Why does it feel gratifying to troll?

Well, I could have phrased this question as "Why do people troll?", except that could easily be dismissed as "other people" being dicks.

But the problem is that those other people who are dicks are sometimes ourselves.

What is it within human nature that drives us to poke something until it responds?

And on a related note, why does the Schmuck Bait trope exist?

Because the results of trolling are generally more entertaining than what the trollee would normally be doing. And since this is the internet, the temptation to maximize your amusement at the expense of people you'll never see and who can't strangle you for being a fucktard runs free.

What I'd ask is, "what difference does it make what their motives are? They don't seem to mind when their targets feel hurt, why should we care how they feel?"

But why is pissing people off entertaining?

That's the fundamental question I want an answer to.

Because I have the power to make you feel bad.

Bolded for emphasis.

So your theory is that it's a power trip.

As to why it's entertaining to piss people off? Yes.

So, basically, the opportunity to be the puppetmaster and control someone else's actions.

It's fun to see self centered delusional know it all holier then thou shmucks loose their cool.

/thread.

It's basically because they can say whatever they want and no one can do anything about it. Sure, people will argue with them and call them names, but no one's going to beat the shit out of them (as is a danger of doing the same thing in public), so there's no REAL danger. The worst thing that'll happen is they'll get kicked off the site if things get too out of hand, but if they were only there TO troll then that's not exactly a punishment (and some may take the amount of sites they've gotten banned from as an achievement).

While the troller might be able to elicit certain reactions out of people, and thus revel in the ability to manipulate emotions, I have to question the emotional maturity of those who take a certain delight in doing so. In an effort to put others down and thus "elevate" themselves, do they realize that bringing others up also would bring them up? Not totally unlike bullying, in that regard...

It is easy to tear someone or something down - just see how easy it is to take something apart, especially if you're not worried about putting it back together again after you're done. Easy to incite, easy to slander, easy to inflame, easy to destroy - the payoff is now. A feeling of power, of control over someone.

It's significantly harder to build up, and I think the payoff in building is much more satisfying and rewarding. Of course, the payoff may take days, weeks, even years to see.

Because some people simply will not have a fair and proper discussion about something. They'll play dirty pool, strawman their asses off, get on their moral high horse, shift the argument to something totally irrelevant. ANYTHING but discuss the matter in a straightforward, rational and open minded fashion.

And in those situations, I am not the sort of guy who stands there impotently quoting logical fallacies. You want to play dirty, FINE. I'm quite prepared to not just sink to their level. I will sink lower and beat them with experience in being a Manipulative Bastard.

Pretty much all my trolling walks the line between a Batman Gambit and a Xanatos Gambit. I set traps for those who piss me off, they can either avoid them by leaving the thread (thus allowing it to return to a non-lame state), getting a fucking clue (again, non-lame state) or I can gleefully fuck with their head and watch their hilarious indignation as I deconstruct their unfounded sense of superiority with a constant one-two punch of Hannibal Lecture and Armor-Piercing Question (Delicious Lulz).

It's about getting people's most annoying qualities and exploiting the predictable behaviours that result from such for lulz. It's easy to not be trolled by me - only a narrow-minded, self-righteous pillock with an unfounded sense of their own superiority is at all vulnerable to my methods. Lose the hubris and I can't do a damn thing to ya.

^^^Hence trolling's close cousin, sniping: popping in to point out something that's wrong (or appears wrong) with what someone else said, without actually contributing anything yourself.

^Wow, hilarious.

edited 25th Oct '10 3:43:05 AM by jewelleddragon

Your analogy is rather accurate. Like trolling, sniping gets rid of an unwanted nuisance.

To answer the question more directly, I love the irony inherent to a person willingly and repeatedly humiliating themselves because they'd rather keep their flaws intact than admit to them and grow as a person.

