Internet hostility

In addition to the points above, I also think a lot of it can be attributed to miscommunication, particularly in forums, blogs, IMs, etc. You can't read tone in someone's text all the time, sometimes people mistype, people don't always say entirely what they mean, and all that. Couple that with snap reactions and a propensity for narrow-mindedness and we've got a right mess.

I have to admit, though, it's very entertaining for me (as a third party) to witness trolling in a forum or blog and see the troll get a textual smackdown. Quite satisfying.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I guess I just interpret "smackdown" as "a failure for anyone to get riled up in response to the trolling, therefore the troll gets bored and disappears." Maybe it's just me, though.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by a lurker

So your definition of a textual smackdown is a bunch of people ignoring a guy?

???

No . . . in people's responses to the troll, they keep their cool and fail to get riled up at all. In the end, the troll gets riled up himself, gets frustrated, and leaves. Apologies for the lack of clarity.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by a lurker

link me to some of these epic ass-kickings.

I bet they usually are at least two-three paragraphs long, detailing in each way the troll is wrong?

Forget it, I was just trying to make pleasant conversation. All I said was that I liked it when trolls weren't successful in their attempts to annoy people. I wasn't trying to brag or say that I was The Grand Defender Of the Internet or anything. I'm sorry again for not being clear.

How ya doing, buddy?