Why Is The Trolling Allowed In This Section?

[Kardashev]

I thought it was meant for serious debate on topical news items. It just seems to me like a regular bickering fest between warring factions. I don't post very often on here and I think I may be reducing that.

[dannyk13]

Kardashev, if you have a complaint you should e-mail the Ed.
[email protected]

[Kardashev]

not really a complaint, I'm just disappointed I suppose. I'd hoped for proper grown up discussion on current news items but I don't see much of that.

[aelmpvw]

i don't find it difficult to ignore news threads once they descend into bickering

[dannyk13]

Sorry, I can only offer the above advice.

[anneasquith]

It’s true, more arguing than news .

[Kardashev]

ok thanks, for your responses.

[jno]

arguing is hardly "trolling", though. It's just that the site tends to attract those with very firmly held opinions, little changed since the relief of Mafeking.

[dannyk13]

jno //arguing is hardly "trolling"//
Agreed but some OP's are.

[andy-hughes]

jno - // arguing is hardly "trolling", though. It's just that the site tends to attract those with very firmly held opinions, little changed since the relief of Mafeking. //

You make an important distinction - argument, and defence of a position in a debate is not trolling.

[andy-hughes]

Kardashev - Trolling is not permitted on any section of the Answerbank.

If you feel that a post oversteps the mark in terms of appropriate language or behaviour, then please use the Report button to bring it to the attention of the Editorial Team who will act as they think fit.

[dannyk13]

AH are you saying that there is no trolling on AB ?

[ToraToraTora]

TBH most of gullivers posts are anti Brexit, anti British or Anti Boris troll posts. There is never an attempt at a point, never an attempt to address follow up questions. Just a na na nana na rant backed up with nothing more than a rabid hatred. That's text book trolling surely.

[Redhelen72]

How is gullivers posts any different from yours TTT and your constant rabid raving against anyone who does not agree with you?

[ToraToraTora]

redhelen: "How is gullivers posts any different from yours TTT and your constant rabid raving against anyone who does not agree with you? "
1) I debate with people and answer their follow up questions
2) I provide links and information
3) I do not rave against people who disagree, I rave against people who post insulting and/or contrarian posts with no reasoning or argument, just to be rude.
4) I am prepared to back my opinions with my own money.

[andy-hughes]

danny - // AH are you saying that there is no trolling on AB ? //

Obviously not.

As you can see, my post does not contain any combination of the words - 'There is no trolling on AB'.

That's because there is trolling on AB - I comply pointed out that it is not acceptable, not that it does not exist.

Perhaps if you re-read my posts before offering a suggestion that I am saying something, when I am clearly saying nothing of the kind, you can prevent yourself looking foolish.

[andy-hughes]

TTT - // TBH most of gullivers posts are anti Brexit, anti British or Anti Boris troll posts. There is never an attempt at a point, never an attempt to address follow up questions. Just a na na nana na rant backed up with nothing more than a rabid hatred. That's text book trolling surely. //

No it's not.

It's presenting a viewpoint you don't subscribe to, in a writing style you don't approve of, which makes it a viewpoint you don't subscribe to, in a writing style you don't approve of .

That's not trolling, 'textbook' or otherwise.

It's free speech in action.

[naomi24]

I don’t think Danny has made himself look foolish. AH, but I think your unnecessarily rude response to his perfectly civil question has made you look foolish.

[ToraToraTora]

AH ok so how would you define it then?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troll
"a person who intentionally antagonizes others online by posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content" - That's 100% what gulliver does.

[Atheist]

I don't think that gulliver regularly calls people fifth columnists, or gob on a stick, or pretend that he has just wet himself. Nor does he call people who disagree with him anti-(insert your own nation). I find him less insulting than some here.