yes I will use the "T" word but Aibu for being confused....

[threeorangesocksmorganisagirl]

ok so in the news and stuff you hear about internet trolls,
they post horrid stuff. get arrested and so on.
I always assume that they keep their identities secret and don't go and meet their victims in rl.

then we have mn and a whole new idea of a troll.
can some one still be a troll even if you/ other people have met them in rl?

(please no names as I will never get my head round it as mn will delet)

A troll is just a shit stirrer...someone who posts lies/stirs things up/causes rows.

Yes of course they can be just that even if people have met them in RL.

I think the problem might be a bit more prevalent on MN because name changing is allowed....whereas on most forums having more than one name is an instant banning offence.

I think there's a bit of a difference between the noun 'troll' and the verb 'to troll' - i think that a troll (noun) is usually anonymous but that anybody on a forum can 'troll' (verb) in other words, shit-stir.

erm I really don't understand what this is about but as far as I am aware people who "troll" forums are real people too, so yes they could be a troll even if you have met them in person.
Really and curious at what this is about though.

YANBU

MN have a somewhat different and to the uninitiated, indeed confusing approach to "trolls".

MN etiquette is effectively to ignore trolls themselves, and instead actively discourage troll-hunting (eg asking awkward questions of OPs whose story don't really hang together).

The rationale, I think, is that trolling can be a form of attention-seeking, and that such individuals benefit from and require support rather than a bun-fight.
Whereas, the sharp-eyed troll-hunters can fend for themselves.

Counterintuitive and well-meant in equal measure.

Not all trolls are criminal and get arrested.

To be a troll, I'd just need to start some fake threads about controversial issues, or even pretend to have a problem and lure people into giving advice, sometimes to meet them in rl, etc.

In many cases trolls are fairly harmless, really, and issues that they post about may be useful for people reading it.

IMO, it's your problem if you trust people you "met" online too much. But then, you can meet liars anywhere.

oops, sorry!!

I meant you can meet liars anywhere - exactly, plenty of people in RL spin sob stories to get attention, to con folk into giving them cash/stuff, or lie to their nearest and dearest about all sorts of things from money to romances, to where they go every day and what job they do

liars are liars, the internet just makes them faceless and provides some form of cover for them - you cant see their facial expression or judge their reaction so its not always easy to spot

just make sure you dont make your self vulnerable by agreeing to meet people offline to "help" them etc

it isn't "about " anything in particular.
I was just wondering as very confused.