EDIT: I liken my own form of trolling to a verbal form of Aikido. It works by turning my opponent's hostility back on themselves and in the absence of such hostility it simply cannot function.

edited 25th Oct '10 4:18:11 AM by TibetanFox

It's basically because they can say whatever they want and no one can do anything about it. Sure, people will argue with them and call them names, but no one's going to beat the shit out of them (as is a danger of doing the same thing in public), so there's no REAL danger. The worst thing that'll happen is they'll get kicked off the site if things get too out of hand, but if they were only there TO troll then that's not exactly a punishment (and some may take the amount of sites they've gotten banned from as an achievement).

What about those people who DO do it in public?

Such as the guy who trolled a Terri Schiavo related protest with "<- WE ARE IDIOTS ->" or the Top Gear people who drove through Alabama with locally-offensive lines painted on their cars.

I think an audience is often important. You rarely get trolled in one-on-one chats no one ever sees. That's why ED is so popular, it gives trolls an audience they wouldn't otherwise get.

I'm actually learning a lot of the art of debate off of these forums, as there appear to be a fair number of intelligent folk here who want to have a constructive debate or discussion.

@ Fox - Not sure if I'd call that trolling - more like the liberal use of superior mental firepower and tactics to get someone to shut up. That or I don't really understand trolling. Going out of one's way to instigate a debate seems different than wanting to end it.

edited 25th Oct '10 10:45:39 AM by pvtnum11

@Mr Tibbles — Surely you have considered that such provocation towards a 'weakling' can also encourage their self-destructive attitude instead of (what you say) manning up and growing out of it? If you do want them to heal, that is.

Epiphanies like that don't come right out of the blue, mate, as much as preconceived notions would like to suggest.

Misato: Oh for God's sake. You go into catatonic state and have fantasy sequence, fantasy sequence slowly convinces you to do the right thing, you have some big epiphany after ten minutes and go forth to save the day. We've been through this before. Let's just cut out the middleman and go straight to the epiphany bit.

Shinji: I can't just make an epiphany happen, you know.

Misato: Okay, fair point. How about, if you win the fight, I'll let you see my goodies? Take it or leave it. Goodies and glory or neither.

Shinji: Can I touch them?

Misato: OK, but wash your hands first.

Shinji: Go Go Gadget Epiphany!

edited 25th Oct '10 12:47:28 PM by QQQQQ

I don't know why people troll, nor do I particularly care. I fail to see an appeal in pissing people off for no reason, it's silly.

Personally, I think that if you engage in those kinds of activities, you should be prepared to also be the victim of them, cycle of life, except with online interactions instead of "life". It's worth noting that this site is absurdly easy to troll, to the point where it's ridiculous.

If we're operating some other definition of "troll" (there seem to be at least a dozen) then this isn't really relevant here, so ignore.

edited 25th Oct '10 12:33:14 PM by SpainSun

Well, I know that at least part of my enjoyment of doing so comes from enjoying outwitting someone.

Granted, it doesn't feel as good to be the one being outwitted, but I must say that I do enjoy being outwitted by an elaborate and difficult prank (that's ultimately harmless).

If someone self-identifies as a troll, or anything akin to it. The percentage of things they say that I'm willing to even read drops significantly. I don't see a reason to publicly call yourself a troll, just seems counter-productive on my end.

Essentially, I'm highly suspicious that anyone who claims to be a troll actually is.

Of course there are places that you can troll by starting a thread titled "Fuck [thing]" and it actually works. In which case, I really don't have any sympathy for either party.

WHY DO I KEEP EDITING MY POOOOSTS. gah.

edited 25th Oct '10 12:41:29 PM by SpainSun

^^ Mhm. Pranking for the giggles and shits can be quite the enlightening experience, if done well. But attacking and demeaning someone personally, I'm going to say no to.

edited 25th Oct '10 12:46:24 PM by QQQQQ

There is a wide gulf between pranking and ripping someone an emotional new one.

I've heard both and neither of those described as trolling, can we settle on a definition here before we go any further?