Should there be mercy for trolls?

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Should there be mercy for trolls?

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Intro

There are some common trite sayings

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Some people say

“Do not feed the trolls,”

“Acting in anger just empowers them”

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Some people say

“If you treat someone lashing out as a human being”

“Then they will start acting like a human being”

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I have a dark worldview,

BUT unlike most,

I am willing to test and challenge this deeply held worldview!

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Why do this Micro-Study?

I often try to create and post art and sell it on the Facebook marketplace.

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And too often,

I am getting cheap shot comments.

And bit by bit over time, my defensive responses, were getting more and more extreme.

To the point where my responses were affecting me more than their initial comments.

It was happening so often in fact that I created an acidic meme based on a previous conversation.

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Whether they are correct about the quality of my art or not, is not the debate here.

Maybe they are right, maybe they are not.

That does not matter.

The question here is their moral intentions

Lots of people sell various bits of overpriced crap on random internet marketplaces.

And those people were not being attacked?

The reason for the attacks was that I had spent time creating something from scratch.

This was not an object that was, just taking up room in the garage.

That made these attacks more personal in nature.

This meant that their only intention was to cause psychological harm.

This meant that their only intention was to Troll.

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It seemed to me that they smelt weakness, mental illness, and an easy target.

It seemed to me that they were smelling blood in the water.

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Yet, my wife (among others) keeps telling me that people are not that bad at heart.

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So,

Let us make this a fun experiment.

A kind of cold sadistic Micro-study, of the average sadistic troll.

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HYPOTHESIS:

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People are innately crap and they just have a rancid ball of puss instead of a soul.

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METHOD:

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Trying a new tactic with the trolls -

I am going to try and treat them as fellow human begins instead of as targets.

Every common sense bone in my body is screaming at me, that this is a waste of time.

But something at the back of my head is compelling me to try.

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I do hate that "have to be good person" nagging voice in my head.

I wish it would just fuck off so I can be a totally ruthless bastard instead.

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But this is ALSO a golden chance to prove that the world is Exactly what I think it is!

And no better!

So, I will get to jeer,

"I told you so!"

A LOT!

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I am going to expose a vulnerable personal underbelly.

And treat the troll that is lashing out as a human being.

The question is…

…When I do this…

…Will “THEY” start acting like a human being”

OR will they (as I suspect) see this as a chance to double down and attack more viciously?

Will they prove themselves to be (as I suspect) lower in empathy and morals than the lowest of the most debasing of pack animals?

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So instead of being nasty:

I sent this response instead.

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"This is probably a mistake, but I will try and treat you as a human being for a while.

I DO NOT WANT FAME AND FORTUNE!

All I want to do is make the equivalent of minimum wage from home so I can avoid the world And come off mental health benefits.

I have no problem with hard work but I cannot stand people.

Once I manage This,

THEN and only then am I worth anything.

Until then I see myself as just merely "Disposable".

- I do Not see myself as some misbegotten lost genius.

That is why I charge as little as I can while still covering materials and registered postage to a customer.

If you want top-quality, worth hundreds, then pay a proper artist

- No doubt you will be like most humans and take this momentary act of weakness to just stick the boot in.

But <shrug> there you go!

- I do not really know why some people begrudge such a simple ambition. Other than petty spite and boredom.

But obviously, I will try and defend myself and hurt them back.

- This comment is Sooo going to bite me in the arse now...

…Because THAT is what people are!"

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I need to get an opening to send the Cut N Paste “nice” message above.

I cannot just slap it up.

I need them all to push a little for it first.

I need an actual proper insult first, to prompt it.

It is their response to the above that makes a point scored!

NOT their initial insult!

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ADDITIONALLY:

To bait the water… With some bloody chum.

I will post a VERY bad drawing.

A REALLY BAD ONE!

It is NOT art!

(by my definition)

It IS just a crappy doodle.

This is Lower than just lower quality,

It is just a mere doodle piece.

I doubt anyone will want it,

And I shoved on a price of £15

This is only to get this more results and get this article written faster.

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Let’s clear a scoreboard.

First to 3 wins!

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Trolls are worth treating as a fellow human being

Vs

Trolls are not worth treating as fellow human beings, only as targets.

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Scores on start,

Worth treating as a fellow human being = 0

Not worth treating as a fellow human being = 0

First to 3 wins!

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“But Ross,”

I hear some cry

“It is the internet. People often say things that they would never say to your face.”

BUT That is why the comments are MORE valid rather than less so.

They are given the courage to be their real selves as opposed to wearing the social masks that they must use to function in real life.

Social media lets them off the leash, there are no real consequences.

Purely from exposure of their morality perspective, point of view, (Like a party drug), they get to be who they really are!

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SUBJECT A

“Dan”

This Subject sent a PM offering a single £1 for my artwork.

Not the bait artwork above,

But instead the Real attempt at artwork below.

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I then sent the “pleasant response” (as seen above).

This was his reply.

