to think troll hunters are sometimes just as bad as the trolls themselves?

[BatmanLovesRobin]

I always think of trolls as saddo people, emotional leeches if you like. There are some very clever ones about, and inevitably people get taken in, and give (often sterling) advice and support.

Then along comes a poster on the thread, crying 'Troll, troll', instead of simply reporting. The danger of this is accusing genuine posters of trolling. I've noticed this before, but not really paid much attention beyond giving trollhunter a mental catsbumface. However, a RL friend is currently feeling very upset and vulnerable following being called a troll herself (CRS, regarding giving personal info about herself on a recently notorious thread), and as she has given much of herself in other threads, is taking basically being called a liar hard, as she has been so supported here, and in turn has supported others. Those others may now, in turn, feel taken in.

AIBU to believe trollhunters appear to be more keen on being able to say 'I told you so' than the feelings of possibly innocent people they are accusing?

Supposed to be

@ DrP

I am a natural sceptic.

Am I allowed to be that?

No. Never. That leads to Doubting. Which can be a short, tempting step away from Voicing of Doubt, and then a tumble down the slippoery slope of troll-hunting...

I seem to recall Doubters being a religious sect of some kind.

oh i have just positively melted at Pinot's - er - Kittens

If they aren't they should be.

I vote Pinot High Priestess
Line as Interpreter of the Word

I'll just heckle from the back

YABU

Trolls are trolls, what's the bloody problem.

If somebody in a pub spouted a load of lies at you to gain your attention you'd tell them to get lost. But online you have to pretend to believe liars in order to be seen as 'supportive'.

I've seen soooo many clearly made up threads with people saying 'oh you poor thing' etc and I do try to keep it clamped but sometimes I can't help it - the 'yeah right' instinct in me is just too strong... as it is in real life.

On other websites a troll is a troll. It's only here that we're supposed to be nice to them. Can't be arsed with that myself.

As for all the genuine people who have been 'called a troll' it almost always turns out to be on a very long thread and either nobody actually said it, or one person said it and was immediately put right by others.

DrP, I am working feverishly on the Articles of Faith.

I would like to be High Priestess.

Can I have a cape?

And a feathered headpiece of some kind?

thanks e'so

I'm happy to embroider a tapestry depicting the rise and rise of the doubters

Can I join I would like to have a Wolf to symbolise our strength as the doubters.

Thank you Morris.

I have been quietly and very repetitively saying that the occasional accusation of trollery is just something you have to put up with if you post something unlikely on an online discussion forum where no one knows who the flip you are! WHY is that so difficult to take on board? WHY do we have to treat people we really don't believe with kid gloves?

DrP was the epitomy of restraint and reasonableness on that original thread, and yet she immediately became the enemy! That's completely arse over tit afaiac.

Oh you don't need to supply me with a wolf fleece, I'll wear one from my collection.

Indeed, happymole. No fleas in mine, please.

Wolef, you naughty Mole

bibs, you have been stirling in your calmness and rationality.

Rather reminds of The Crucible....

worried that the doubters will get mixed up with the THers, what with the symbolism of hunting and all that.

Can't we use Pinot's Kittens?

They can have the feathered head dresses.

Doubter and doubtee are much more refined words, don't you think?

Our Expressions of Quiet Doubt might include the following requests to the OP:

Would you be awfully kind and explain a little more about why you didn't behave in what would normally be considered a rational way?

It would be terribly helpful if you would clarify the reason why you just typed almost exclusively with exclamation marks.

Is there any particular reason why your various threads, which I have followed with great interest, appear not to be held together by a coherent narrative?

From whence doth one hail, planetarily?

Grumble grumble can't please all the people....

How about this for the <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=kitten+and+wolf&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=X5Yf7qAyRQCkSM:&imgrefurl=mymoonrose.blogspot.com/2008/01/wolf-kitten.html&docid=bxlkQvKQCnnysM&w=431&h=600&ei=Y9tLTrf6NIaBhQfDtvGACA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=320&vpy=78&dur=979&hovh=265&hovw=190&tx=116&ty=181&page=1&tbnh=178&tbnw=128&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flag

you want to use google as our flag?

Are they paying you?

hey, line, check the Articles, anything in there about sponsorship?

Has the link not worked

Am liking the Expressions...

Could we also have a Rhetorical Exhortation section?

Blimey. my brain is in knots after the last few pages.

DrP - none of this was aimed at you - I don't remember what you wrote on the Notorious Thread but as far as I remember you started off with words of caution. I never ever get subtle hints though, you have to hammer them home with a great big mallet, so I can see how CRS got confused with the hints on the Notorious Thread's Little Brother.

And I'm not denying trolls are scum-sucking, bogey-licking dregs of humanity. They are.