Is the increase in anti-feminist trolls normal in the general cycle of this topic?

Abd if the answers to my 'what if' questions make more sense to me, my opinion will change.

Dittany - I am curious because my viewpoint is based on my curren knowledge. I see the points here about the sex indusry and so often think 'Ok, yes, but what if' type things.

I cant quite remember but I thought the post you questioed my motives on was about answering questions? I think that was why I used it. I could be wrong, as I say, after your fianl responce there seemed little point in going any further.

Might have been the feminist revival weekend .... but .... I am not sure when that was . I really should know that if I am going to come here and ask questions.

I think you are talking about the right thread, and you are right, it was coming at me so fast I couldn't keep up ... by the time I had answered one point five more had come back at me. I have a good tying speed but I'm not that good!

I am really pleased you do think a little more about us newbie to feminisim types though - as I said you are spot on about the reason why I backed off that therad. I in turn have learn't that I should make it more obvious when I am genuinely curious as opposed to spouting a viewpoint that, by its nature, some her may find offensive. Like I said though it is hard for me as I have such a poor wrting style, I do struggle. Thats why I sometimes panic about the troll lable being used I think.

toddlerwrangler, I remember the previous thread you refer to (I have name changed, so am not a stalker!) and it all got thick and fast very quickly. It was on the feminist revival weekend, wasn't it? I understand completely why that would have been hard to handle because questions were being fired at you left, right and centre. I think that is something that happens a lot on MN because it is such a big site and the OP if often blindsided and it's an unfair ratio of posters, so you can't hope to have a "normal" conversation and debate. I don't think you were ever put in the "troll" box, though. I am much more mindful after that thread, though, so you made me think differently, anyway! Although not, perhaps, about the subject in question.

Flamingo , if it makes you feel any better I can see what you mean in your orginal post :)

It is just that the word troll does get banded round here at breakneck speed when it comes to anything feminist. People go at newer, less feminist savvy posters so quickly and so ferociously that it seems to me to be on the border of a land of dictatorship, rather then a land of enlightenment, which it would so great if it could be used as.

Oh yes, true, if they're not engaging at all it's pointless and serves no purpose to anybody.

Good points Bertie, but I think having challenged their point of view when they continue to push it (i.e. they are not engaging in the debate), there comes a point when you simply need to dis-engage yourself and either ignore and take the thread elsewhere or not post on the thread yourself. I know that isn't alwyas easy, but sometimes they will suck the life blood out of you if you let them!

Trolls are the same all over the web because they have one goal to cause as much disruption as possible by making people argue. They do this by posting purposefully provocative messages.

Sometimes though it can be quite fun to argue with trolls - it's an interesting exercise in debating, anyway, since it's unwinnable. If it's upsetting you though you need to walk away. And if they are on sensitive threads it's best to ignore, and alert the OP if they are a known shitstirrer.

Sometimes as well, a troll will come up with a certain argument which is a common myth/misunderstanding about feminism so it's useful to challenge these I think, as people who haven't thought much about feminism might not think to look up a specific mythbusting website or open a "feminism myths" thread - but might stumble across a troll thread on active convos.

They give themselves away very quickly though because they are quite mad.

It gets easier to identify them the more you see them. I can smell them through lead now. In fact, they are so similar in style that I wonder if there are only 3 of them across the whole web.

Do you mean that's the sign of a "concern troll" Flamingo?

I think the confusion is over "concern trolls" as opposed to the straight up and down shit-stirring variety.

I'm guessing that there's a worry someone who genuinely wants to engage with the topic and has views which don't necessarily chime with feminism as such may be confused with a "concern troll".

Out of interest, how would you spot the difference?

why would trolls come back? I have lurked a fair bit around here and am amazed at how quickly trolls are picked up, on a site this big.

or not being*

Yeah I'm with Toddler, not knowing or being a feminist doesn't make someone a troll.

FlamingoBingo , not knowing much about feminism, I diddn't realise it at the time but i was asking about an area I now understand to be sensitive - 'Choice feminisim and the sex industry'. It diddnt get heated but it certainly diddnt feel like a friendly place to bounce my questions about, if that makes sense!

My main problem is that, essentially, I am not the brightest tool and my writing style/vocab range is very poor. Therefore I think I put peoples backs up on the topic without meaning too.

To be fair, I wouldn't be to quick to judge. I have alot of questions about feminisim - I hold my hands up and say the form it takes on MN both confuses and interets me. I tried to ask the questions and apparently all I wanted to do was promote my own views. It was a shame as it was an aea I am very intertested in.

So my word of warning - having a different opinion to the MN feminist stance doesnt make someone a troll. I know you arn't saying that, but I would hate for this intertesting section of the board to become a back scratching place rather then a place of entertaining and infomed debate.