Anyone else notice the recent wave of trolls?

[durutti]

Unsuprisingly, around the same time Rush and co. started mentioning DU, hordes of FReepers and such started showing up. I'm surprised no one else seems to have mentioned it.

I also suspect that some newer users are deliberately posting things that sound incredibly mean and/or stupid in order to make DU look bad.

[Torrey Pines]

1. Well, I'm pretty new here

and sometimes I can say things that might sound incredibly stupid, but I don't waste my time listening to Rush. So, I guess I just don't have any excuse. ;-)

[gulliver]

2. It will backfire on pig-boy.

Get a ditto-head in here and pretty soon (if they read reasonably carefully) you're going to get quite a few converted. A lot of ditto-heads are only with the fat-headed drug addict because they can't think for themselves. My guess is that those boys (and I do mean boys) don't do well in life or with women.

They are probably miserable and ready for a change. Saying you are a Rush Limbaugh listener is surefire girl repellent. His listeners are among the most downwardly mobile of all assistant grocery store stockboys. Rush hasn't done anything for them but stunt their growth.

You watch. A bunch will turn on him.

[worldgonekrazy]

3. Yes, but don't assume everyone is a troll

I've been accused of it for, among other things, backing up Lieberman on his abortion statements.

Some people are quick to label anyone they disagree with as a Freeper. There's a word for this line of thinking and its "fascism."

[shanti]

5. that's one way to get your tombstone here

labeling *us* as fascists. another thing: LIEberman gets no love here, so anything you say in his favor will be slammed :shrug:

[NNN0LHI]

7. Didn't you vote for Gore/Lieberman in 2000 like I did? n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Was there a choice?

I certainly wasn't going to throw my vote away on Nader.

[durutti]

13. I agree.

n/t

[shanti]

4. it's holiday time

they've nothing better to do than disrupt. this happens during every holiday...

[php1949]

6. A Bush Ranger tactic

I've been a MoveOn forum fighter for about 7 months. I use the term fighter because it is an open forum and it unbelievably hostile and offensive. It is like a verbal war over there. Posing as progressives is a standard tactic from the Bush Rangers and wannabes. They are extremely mean and dangerous and they will do anything to make progressive forums like DU look bad. Fortunately, DU monitors the forum to weed out the trolls.

[Gingersnap]

8. YES this place is suddenly crawling with them

why don't they go hide back under the bridges where they belong?

I think they are trying a "new" strategy--trying to say knee-jerk, cruel, thoughtless things as "dems" to make the board look bad. It's pretty obvious though, I've seen a couple throw in total nonsequitors like "all republicans should be hanged" during discussions about other topics.

Can we just hit alert when we suspect one or do we have to try to "reason" with them?

[Padraig18]

10. Just hit alert, and then...

... go wash your hands. :P

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. Don't even talk to them

just hit the alert button. At least that's what the mods recommend.

However, that doesn't mean I take my own advice. Sometimes I enjoy pulling their puds until they get tombstoned.

[loudnclear]

11. But remember, a lot of them will be "educated" in spite of themselves

many will hate that they ever ventured here because they will have to face the truth.

[Moderator]

14. Inflammatory - locking

Vague allegations that DU is populated by disruptors is inappropriate and inflammatory. If you see any post you believe to break the rules of DU, you are asked to alert.