Troll

From time to time (okay, almost every day) I visit good ol' KSL.com and read their various articles and forums.
I discovered quite early on that I couldn't post comments without becoming obsessed with what others said to me or how they voted on my post (kind of how I used to be obsessed with people commenting on my blog when I first started...oh wait...).

For example:

KSL had some article about how the Utah government was cutting back funds for a program that helped out poor, unemployed, and disabled citizens. I didn't know anything about this program, and I asked some honest questions about options for these people, etc. I wasn't trying to be confrontational. I posted, waited a few minutes, and then refreshed the page to see if anyone had replied to my post. Yes...Yes, they had...

My one and only vote said, in bright red, "Inappropriate. -1"

Hey, that wasn't very nice...

So, I replied to my post.

"Why was that inappropriate?"

Refresh...

"Inappropriate. -1"

Ha ha! "Okay, silly, I get it...you are trying to be funny!"

Refresh...

"Troll. -1"

A few kind souls tried to comfort me (and a few were trying to egg me on), but I was still deeply hurt that some person out there had given me bad marks (As it turns out, the dipstick was voting "Inappropriate" on every post, including posts that said stuff like "My condolences to the family of so-and-so who lost their son." Somebody on that forum quipped that school must be out and someone let their 8-year-old near the computer.)

As it is, I try to not get emotionally involved. I mostly like to sit back and watch people bicker back and forth. It is funny to see that illogical thinking and bad grammar go hand-in-hand.

I had a class in college my first year that dealt primarily with logical thinking (hence the class name being "Logic and Critical Thinking"). That class actually had a deep impact on my mind, and I would hope that my mind is somewhat tidy as a result.

So, as I watch the forums, and the weak arguments that go on that ultimately result in name-calling, I shake my head at those poor souls who don't see their flawed thinking ("Huh? -1"), and applaud those with sound arguments who come out on top and give them a nice green "Ditto. +1." It's rather satisfying. If I were a Darwinist, I would say it is like survival of the fittest: The bigger brains dominate the smaller brains, and eventually the smaller brains die off. If that was the case, I suppose there would be less people on earth. As it is...

Anyway, if you have a few minutes to spare, and want to be entertained, go visit KSL and their forums! It will make you laugh!