quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:

No. I suspect they are serious.

Shit, I think I was wrong and it's about to pop off. They're posting gladiator memes!

There are some trolls among the serious, no doubt. Most of the serious are quietly waiting for the moment.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Internet forum misconception: someone who trolls... it's a fishing reference.

Works both ways. A post will just sit there, waiting for someone to react to it. Almost like a trotline in a river with a bridge over it, no?

Yes there has been an uptick in posts here on sigforum from those who have either lost their bearings, are off their meds, or are simply trolls.

I stopped counting at five "members." This IS Trump country!

Gun forums are not troll magnets. They're troll home. I use this forum more than any other because that shit's not tolerated here.

I don’t think that there are any more or less trolls on the forum now than there was 16 years ago.

I think now that the label troll is used similar to the word “racist”. At least that’s how I’ve seen used of late. Don’t agree with someone’s viewpoint? Label them a troll. That’s the easiest way to dismiss their opinion as irrelevant.

I’ve read in this and in other threads how this is “Trump Country”. I don’t disagree. But, people don’t get is just because you post something in support of the President, it doesn’t mean you get a pass on the content being false.

People seem to want to declare an opinion and insulate it by just declaring the other parties as troll.

People are wound right right now. It may just be a defense mechanism.

This actually seems to sum out most of the spats of late.

Trolls often self identify by repeating Leftist Propaganda.

I don't know about here, but on some of the Reddit gun related subreddits, the far left trolled all the time. The last one I saw in gunpolitics was some commie trolling how Breonna Taylor's boyfriend was acting in self defense against the police.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
I don’t think that there are any more or less trolls on the forum now than there was 16 years ago.

I think now that the label troll is used similar to the word “racist”. At least that’s how I’ve seen used of late. Don’t agree with someone’s viewpoint? Label them a troll. That’s the easiest way to dismiss their opinion as irrelevant.

I’ve read in this and in other threads how this is “Trump Country”. I don’t disagree. But, people don’t get is just because you post something in support of the President, it doesn’t mean you get a pass on the content being false.

People seem to want to declare an opinion and insulate it by just declaring the other parties as troll.

People are wound right right now. It may just be a defense mechanism.

This actually seems to sum out most of the spats of late.

Thank you. I posted a response this past week to a post containing a Tweet supposedly from Donald Trump Jr pointing out that it was in fact fake. Shortly afterward is when people started calling me a troll (and "commie") and someone piped up saying, "This is Trump country". I understand that, but I also don't think spreading fake news to fit a pro Trump agenda makes it any better than when the left and the MSM does it.

I also shouldn't have called out those threatening to shoot, hang, and tar and feather governor's and leftists, but the posturing gets old. You're 100% right that people are wound tight right now, including myself, and I need to remember and respect that.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Internet forum misconception: someone who trolls... it's a fishing reference. Throw it out there, drag it through the forum and see if you can get a rise out of someone, get them to take the bait. Nothing to do with mythical creatures living under bridges.

Incorrect. "Troll" can be either verb (the act of trolling) or a noun (to be a troll). In Internet parlance, one who makes a habit of trolling (verb) is often referred to as being a troll (noun).

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:
Thank you. I posted a response this past week to a post containing a Tweet supposedly from Donald Trump Jr pointing out that it was in fact fake. Shortly afterward is when people started calling me a troll (and "commie") and someone piped up saying, "This is Trump country". I understand that, but I also don't think spreading fake news to fit a pro Trump agenda makes it any better than when the left and the MSM does it.

I also shouldn't have called out those threatening to shoot, hang, and tar and feather governor's and leftists, but the posturing gets old. You're 100% right that people are wound tight right now, including myself, and I need to remember and respect that.

Hear, hear.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:

While everyone is entitled to their opinion, things have their place. Right or wrong isn't the point.

Good point. We don't all have to agree on everything. However, sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor and it's often better to just keep contrary opinions to ourselves. . .

quote:

For example if I to join a PETA forum and make posts about hunting, I would expect to be banned. And well I should! I certainly don't think I'm going to change anyone's mind with my posts, I know my views will not be welcome, and making them would serve no purpose but to rile people up.

Another good point. I think some people here are trying to 'win arguments.' I am a man of very strong opinions, and many times, I simply shut up and keep them to myself. I will often find myself typing out a lengthy response, only to delete it thinking "What good will this do?"

We are all stressed, and we all need extra grace from time to time. However, it's not always possible to separate the deliberate butt-heads from those simply expressing a contrary opinion in a passionate manner.

Jones speaks the truth.

Personally I would much rather have people lighten up and allow other opinions to be voiced than tamp down the dissenters. I feel like discussion boards are transitioning into affirmation boards. Obviously it’s up to the Owners as to the content of the site but if liberal ideas are ran off with a stick while we debate 9mm vs 45ACP is this a gun forum with political tendencies or is it a political board masked as a gun forum by a few conversations about guns? If some flag waving commie wants to discuss the merits of subsonic AK rounds but he gets shown the door because of a political view then we have become a political forum IMHO.

There are trolls and there are people who have political ideals different than most of us. Society as a whole I feel has whipped out the broad brush when painting people that don’t agree with them as trolls.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
Is anyone with a differing viewpoint a troll?

Reading between the lines, and seeing what's going on elsewhere, this seems to be about people who don't agree with Trumps fighting to the last minute possible about the election, even if his theories about vote fraud are getting shot down in every legal venue in which they've been evaluated.

Agreed.

The coronavirus thread has become useless in a very similar way.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
The coronavirus thread has become useless in a very similar way.

I haven’t so much as opened that thread in a long time. Does it contain anything these days besides bitches about lockdowns and wearing masks? I.e., anything about the actual disease itself?