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“A lot of people can’t stand people. But they get on with life. Life is a series of challenges- that’s another way of saying that life is basically shit for most people, but people do what they do to survive . Lots of people would like the luxury of earning enough to get by and not have to deal with workmates, the general public, bosses, corporate, HR, employees etc. etc. it’s not a mental health issue, it’s a human issue. Offering you a pound is not putting the boot in. I actually like seeing your pictures on FB - the execution is frankly crap, but I do like the choice of subject matter. The chuckle it gives me is worth about a quid. Forty quid is not minimum wage - and a sheet of paper and postage doesn’t cost that.”

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A breakdown of Subject ( A )s response.

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SUBJECT A :

“A lot of people can’t stand people. But they get on with life. Life is a series of challenges- that’s another way of saying that life is basically shit for most people, but people do what they do to survive .”

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Translation

“If I hate my life”

“Then you should hate your life too”

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SUBJECT A :

“Lots of people would like the luxury of earning enough to get by and not have to deal with workmates, the general public, bosses, corporate, HR, employees etc. etc. it’s not a mental health issue, it’s a human issue.”

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Translation

“If I hate my life, And I hate leaving the house”

“I feel that if I have to leave the house, then you should too”

“I feel you are getting away with something that I want for myself and I am jealous”

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SUBJECT A :

“Offering you a pound is not putting the boot in. I actually like seeing your pictures on FB - the execution is frankly crap, but I do like the choice of subject matter. The chuckle it gives me is worth about a quid.”

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Translation

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“I AM actually putting the boot in”

“And now I am going to mix pseudo compliments with other veiled insults to try and obfuscate the fact that I am, in fact, insulting you by offering you a quid.”

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Additional Note:

Someone should mention to this bloke that gaslighting is not quite as effective when done in text.

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My Reply Back to Subject ( A ) :

Registered post including the weight of a cardboard tube (most pictures are A2 size) cost nearly £10. Materials are almost impossible to calculate but I round up to about £10. (Paper is cheap but the pastels cost nearly £3 each). Then for my time, I round up to £10 an hour.

- Did it at all occur to you to just scroll by if you don't like something?

- As for "getting on with it" - You don't know me, and you are not a medical professional.

After decades of being on meds and in treatment, I am now nearly 50

- I finally have come to peace with the fact that I will never be better, or functional.

- But it sounds like you don't believe that poor mental health even exists.

If so, I cannot help you with that.

- Either way, it also sounds like you have issues of your own and that you are trying to make Your Issues somehow MY problem.

Just scroll on by instead.

No one is forcing you to buy anything.

If you don't like the post then just block me.

Then you will not see any of them.

It is not rocket science!

- Face it! I am never going to agree with you!

Or you with me!

So, just toddle off and get on with your life.

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Scores so far,

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Worth treating as a fellow human being = 0

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Not worth treating as a fellow human being = 1

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First to 3 wins!

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Subject B

“Luke P”

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A breakdown of Subject ( B )s response.

Luke Only left a laughing emoji

Which is not really a response that can be analysed.

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In fact, it could be taken several different ways.

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For now, I am considering is a “Laugh in my face” negative reaction.

But to be fair to this micro-study,

(As this is barely a real response)

I am only counting it as 0.1 of a single point.

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Scores so far,

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Worth treating as a fellow human being = 0

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Not worth treating as a fellow human being = 1.1

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First to 3 wins!

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ADDITIONALLY:

Subject B is suddenly starting to post Nice and Compassionate stuff.

- This sudden turnaround is so extreme from one point of view to the other that I suspect they know about the article.

I am therefore NOT including this new reaction or any further reactions from Subject B to the study results!

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Subject C

Chris H

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Kicked off with the comment,

(To the really bad bait picture)

“R these pictures ur selling a joke?”

Note: He said “Pictures”, Plural, meaning he is not just commenting on the bait picture but also on all the others which I did work hard on.

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But I did not count it as a reaction straight away,

So, I asked,

“Please elaborate, just this picture. Or all My pictures? Please continue... I am listening.”

No response yet...

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SUBJECT D

Matthew H

(To the bait picture.)

“Seriously”

I prompted,

“Please... Do elaborate... I honestly want to hear what you want to say...”

To get a result.

No response yet...

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The study was THEN derailed by a 29-day Fartbook ban!

I Do so hate them!

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SO, after all this writing and prep work, this article might now, never be completed.

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FINAL SCORES! (So far)

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Trolls are NOT worth treating as a fellow human being = 0

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Trolls ARE worth treating as a fellow human being = 1.1

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“But Ross!”

“THAT’S NOT A STUDY!”

“OR EVEN A MICO-STUDY”

“Less than 10 people proves nothing about the human race.”

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Well, yeh, obviously.

But I have not got a billion-dollar budget

And besides, this is more a way of validating my personal world view, just for me,

(…and maybe make some article pennies while I am at it!)

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CONCLUSION: (so far)

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Fartbook are anti-free speech and Fartbook is shit.

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But then again,

Almost everyone already knew that!

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Maybe I will come back and do a part 2 in 29 ish days time...

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