Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Svempa Sep 14, 2009 4:11:23	I'd just like to say that I am sorry about what happened in "Astrid's Parlor" with the thread I started. I don't quite understand what happened before I lost my temper. But I did loose my temper and I wrote some nasty things. I'm sorry about that. There is one thing. I got a mail from the customer support and it mentioned something called "trolling". Was I doing that? I don't even understand what trolling is- tried to look it up on wikipedia etc. and there is no mention of this term.
#2 Seeker95 Sep 14, 2009 7:08:42	en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%... I wasn't involved in the thread (I wouldn't go near Astrid's without getting hazard pay), but that link will explain the term.
#3 lokiare Sep 14, 2009 15:00:08	Yeah, the problem with Astrid's Parlor is that they don't understand that all men have not taken gender equality courses and some of us are not completely aware of what constitutes being wrong when we talk about gender issues.
#4 Svempa Sep 14, 2009 17:32:20	Yeah, the problem with Astrid's Parlor is that they don't understand that all men have not taken gender equality courses and some of us are not completely aware of what constitutes being wrong when we talk about gender issues. What you are saying is just so... Not right. They removed my post because I was saying nasty things, not because I was being sexist. Being not completely aware about what constitutes being wrong about gender issues is simple. You just have to say stupid, arrogant and thoughtless things about women.
#5 Svempa Sep 14, 2009 17:34:08	en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%... I wasn't involved in the thread (I wouldn't go near Astrid's without getting hazard pay), but that link will explain the term. Bad link. It leads to noplace.
#6 frida Sep 14, 2009 18:44:50	I'd just like to say that I am sorry about what happened in "Astrid's Parlor" with the thread I started. I don't quite understand what happened before I lost my temper. But I did loose my temper and I wrote some nasty things. I'm sorry about that. There is one thing. I got a mail from the customer support and it mentioned something called "trolling". Was I doing that? I don't even understand what trolling is- tried to look it up on wikipedia etc. and there is no mention of this term. In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional or disciplinary response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. I cant find any terrible posts you written but maybe they have been removed, so I have no idea why the mods thought that you where trolling. One thing to keep in mind though is that Astrids parlor have had lots of troubles before with people who comes to the forum only to question the validity of the topics and even if the forum should exist at all. Maybe a mod would consider such qriticue trolling because its certainly provocative. Most posters in Astrids parlor are pretty easy going so dont be afraid to post again, and remember to take a step back and cool down the next time you loose your temper.
#7 RUMPLESTIX Sep 14, 2009 18:55:25	No problem, Svempa. I will try to explain and this is not being snarky because for some reason or other I get the feeling this is earnest and will thus treat it that way. Although there may be some broad interpretations of what a troll is or what exactly constitutes trolling, a common trait of "trolls" is that they will make posts and comments with the intention of getting a rise out of posters rather than for the sake of civil discussion. So, it is possible to lose your cool in response (possibly violating the CoC) without being a troll so long as the intent was not just to make others angry. But, I think a look at the thread can explain a little of what happened. The OP to your thread had this line in it: "I could drop a lot of vitriolic comments about this that would probably upset a lot of people's feelings. But I won't." If one would look at a different comment written in a similar fashion you might get an idea of how it was interpreted (note that the following is made up): "I could say that your wife is a **** but I won't" The above statement would anger a lot of people or at least make them feel they (and their wife) were being insulted. Although it isn't identical to the statement in your OP I hope you can see how it might bring about a similar reaction. Basically it could be interpreted as stoking a fire with the promise of what is being held back. An angry reaction that the OP did bring about was the following: "I would love to hear these vitriolic comments of yours." So, at this point there was a phrase in the OP that can be interpreted as soliciting an angry response and an angry response which came regardless of the intent of the phrase in the OP. I did not get the opportunity to read the posts that were deleted, but would it be accurate to say that some of those vitriolic comments made their way into the thread? Or perhaps they were vitriolic comments but not necessarily the ones that were originally mentioned? If the comments did, that would probably be part of why there was the mention of trolling. It appeared to CS that you "baited" the OP with mention of your "vitriolic comments" and that when you received a response regarding them you responded by posting them or at least responded by posting some other vitriolic comment. So, in this case, IMO, it appeared to CS that the point of the thread was to bait the posters into giving you a reason to post vitriolic comments. That would be one category of conduct that would be considered trolling. But, I will continue with a couple pointers under the assumption that you are looking for answers that you can use. In post 16 the following was stated: "Notice how this thread is about how to create adventures that appeal to both sexes. But it is already becoming about something else." But, you must remember that the OP determines what is the topic of the thread. What is mentioned in the OP is the topic of discussion for the thread. Although half the OP was regarding creating an adventure for both sexes, half of it was the following: I find it troubling that a lot of the threads in this forum are about 1: How women act when gaming 2: How women are depicted in fantasy art 3: Sleazy sexual comments/session descriptions I could drop a lot of vitriolic comments about this that would probably upset a lot of people's feelings. But I won't. So, now there is a break away from specifically covering the idea of creating an adventure for both sexes and toward the fact that you find it troubling that these things listed are frequently discussed and that you have vitriolic things to say about it. In other words, the way in which the OP was written included discussion of your feelings and your vitriolic comments that were being withheld as part of the topic of the thread. What I am trying to say is that if you wish to hold a civil discussion about a specific topic it will be very beneficial to spend some time constructing the OP. Don't mention things that you do not want to discuss because basically mentioning them in the OP makes them a part of the thread topic. Also, a point to remember is that if you try to exclude some topics you may run into the problem of attempting to exclude some things that posters will feel are closely related. In 4th edition general one will often see threads with OPs that say things like "This is not another troll thread" or something similar and even if it isn't the topic of whether or not it is such a tread will be part of the conversation. So, IMHO, it is best to just mention in the OP what it is that you wish to discuss.
#8 Seeker95 Sep 14, 2009 20:56:25	Bad link. It leads to noplace. The Boards have been truncating URLs. Sorry. The Wiki entry is at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_Internet