available, deciding to make that choice, and having the will to actually follow through.

For me, personally, the most persuasive element of this choice, the single thing that allows me to, for the most part, refuse to enable the Troll, is the realization that while the Enabler isn’t a Troll …

… the Enabler is COMPLICIT.

The Enabler enables.

The Enabler, by engaging in the ONGOING battle with the Troll, provides the steroid-enhanced super-food elixir for the Troll.

And the Enabler receives sustenance from the Troll in return.

The Enabler is the Troll’s PARTNER.

I don’t want to be the Troll’s partner.