What would become of The Journals comment section if we didnt have trolls?

I never troll but 90% of trolling is pretty harmless, if we keep all this pc malarkey up it will soon be 1984.

People should not be free to libel others just because it’s the internet.

People should be free to troll others because it’s the internet.

And to think, people were up on their high horses about China censoring the internet.

they see me trolling they hating!!

Its very simple….block them, ignore them, remove them, junk mail them…its very easy if you dont want to hear from the idiots again. The internet is about freedom of speech. If you dont like what someone says just ignore them. Trolls hate being ignored & blocked.

The UK is fast becoming a nanny state, Ireland must not follow!

Okay, let’s try that again, again.

There are different things going on here. On the one hand there are the traditional internet trolls who have been around for 20 years or so who:

“Post inflammatory, defamatory, extraneous or off-topic messages on an internet forum – usually with the primary purpose of eliciting an emotional response from other users.”

This is largely harmless. Most people online will indulge in such trollage from time to time. Suggesting, just as a random example, that maybe there’s something wrong with the Ireland squad relying on a component from the UK under the grandfather rule. That maybe if Irish people hadn’t spent the last 40 years funnelling their money into UK teams but rather had put into local teams then that might not be necessary and that you’d have enough homegrown talent to create a world class squad.

And that sort of low level trolling does little harm, it’s fairly tongue in cheek and as the story drifts onto the second page we all move on and forget about it.

But then there’s what trolling has come to mean. The darker, more sinister and unpleasant sort of trolling.

Like sending an email threatening someone’s children.
Like stealing someone’s online identity and setting up accounts in their name on social networking sites using those accounts to make it look like this person wants to put young children at risk.
Like hassling some poor kid every time they go online until take their own life.

That sort of thing needs to be dealt with and eradicated.

Thanks to the journal for figuring it out.

Internet freedom of speech is an important thing that should be protected no matter what someone says. Unlike the real world, if you don’t like what someone is saying then you can block/mute/ban/de friend them.

I blame feminists.
They always seem to stir some crap up somewhere!

Some of the best comedy I have ever read came from Internet trolls. Don’t like it ignore it

Steve Hughes does a great routine about this namby-pamby hyper-precious attitude people seem to have about being “offended” these days.
If you are one of those who feels the need to legislate against potential offence, why not do the rest of us a favour and wrap yourself in cotton wool and stay indoors for the rest of your life.
That way you’ll never be offended again, and the rest of us can get on with our lives without your constant interference.

People just need to learn when they’re being trolled and deal with like an adult and ignore it.

As an internet troll I feel it my responsibility to come forward on behalf of the trolling community and make a stand.

Over two decades ago the internet came as a beacon of light and hope to millions of internet trolls who had been seared in the flames of the playground and sports pitch. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But twenty one years later, we must face the tragic fact that the internet troll is still not free. Twenty one years later, the life of the internet troll is still sadly crippled by the manacles of online moderators and the chains of fora charters. Twenty one years later, the internet troll lives on a lonely internet domain of censorship in the midst of a vast ocean of threads and posts. Twenty one years later, the internet troll is still languishing in the corners of internet society and finds himself an exile in his own world wide web. So I have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

There is something that I must say to my fellow trolls on this comments page. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for trolling by drinking from the cup of libel and slander. I have a dream that one day my posts will not be judged by the trolling that they extol but by the humour they contain.

God bless the internet!

Then again, would people say these things in public to someones face, alot of the time no! Its like in a car, people dnt act like that in supermarkets, usuallyn

If it does happen then it will reduce the comments on this site by about 70%…

I like cake.

Rule 1 of the internet. Don’t feed the Trolls.

Only against children.

If adults don’t like what’s being said they can move on.

Methinks I came across a few government trolls during the referendum campaign … you know who you are!

Simply ignore them, giving them the hint of attention is what fuels them so why bother!

Why don’t we give the government permission to censor free speech. That’s the real question in your poll and as of this post half of the people are saying yes to it. There’s no point getting angry about censorship because these people want our government to decide what we can and can’t say. Who gets to decide whether someone is trolling or being sarcastic. Oh I don’t know let’s invade that persons privacy through Orwellian laws to see if hes joking or if he’s a terrorist. Do not give away your free speech.

Why do so many people in Europe think they have US style freedom speech anyway?

I would say NO because there is adequate recourse at the moment.

If there is a bona fide case of defamation or cyber-bullying then all that is required for the web site to hand over the details to the authorities on foot of whatever the relevant warrant is. I can’t see why, for example, The Journal, would have any interest in shielding these people and these people should be aware that “freedom of speech” needs to be used wisely.

This is more censoring of the internet.

Can people listen to themselves “He said nasty things about” BUILD A BRIDGE PRINCESS

Sticks and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt you!!!

Yes trolls can be annoying, but they are easily ignored. If anyone gets offended by a trolls comments then you obviously are not mature enough to post on the Internet where these things are common place. If someone is directly threatened on the Internet then that is a completely different story however. This legislation in britain is just the PC brigade going completely insane again. People cannot go through life without being offended end of!

All ur base are belong to us.

“IRELAND’S GOVERNMENT HAS no specific plans”

Very true.

Vote yes.

How do you distinguish between trolls and simply a disgruntled customer, or people who just like to complain about everything? I do not think you can legislate in the sector as how and who would decide on each forum if the person was really a troll?

If we’re going to legislate for minor internet annoyances, a law to combat shitposting should be a greater priority than a law against trolling.

If you allow your jimmies to be rustled it’s your own fault.

I seem to be getting pre-modded on this topic.

Don’t hate the player,hate the game

i like sexy cake!

As I can’t make my on topic comment here. I’ve made it here: http://wp.me/p1aRUP-86

Internet trolls? What about real trolls–the ones that spend their sorry lives under bridges except when they’re up on someone trying to scare the crap out of them. Now THOSE are trolls–hairy, foul-smelling, knuckle-dragging, snaggle-toothed little beings.
Why, they aren’t even Irish—they’re Scandanavian—and even Danish. OMFG. They came over in the long ships, they did. Headed straight for the bridges, they did. Well, maybe they had to wait util some suitable bridges were built first, but I’m sure it wasn’t long before they were camping under every bridge, draw-type and otherwise on the whole island.
Do they contribute? No. Do they have jobs? No. Just another troll on the dole, as the saying goes. All they seem to do is scare people, lay about and milk the dole for all they’re worth. Hmmm–that sounds a little like….awww never mind.

Freedom of speech should not be used as an excuse to make anonymous base defamatory statements online which would result in legal proceedings in any other forum. If someone has something to say, you shouldn’t be able to hide behind some avatar to avoid censure for your comments if they are unjustifiable.

I’m a huge believer in freedom of speech even though I have a very low tolerance of cr*p. Bot who is going to censor these trolls? At least for now I have the decision who to ignore – who’s going to make that decision for me??

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b48_1305790944

why i agree with freedom of speech i think they’re should be controls on it because they could lead to cyberbullying and what follows can be tragic