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I, having nothing better to do, have read through quite a lot of the banning threads. One of the more interesting reasons suggested for not banning various people is that maybe we actually need the scary, stupid, or just plain weird ideas of trolls as a counterpoint to the majority of the boards own. Cries of "some chaote you are!" and "what would Grant Morrisson think?" abound. The argument is that simply because an argument is, to most posters, unbelievably offensive or stupid is not a reason to exclude it. Such provocative and destructive opinion serves to help us strengthen our own views and helps us break free of our hard, dark, reality tunnels etc etc.
However, whether or not the above is bullshit, trolls are still trolls and should be destroyed without mercy or anaesthetic. Hence this thread, which can be used to simulate the "positive" aspects of trolling without having to deal with reality of it.
I think this thread could be useful for a few reasons. Firstly, because the questioner is self identifying as a "troll" it means that the regular posters wont feel so "duty-bound" to correct them. I get the feeling that some of the more wonderful and aware posters get tired of constantly having to tell the wee-uns basic information. Stupid questions in this thread are less of a threat because they aren't really a threat. Stupid questions, in this context, are simply a way of prompting discussion/thought. I'd quite like it, even though we may be discussing quite important and complex issues, to keep a sense of levity to the whole thing. Part of why this is a better alternative to "wild" trolls is, that when a poster self-identifies as asking something stupid for devil's advocate purposes, it is less likely that people will feel personally under attack or as if shouty shouty rage need be deployed. Occasionaly, a troll will stroll into interesting territory, but usually, because they are fuckwits it needs to be abandoned for the safety of the board. It becomes hard to criticise a post rather than a poster when the poster is turns out to be pure, mediocre, evil.
Secondly, because this isn't the "real" board it means that repsonses to stupidity can be more considered. If the trolling stays confined to one single thread, it means there is not such a rush to correct the individual and people get a chance to write clever, quotable things. These clever quotable things can then be used against wild trolls in an effort to subdue them. It could work like a form of immunisation. By letting in small amounts of controlled sickness we can develop the right strategies to talk-down people from their dangerously unsafe soap-boxes and help them get onto our big, multi-coloured-meme-rainbow ship of ideological love.
To stop this just turning into normal trolling, there shall be some rules. People who do not follow these rules verbatim will be assumed to be normal trolls hiding amongst their tame cousins for protection. They will be destroyed.
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RULES!!
1. All tame trolls must place a picture of themselves at the top of each post.
2. All trolls must add a signature, (extra points for ASCII art), at the end of their post. The post must contain a pseudonym used only for trolling and only within the thread.
3. All trolls must read the responses to their posts and all the resources presented to them.
4. Trollish ideas may appear in this thread. Trollish tactics, (ie. insults, l33t, random subject changes etc), will not. eg "I think homosexuality is immoral" is within the remit of the thread. "t3h fagxxors are t3h gay and wtf is wit t3h gr4m nrtn hes such a midya h4w 'n' 'vryn kn0wz t3h gay have st0len gap wtf lolzor roflcopter" is not.
5. Extra points to everyone who uses Helen Cixous, baked beans, or Princess Swashbuckling in an example.
6. Don't be rubbish.
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This idea might be really, really stupid. But, If it works, it could roxxor our soxxors. If it does end in tears then the thread shall die. If you believe the thread needs to die then simply change all your posts within the thread to the word "helencixousbakedbeansprincessswashbuckling". |
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