The problem isn't the trolls, and it isn't the trolling itself. The reality is that Trolls in a healthy ecosystem actually perform a vital function in service of the common good. I am not arguing that they do what they do out of altruism, but there is a symbiotic relationship involved. They feed off of the negative emotions that any healthy community needs to vent. They perform a vital function to keep conversation lively, and to create a sense of common purpose. The problem we have in these forums is that our ecosystem is unhealthy, and what you call trolls are responding to that.
Ironically this community would be healthier if we actually had some genuine trolls, but as far as that group is concerned this is a fucking wasteland. No what we have is a lot of vapid pretenders to the crown. No self respecting Troll would work this community, because the rewards are a fucking joke. Even reasonable discussion on these forums can result in a full blown shit storm of negative recriminations. Real Trolls actually don't like to be fed out of a trough.
Actual Trolls want more then just a negative response. They want a negative, visceral, personal response from somebody that has taken them seriously. To a real Troll that one response is worth more then ten thousand mindless attacks. Which is let us be honest about all you can get on these forums. What we really have is just a lot of assholes who don't do credit to the name. Trolls aren't the problem, because we really don't have any.
The problem isn't even the assholes who are doing a half ass job pretending to be Trolls. It isn't even the responses to their shenanigans. The problem is we have too many mindless defenders, quasi spammers, and naked propagandists. Along with some desperately lonely people. Who confuse chiming in with actually having a meaningful relationship. The problem really starts there, and that is the problem we need to address if we are to improve the discourse on these forums, and it is probably going to be the hardest thing for people to do.
I agree having standards is a good thing, but you have to raise your standards higher then just ignoring the assholes. They are a symptom of the lack of meaningful engagement that is taking place on these forums. First you need to put some actual effort into your own posts, and think outside of the box. If you have said it a couple hundred times then you should be tired of saying it enough to come up with something new. If you see a poster that is putting in the bare minimum of actual effort, and they are posting twenty or thirty times a day. That person isn't worth your time, your friendship, or even your respect. Just put them on ignore, and either they will get good enough to get a response from you, or they won't in which case you have saved yourself some time.
Finally turn your back on the Propagandists. I think everyone knows what I mean. They are purely soulless consumers who are purely toxic individuals. Even the loudest Asshole, or most insidious Troll cannot hold a candle to these guys. They are not just beyond reason. They are beyond a conscience. If they had a choice to save your life, or have their console brand win a fictitious war. They would watch you die with a smile on their face. If someone truly deserves to be ignored it has to be them, and I think we all know who these people are. They are truly the cancer on these forums, and they cause most of our woes.
